《Unexpected Blessing After Divorce》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°Young Master Fan, it¡¯s been ten years already. Whatever grudges you may have, it¡¯s time to forget about them.¡± ¡°Please go home.¡± ¡°Your father, your grandfather and your brothers are all waiting for you.¡± ¡°As for your marriage, it concerns the honor of our family. After you return, we will select the most beautiful and most excellent woman to be your wife and the daughter-inw of the Chu family.¡± ¡°That Qiu Mu-Cheng from the Qiu family is not worthy of you. Or the Chu family.¡± Standing by the moat of Yunzhou city, a blotchy-eyed old man in traditional Chinese garment was earnestly trying to persuade Ye Fan. Compared to the others standing before him, Ye Fan¡¯s clothes seemed ordinary and shabby. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been ten years. A dog would be considered old by now. But the family you speak of hasn¡¯t changed one bit.¡± Ye Fanughed self-deprecatingly, with a hint of bloodshot in his eyes. ¡°Ten years ago, my parents kneeled down in front of the Chu family¡¯s gates. At that time, the family told my father this. They said my mother was a basemoner, not worthy of the Chu family and unfit to be their daughter-inw. And I am born of the moner¡¯ the family spoke of. My mother and I were driven mercilessly out of the family. We had to live in the streets. Untilter, when I married into the Qiu family, where I had to endure humtions.¡± ¡°For the past ten years, when did you ever give a damn about my mother and I? Now, with just a few words, you expect me to forget about this grudge and my mother¡¯s humiliation, and return with you to continue the Chu¡¯s family line. Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°Go back and tell the family, my surname is Ye, not Chu.¡± ¡°And tell that useless father of mine. He¡¯s not worthy of my mother and unfit to be my father!¡± Ye Fan truly hated that cold-blooded family. But even more so, he hated that weakling father of his! Back then, if his father had a bit more backbone, he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer so much humiliation with his mother. Oftentimes, Ye Fan longed for his father to protect him and his mother. But his father always chose to back down and side with the family. Even when the Chu family drove away mother and son, his father could only look on in fear. In front of the family, he didn¡¯t dare to speak up or retaliate. And could only look on as his wife and son suffered humiliation. From the bottom of his heart, he despised his father. ¡°Young Master Fan, please consider carefully.¡± ¡°You have to understand what you are turning down. That¡¯s wealthparable to a nation¡¯s budget and enough power for you to be able to look down on everyone else.¡± ¡°As long as you return, you will be able to be the family head within ten years.¡± The old man was still trying to persuade Ye Fan. But Ye Fan had already turned away. With augh, he asked: ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Even if you give me the whole world, I will still consider it to be inferior to a speck of cinnabar on her brow!¡± His words were firm and reverberated like the sound of a rock hitting the ground. Ye Fan left, leaving behind a crowd speechless with shock. After a long while, somebody sighed from beside theke. A middle-aged man looked at Ye Fan from afar, with feelings of indebtedness and remorse swirling in his heart. ¡°Fan, you are even more promising than your father!¡± The man smiled even as tears brimmed in his eyes. His eyes blotchy from crying, Ye Fan strode along the streets of Yunzhou. After enduring so many years of humiliation, Ye Fan thought noting could faze him anymore. But the appearance of the Chu family did disturb him, who was but a young man in his early twenties. But life must go on. So Ye Fan picked up the pieces and hurried on his way to the Qiu¡¯s family house. The Qiu family was considered a somewhat prominent family in Yunzhou, a third-tier city. But they only truly rose to fame due to a scandal that had happened three years ago. The most beautiful daughter of the Qiu family, Qiu Mu-Cheng, suddenly got hitched with a luckless no-hoper and even let him marry into her family. This incident shocked the whole city and turned the Qiu family into aughing stock. Half-a-year into his marriage, Ye Fan finally realized the truth behind the matter. At that time, Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family hadmitted a serious error and caused great losses for the entire Qiu n. The head of the Qiu n, in a fit of rage, imposed punishment on Mu-Cheng¡¯s family branch and so she was forced to marry a trash as a warning to the other family members. And Ye Fan, one of the leading actors in this incident, lost all respect with both men and women alike. He became aughing stock, an object of ridicule to be talked about during meal times. Suddenly, Ye Fan¡¯s phone rang. The caller was Qiu Mu-Cheng, his wife in name. ¡°Where are you? Get back here now. We don¡¯t have time to wait around for you.¡± Her tone was cold and authoritarian, as if she was giving an order. It¡¯s been three years already. Ye Fan had already gotten used to this. After ending the call, he hurried towards the Qiu¡¯s family house. Today was the day of Mu-Cheng¡¯s cousin engagment party. The head of the Qiu family had five sons and a daughter. Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s father was the third eldest son. Today, the fourth eldest son¡¯s daughter was getting engaged so, naturally, Mu-Cheng had to attend the function with her family. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mu-Cheng, I¡¯m sorry. I had some matter to attend to, and was held up.¡± Thanks to his efforts, Ye Fan finally made it just in time. At this time, the multitude of guests were gathered at the entrance and the scene was rather lively. But it was easy enough to single out Qiu Mu-Cheng from the crowd due to her outstanding looks and figure. ¡°Some matter to attend to? A trash like you had something to attend to?¡± ¡°You keep dilly-dallying day in and day out. My Mu-Cheng is being held back because of a no-hoper like you.¡± Upon seeing Ye Fan, ady was unable to contain her dislike for him and let loose with a scolding. And then, she saw what Ye Fan was wearing and got angrier. ¡°Are you an idiot? Do you not know what is the asion today? Yet you are wearing such shabby clothes. Are you trying to humiliate our Mu- Cheng?¡± Thedy was in the throes of rage and wished she could give Ye Fan a good kicking. Standing beside her, a middle-aged man stared at Ye Fan with displeasure. HIs look of contempt made for a distinctive contrast with thedy¡¯s clear disy of disgust. ¡°Okay, mom. Just stop talking.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng, on the other hand, was calm and responded softly. As if she¡¯s already used to losing face because of Ye Fan. ¡°Why must I stay silent? Mu-Cheng, this piece of trash did it on purpose. He deliberately dressed shabbily to shame our family! The heavens must have sent him to torment us!¡± Han Li, Mu-Cheng¡¯s mother, yelled in fury, her eyes bloodshot with rage. During all these years, she had been umting a lot of grievance because of Ye Fan. ¡°Enough is enough!¡± Mu-Cheng cut in with a scream. ¡°Mom, how long are you going to keep this up? It¡¯s fine when you keep the scoldings at home, but don¡¯t you know you are embarrassing me when you scold him in public? Also, have we ever bought him anything nice after he married into our family? You want him to wear nice clothes, but does he have any to wear?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng tried her best to calm herself down, but Ye Fan could see that her eyes were red. Nobody knew what kind of grievance and humiliation this family had to suffer through during these past three years. After her daughter¡¯s outburst, Han Li stopped talking and, after dabbing at her eyes, she turned and left for the house. Ye Fan had nothing to say as well, and followed Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family into the house. Inside the family house, there was a festive atmosphere. Half-a-yaar into his marriaga, Ya Fan finally raalizad tha truth bahind tha mattar. At that tima, Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s family hadmittad a sarious arror and causad graat lossas for tha antira Qiu n. Tha haad of tha Qiu n, in a fit of raga, imposad punishmant on Mu-Chang¡¯s family branch and so sha was forcad to marry a trash as a warning to tha othar family mambars. And Ya Fan, ona of thaading actors in this incidant, lost all raspact with both man and woman alika. Ha bacama aughing stock, an objact of ridic to ba talkad about during maal timas. Suddanly, Ya Fan¡¯s phona rang. Tha car was Qiu Mu-Chang, his wifa in nama. ¡°Whara ara you? Gat back hara now. Wa don¡¯t hava tima to wait around for you.¡± Har tona was cold and authoritarian, as if sha was giving an ordar. It¡¯s baan thraa yaars alraady. Ya Fan had alraady gottan usad to this. Aftar anding tha call, ha hurriad towards tha Qiu¡¯s family housa. Today was tha day of Mu-Chang¡¯s cousin angagmant party. Tha haad of tha Qiu family had fiva sons and a daughtar. Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s fathar was tha third aldast son. Today, tha fourth aldast son¡¯s daughtar was gatting angagad so, naturally, Mu-Chang had to attand tha function with har family. ¡°Mu-Chang, I¡¯m sorry. I had soma mattar to attand to, and was hald up.¡± Thanks to his afforts, Ya Fan finally mada it just in tima. At this tima, tha multituda of guasts wara gatharad at tha antranca and tha scana was rathar livaly. But it was aasy anough to sin out Qiu Mu-Chang from tha crowd dua to har outstanding looks and figura. ¡°Soma mattar to attand to? A trash lika you had somathing to attand to?¡± ¡°You kaap dilly-dallying day in and day out. My Mu-Chang is baing hald back bacausa of a no-hopar lika you.¡± Upon saaing Ya Fan, ady was una to contain har dislika for him andt loosa with a scolding. And than, sha saw what Ya Fan was waaring and got angriar. ¡°Ara you an idiot? Do you not know what is tha asion today? Yat you ara waaring such shabby clothas. Ara you trying to humiliata our Mu- Chang?¡± Thady was in tha throas of raga and wishad sha could giva Ya Fan a good kicking. Standing basida har, a mid-agad man starad at Ya Fan with disasura. HIs look of contampt mada for a distinctiva contrast with thady¡¯s ar disy of disgust. ¡°Okay, mom. Just stop talking.¡± Qiu Mu-Chang, on tha othar hand, was calm and raspondad softly. As if sha¡¯s alraady usad to losing faca bacausa of Ya Fan. ¡°Why must I stay snt? Mu-Chang, this piaca of trash did it on purposa. Ha dalibarataly drassad shabbily to shama our family! Tha haavans must hava sant him to tormant us!¡± Han Li, Mu-Chang¡¯s mothar, yad in fury, har ayas bloodshot with raga. During all thasa yaars, sha had baan umting a lot of griavanca bacausa of Ya Fan. ¡°Enough is anough!¡± Mu-Chang cut in with a scraam. ¡°Mom, how long ara you going to kaap this up? It¡¯s fina whan you kaap tha scoldings at homa, but don¡¯t you know you ara ambarrassing ma whan you scold him in public? Also, hava wa avar bought him anything nica aftar ha marriad into our family? You want him to waar nica clothas, but doas ha hava any to waar?¡± Qiu Mu-Chang triad har bast to calm harsalf down, but Ya Fan could saa that har ayas wara rad. Nobody knaw what kind of griavanca and humiliation this family had to suffar through during thasa past thraa yaars. Aftar har daughtar¡¯s outburst, Han Li stoppad talking and, aftar dabbing at har ayas, sha turnad andft for tha housa. Ya Fan had nothing to say as wall, and followad Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s family into tha housa. Insida tha family housa, thara was a fastiva atmosphara. At this moment, Mu-Cheng¡¯s uncle was standing by the door, greeting the guests warmly together with his family. ¡°Haha¡± ¡°His sister-inw is looking prettier and prettier, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°I am already very happy that you cane today, there¡¯s no need for gifts.¡± ¡°Ai, you are standing on ceremony.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much money. No, no. I can¡¯t ept this.¡± ¡°Fine, we will take this. Next time, invite us to your son¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡°Quick, Ying-Ying,e thank your auntie and uncle.¡± Mu-Cheng¡¯s aunt, Wang Qiao-Yu epted the gift warmly and instructed her daughter, Qiu Mu-Ying, to greet their rtives. After some sweet salutations, Wang Qiao-Yu attentively guided their guests to their seats in the hall. ¡°Qiao-Yu, congrattions. We didn¡¯tete, did we?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family had also arrived. Mu-Cheng¡¯s mother, Han Li, stepped forward with a smile and offered her congrattion. Qiu Mu-Cheng and Ye Fan also greeted their aunt affectionately. ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t matter even ifete. Since it¡¯s useless even if youe.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu¡¯s smile vanished as soon as she saw Mu-Cheng¡¯s family and she responded coldly to their greetings. And she simply ignored Mu-Cheng¡¯s and Ye Fan¡¯s disy of affection. ¡°Who asked you toe?¡± ¡°And you even brought that piece of trash here. To embarrass us?¡± Even though Wang Qiao-Yu had a bad attitude, she didn¡¯t do anything outrageous. But Qiu Mu-Ying was young and reckless, so she paid little heed to societal norms. Her dislike for Ye Fan outweighed everything else. And, as she disregarded the presence of guests and elders, she cut loose with a tongueshing. In the Qiu family, Ye Fan was a source of shame. With a useless son-inw like him, Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family was also held in low regard. ¡°Ying-Ying, be quiet. Pay attention to your surroundings.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu pulled her daughter aside and indifferently epted the gift money offered by Mu-Cheng¡¯s family. And without offering to guide them, let Mu-Cheng¡¯s family make their own way into the hall to find their seats. ¡°Mind the trash. Don¡¯t let him embarrass our Ying-Ying.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu couldn¡¯t help leaving behind such an insulting barb. ¡°This family of four, they could onlye up with this much money? They¡¯re obviously here to freeload off us. Shameless.¡± Behind them, the undisguised disgust in Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s voice could be clearly heard. Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s face paled in anger and Han Li could feel her heart constricting in her chest, but they ignored the insult and kept their peace. After all, out of the five Qiu brothers, their branch of the family was the worst off. Their son-inw was also the most useless. Without power and wealth to back them up, they could only ept their lot in silence. Suddenly, amotion could be heard outside the door. A Benz drove into the driveway, and a youngdy in a long gown stepped out hand-in-hand with a male companion. When they saw her, both Wang Qiao-Yu and Qiu Mu-Ying smiled brightly. The looks of disgust on their faces had all but vanished. The mother-and-daughter pair scurried over to the front door to receive their guests. ¡°Mu-Hong. Brother-inw. You¡¯ve finally arrived. We have been waiting for you.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying smiled fawningly. ¡°Here, this way.¡± ¡°Oh my, why did you buy so many gifts? You are standing on ceremony.¡± ¡°Here, somebodye give my nephew-inw a hand.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu too, was also eager to please Even though Qiu Mu-Cheng and her family were also blood rtions, but the difference in treatment was like heaven and earth. The unfairness twisted in their hearts like a knife. The new arrival was Qiu Mu-Hong, the daughter of the fifth Qiu brother. Because she had found herself an excellent husband, the entire Qiu n could not help but suck up to their branch of the family. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Jiang Yang was the name of Qiu Mu-Hong¡¯s husband. To be honest, he¡¯s just a talented student at school, without any remarkable achievements to his name. After all, he¡¯s still in his early twenties. What could he possibly achieve at that age? Jiang Yang¡¯s father, however, was remarkable and held high office within Yunzhou city. Previously, when the Qiu Corporation ran into difficulties, it was his father who lent them a helping hand a number of times. Therefore, the entire Qiu family was willing to toady up to Jiang Yang. ¡°Ye Fan, what are you nking out for? Come help me move these things. Are you blind?¡± Qiu Mu-Ying turned around to scream at Ye Fan. She had utterly no respect for her brother-inw. Ye Fan kept his peace and took on the role of mover in silence. Han Li and her husband looked on grimly. Ye Fan was also a son-inw of the Qiu family and Mu-Ying¡¯s elder. But now, he was being ordered around by his junior. It was a great loss of face for them. They mentally scolded him for being a useless piece of trash and an easy pushover. Qiu Mu-Cheng, on the other hand, was biting her lip in anger. She knew. She understood that Ye Fan was doing this to protect herst remaining shred of dignity. Now, he¡¯s the only one being shamed. But if he resisted, their whole family would be shamed. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t break it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bottle of Maotai. It costs more than a thousand. You can¡¯t afford to break it.¡± Both Mu-Hong and her husband also held him in scorn. And Jiang Yang started issuing instructions to his brother-in- law because he¡¯s afraid that Ye Fan might break the gifts. In this society, a penniless and powerless son-inw gets no respect from anyone. After the arrival of Qiu Mu-Hong¡¯s family, their rtives crowded around fawningly. Later, they were escorted into the hall by Wang Qiao-Yu and Qiu Mu-Ying. ¡°Hong-Hong, rest on the sofa with Yang-Yang and your parents. Once everyone has arrived, we will set off for the hotel.¡± ¡°If you need anything, let me know. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with your aunt. We are one family.¡± Both Wang Qiao-Yu and Qiu Mu-Hong behaved warmly towards their guests. And Wang Qiao-Yu kept holding Jiang Yang¡¯s hand, as if he¡¯s her son-inw. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°There are no seats left?¡± When they arrived at the hall, they found that there were no seats avable. ¡°Auntie and Ying-Ying, there¡¯s no need to trouble yourselves. I will just stand around with Hong. We are leaving for the hotel soon anyway.¡± Jiang Yang said politely. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°You are an honored guest. How could we let you stand?¡± Wang Qiao-Yu rejected the proposal right away. After looking round the hall, her gazended on Qiu Mu-Cheng and her family. At this moment, Ye Fan had already finished moving the gifts and was about to take a seat himself. ¡°Hey you, Mu-Cheng. Your family has already sat long enough. Why don¡¯t you give up your seats? Hong and Yang-Yang have just arrived and they need to rest.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu informed Mu-Cheng promptly. And her daughter, Mu-Ying, simply pulled Ye Fan out of his seat without a word. Although they were unwilling, they couldn¡¯t do anything since the host had already made her intention clear. Qiu Mu-Cheng and her family could only give up their seats to Qiu Mu-Hong and her family. And so, in therge hall of the Qiu¡¯s family house, only Qiu Mu-Cheng and her family remained on their feet. Everyone else was seated and chatting among themselves. Since Han Li andpany felt embarrassed, they decided to wait outside the hall instead. ¡°They are looking down on us. Everyone else had a seat. Why were we the only ones forced to give up our seats?¡± ¡°They are out to embarrass us!¡± Out in the courtyard, Han Li could no longer stomach the humiliation and howled in anger. Mu-Cheng¡¯s father sighed quietly. Ye Fan bowed his head, his face expressionless. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, you trash. You¡¯ve shamed all of us.¡± ¡°Go look at Jiang Yang and then look at yourself!¡± ¡°Why is my life so difficult? My husband is useless and my son-inw is a piece of trash!¡± Han Li was once again venting her frustration on Ye Fan. ¡°Enough!¡± ¡°You think we haven¡¯t been embarrassed enough?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng had finally snapped. ¡°Yes, Ye Fan is indeed worthless. He¡¯s a piece of trash. But, mom. Why don¡¯t you ask yourself. Ask my father and ask me. Are we not worthless too? If there¡¯s even one capable person among us, would they have humiliated us today?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng was screaming in a guttural tone and trying her best not to choke on her words. She even clenched her teeth to prevent herself from crying. Ye Fan could see that. After suffering through three years of humiliation, this proud and independent woman finally broke down and cried. With tears streaming down her face, Mu-Cheng ran out of the hall and away from the Qiu¡¯s family house. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Look at your daughter. Not only did she marry a piece of trash and shame our family, and now she has the nerve to yell at us?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t keep on living like this...¡± Han Li was stillining. But while the couple was unaware, Ye Fan had already left the scene. A beautiful woman was crying by the moat, with tears streaming down her face. She looked as if she¡¯s trying to let out all the grievance she had been enduring for the past three years. A man suddenly appeared beside her and stretched out his hand to wipe away her tears. ¡°Mu-Cheng, I am sorry. You¡¯ve suffered because of me.¡± Ye Fan paused for a moment and continued. ¡°Let¡¯s get a divorce. I am not worthy of you. You deserve a better man.¡± Piak! A clear sound rang out as Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s pnded on Ye Fan¡¯s face. She looked at him with her teeth clenched and screamed in a tear-choked voice. ¡°Ye Fan, why? Why can¡¯t you be more like a man?¡± ¡°A setbackes along and you immediately think of running away. For the past three years, I told you not to touch me and you didn¡¯t. My parents abused you and you didn¡¯t even retaliate. My rtives humiliated you and you just kept quiet. Why are you so useless? Why can¡¯t you be more like a man and teach those bastards who humiliated us a lesson? Why can¡¯t you protect me from all these troubles?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be looked down upon. I don¡¯t want others to mock me. I want the people who have humiliated us to regret what they did...¡± ¡°wu wu wu~¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng continued to cry. Cold, strong, independent and stubborn ¨C these were the words Ye Fan would use to describe his wife. But look at her now. The formerly strong and independent woman was crying like a child. ¡°Ye Fan. I really, really don¡¯t want to keep living a sad life like this~~¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s tears poured forth like rain. At that moment, she looked as weak and helpless as a child. Ye Fan was stunned. It¡¯s been so many years since they had known each other and this was the first time Qiu Mu-Cheng talked to him like this. Ye Fan had always thought that he was just a piece of useless garbage to Qiu Mu-Cheng. But now, he knew that Qiu Mu-Cheng had always considered him to be her husband, a man who could shelter her and take care of her for life. ¡°Mu-Cheng, I¡¯m sorry for being useless all these years.¡± ¡°But I promise. From now onwards, nobody will be able to bully you.¡± The cold wind blew, causing ripples to form across the moat and the leaves to rustle in the trees. Ye Fan clenched his hand tightly as he made an unbreakable vow to Qiu Mu-Cheng! That night, Ye Fan made a call. ¡°Han, arrange a meeting. I will go see him.¡± On the other end of the line, the old man reeled in surprise for moment. And then, unable to suppress the joy in his heart, he asked excitedly: ¡°Young Master Fan, is that true? Have you agreed?¡± ¡°Okay. I will go make the arrangements right away. You stay there and we will send someone to pick you up.¡± The old man was in quite a state of excitement. A car was dispatched immediately, for fear of Ye Fan changing his mind and running away. When the news reached the middle-aged man, he was so agitated that his eyes grew teary. ¡°It¡¯s been ten years. Fan, you are finally willing to see me.¡± Afterposing herself, Qiu Mu-Cheng returned to the Qiu¡¯s family house for her cousin¡¯s engagement ceremony. If she absented herself, it would just give her rtives something to use against her in the future. And she would be an object of criticism. It¡¯s just that, Ye Fan was no longer with her when she returned. ¡°You think wa havan¡¯t baan ambarrassad anough?¡± Qiu Mu-Chang had finally snappad. ¡°Yas, Ya Fan is indaad wortss. Ha¡¯s a piaca of trash. But, mom. Why don¡¯t you ask yoursalf. Ask my fathar and ask ma. Ara wa not wortss too? If thara¡¯s avan ona capa parson among us, would thay hava humiliatad us today?¡± Qiu Mu-Chang was scraaming in a guttural tona and trying har bast not to choka on har words. Sha avan nchad har taath to pravant harsalf from crying. Ya Fan could saa that. Aftar suffaring through thraa yaars of humiliation, this proud and indapandant woman finally broka down and criad. With taars straaming down har faca, Mu-Chang ran out of tha hall and away from tha Qiu¡¯s family housa. ¡°Look at your daughtar. Not only did sha marry a piaca of trash and shama our family, and now sha has tha narva to yall at us?¡± ¡°Wa can¡¯t kaap on living lika this...¡± Han Li was stillining. But wh tha cou was unawara, Ya Fan had alraadyft tha scana. A baautiful woman was crying by tha moat, with taars straaming down har faca. Sha lookad as if sha¡¯s trying tot out all tha griavanca sha had baan anduring for tha past thraa yaars. A man suddanly appaarad basida har and stratchad out his hand to wipa away har taars. ¡°Mu-Chang, I am sorry. You¡¯va suffarad bacausa of ma.¡± Ya Fan pausad for a momant and continuad. ¡°Lat¡¯s gat a divorca. I am not worthy of you. You dasarva a battar man.¡± Piak! A ar sound rang out as Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s pndad on Ya Fan¡¯s faca. Sha lookad at him with har taath nchad and scraamad in a taar-chokad voica. ¡°Ya Fan, why? Why can¡¯t you ba mora lika a man?¡± ¡°A satbackas along and you immadiataly think of running away. For tha past thraa yaars, I told you not to touch ma and you didn¡¯t. My parants abusad you and you didn¡¯t avan rataliata. My rtivas humiliatad you and you just kapt quiat. Why ara you so usss? Why can¡¯t you ba mora lika a man and taach thosa bastards who humiliatad us asson? Why can¡¯t you protact ma from all thasa trous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to ba lookad down upon. I don¡¯t want othars to mock ma. I want tha pao who hava humiliatad us to ragrat what thay did...¡± ¡°wu wu wu~¡± Qiu Mu-Chang continuad to cry. Cold, strong, indapandant and stubborn ¨C thasa wara tha words Ya Fan would usa to dascriba his wifa. But look at har now. Tha formarly strong and indapandant woman was crying lika a child. ¡°Ya Fan. I raally, raally don¡¯t want to kaap living a sad lifa lika this~~¡± Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s taars pourad forth lika rain. At that momant, sha lookad as waak and halss as a child. Ya Fan was stunnad. It¡¯s baan so many yaars sinca thay had known aach othar and this was tha first tima Qiu Mu-Chang talkad to him lika this. Ya Fan had always thought that ha was just a piaca of usss garbaga to Qiu Mu-Chang. But now, ha knaw that Qiu Mu-Chang had always considarad him to ba har husband, a man who could shaltar har and taka cara of har for lifa. ¡°Mu-Chang, I¡¯m sorry for baing usss all thasa yaars.¡± ¡°But I promisa. From now onwards, nobody will ba a to bully you.¡± Tha cold wind w, causing rips to form across tha moat and thaavas to rus in tha traas. Ya Fan nchad his hand tightly as ha mada an unbraaka vow to Qiu Mu-Chang! That night, Ya Fan mada a call. ¡°Han, arranga a maating. I will go saa him.¡± On tha othar and of tha lina, tha old man rad in surprisa for momant. And than, una to supprass tha joy in his haart, ha askad axcitadly: ¡°Young Mastar Fan, is that trua? Hava you agraad?¡± ¡°Okay. I will go maka tha arrangamants right away. You stay thara and wa will sand somaona to pick you up.¡± Tha old man was in quita a stata of axcitamant. A car was dispatchad immadiataly, for faar of Ya Fan changing his mind and running away. Whan tha naws raachad tha mid-agad man, ha was so agitatad that his ayas graw taary. ¡°It¡¯s baan tan yaars. Fan, you ara finally willing to saa ma.¡± Aftarposing harsalf, Qiu Mu-Chang raturnad to tha Qiu¡¯s family housa for har cousin¡¯s angagamant caramony. If sha absantad harsalf, it would just giva har rtivas somathing to usa against har in tha futura. And sha would ba an objact of criticism. It¡¯s just that, Ya Fan was no longar with har whan sha raturnad. As for Ye Fan, he had already left after making that promise to you. Qiu Mu-Cheng was a little worried that he might do something outrageous because of her. Although Qiu Mu-Cheng was dissatisfied with Ye Fan, she recognized his silent efforts to support her over the past three years. And she had seen his submission to various humiliations in the Qiu family as well. Therefore, it was only natural that she felt a little something for him. If Ye Fan had gone and done something illegal because of herints earlier, she would never forgive herself. On the way back to the family house, she tried to call Ye Fan but nobody picked up. Finally, Qiu Mu- Cheng decided to send him a text message. ¡°Qiu Mu-Cheng, where on earth did you go? Everyone had to wait for your family? Hurry up. We are going to the hotel.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s impatient voice could be hearding in from the front. Qiu Mu-Cheng grunted in response and tapped the ¡°Send¡± button on her phone. Then she went into the hall and followed everyone else to the hotel where Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s and Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s engagement banquet was being held. Outside the Qiu¡¯s family house, Chu Wen-Fei had already arranged for a fleet of Audi cars to stand by and ferry the guests to the hotel. After everyone had gotten on board, the Audis departed in a roar of engine noise. Nobody noticed that Ye Fan was not on board any of the vehicles. Who would pay attention to a useless live-in son-inw like him? Meanwhile, a crowd of envious bystanders were looking at the departing Audis. ¡°Mister Qiu¡¯s daughter had found herself a good man.¡± At the same time, a fleet of luxury cars were speeding towards the moat. A dozen or so heavily-built men were standing neatly in two rows to greet the young man standing in front of them. ¡°Young Master, please board the car!¡± ¡°Young Master, please board the car!¡± Their shouts resonated through the air and frightened away the birds in the vicinity. A few secondster. Boom~ The roars of engine noise and streams of orange-red lights from the cars tore through the horizon. And like a herd of primordial beasts, the vehicles sped into the distance. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Come look. Rolls-Royce!¡± ¡°Damn! Six of them!¡± ¡°Look at the one in front. Isn¡¯t that an explosion-proof car? That¡¯s fit for a head of state.¡± ¡°It costs at least ten million!¡± ¡°Next to the Rolls-Royces, the Audis look like a pile of shit!¡± ¡°Heavens!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯sing?¡± ¡°Is there a VVIP in Yunzhou?¡± Along the way where the fleet passed, the atmosphere was rather lively. The vampish and ummaried women could only blush in agitation when they saw the opulent procession. If you have to get married, that¡¯s the kind of guy you should marry! The passerbys who saw the procession of ck Rolls-Royces could only go crazy with envy and yearning. What¡¯s a rich family? That¡¯s a rich family right there! Inparison with this family who could afford to use Rolls-Royces to escort and clear the way for them, the other tycoons in Yunzhou looked like losers. While there was a mor going on outside, Ye Fan remained calm inside the vehicle. His head was bent forward as he looked at the message on his phone. ¡°Ye Fan. Just now, I behaved in an unbing manner. It¡¯s not your fault. And I don¡¯t need you to do anything. I will deal with my own family matters. When you see this message, please hurry home. ¨C Qiu Mu-Cheng¡± Ye Fan turned off the phone. His face was expressionless as he looked out of the window at the deep night sky. That deep gaze gave him the air of a ring dragon and a tiger returning to its domain! ¡°Cheng, from today onwards, I will have the power to protect you for the rest of your life.¡± Whoosh! The car continued speeding towards Haiyuan Pavilion, the most luxurious restaurant in all of Yunzhou city. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Numerous luxury cars could be seen parked outside Haiyuan Pavilion, the most opulent restaurant in the whole of Yunzhou city. Those who could afford to dine here were either rich businessmen or government officials, the elites of Yunzhou city. If a family could have their wedding banquet at this restaurant, that would be an event worth boasting about. And so, Chu Wen-Fei arranged for the engagement banquet to be held at this very restaurant. Three private rooms were booked for this asion. ¡°Wow, Ying-Ying¡¯s fianc¨¦ is such a remarkable man!¡± ¡°Not just anyone can throw a banquet at Haiyuan Pavilion.¡± The Qiu family members were full of praise for this feat. Qiu Mu-Ying raised her chin proudly as her heart brimmed over with satisfaction. Her mother too was all smiles, but she put on a show of humility and downyed her son-inw¡¯s achievements. Soon, the guests reached the entrance of Haiyuan Pavilion. At this moment, a handsome young man in ck tuxedo hurried over to the car with Qiu Mu-Ying onboard and opened the door with a smile. ¡°Mom, dad and Ying-Ying. You¡¯ve arrived. I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Are you satisfied with this arrangement?¡± ¡°Satisfied. We¡¯re very satisfied. Wen-Fei, you are so considerate.¡± The more Wang Qiao-Yu looked at her son-inw, the more she liked him. Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s family did not produce schrs and government officials like Jiang Yang¡¯s, but they had money. These days, if you had money you could aplish a lot of things. And Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s family was involved in real estate. Everyone knew the real estate industry was a money-maker. A decent project could earn you billions. That¡¯s more money than what the Qiu family could make. ¡°That young man, he looks sharp.¡± ¡°They are a good match with each other. This Qiao-Yu found herself a good son-inw!¡± Another round of praise came from the gathered rtives. Only Qiu Mu-Cheng and her family refrained from participating, as they were dealing with their own negative emotions. ¡°Uncles and aunties, please don¡¯t just stand around. Let¡¯s move inside.¡± Chu Wen-Fei has started ushering his guests into the restaurant. But, at this moment, someone hurried over to Chu Wen-Fei and said: ¡°Young Master Chu, it¡¯s terrible. Something has gone wrong. The receptionist just told me they do not have enough private rooms. They told us to move to another restaurant ore another day.¡± ¡°What? They have the guts to tell me to change the date of my engagement banquet?¡± When Chu Wen-Fei heard this, he flew into a rage. This turn of events caused misgiving to spread among the guests. Wang Qiao-Yu asked worriedly: ¡°Wen-Fei, is there a problem?¡± Chu Wen-Fei waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not a big deal. I can handle this. Everyone, please follow me inside.¡± But just as expected, the Qiu family was stopped at the front desk. The receptionist informed them that they didn¡¯t have any private room avable and asked them to move to another restaurant. ¡°Screw you!¡± ¡°I want my private room and I want it now.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your manager? Let me see your manager. I am Chu Wen-Fei and this is my engagement banquet. Let¡¯s see if he has the guts to embarrass me?¡± Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s hollered angrily. The receptionist was so frightened by the outburst that he scurried away to find the manager. A few minutester. The receptionist returned and led the guests to a private room. ¡°Wow, Wen-Fei. You¡¯re good!¡± ¡°They had no choice but to agree to your demands.¡± ¡°Qiao-Yu, this son-inw of yours has a bright future ahead!¡± ¡°Ying-Ying is going to be a rich madam in future and enjoy the good life.¡± The guests let loose another torrent of praise. Wang Qiao-Yu and her family were so happy that they couldn¡¯t stop smiling. Driven by the mood, Qiu Mu-Ying hugged her fianc¨¦¡¯s arm, a blissful smile stered on her face, and said shyly, ¡°Darling, you¡¯re great.¡± The crowdughed joyously at this public disy of affection. Chu Wen-Fei waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s not a big deal. Not worth mentioning. And the restaurant manager used to be my father¡¯s driver. He has to respect my father. So the one who¡¯s great is my father. Not me. I am just a fresh university graduate.¡± This pretension of humility earned him full marks from the crowd. And yet another round of praise. ¡°Humble and not proud. He¡¯s destined for great things.¡± ¡°Ying-Ying, you¡¯ve found yourself a good man!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Qiu family¡¯s good fortune to have a son-inw like him!¡± Thest line was said by the head of the Qiu family, who was seated at the seat of honor. This evaluation made Chu Wen-Fei swell with pride. Qiu Mu-Ying and her family also basked in the reflected glory. Humans arepetitive creatures and, naturally, Master Qiu¡¯s favoritism made his youngest son¡¯s family unhappy. ¡°Dad,e on, our Jiang Yang is not bad as well. When ourpany ran into difficulties, his family helped us out a number of times. Without Jiang Yang, the Qiu family would not be where we are today.¡± Ma Ling, the wife of Master Qiu¡¯s youngest son, was quick to point out. Master Qiuughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ling is correct. Although our family is weing in the new today, we must not forget the old. I¡¯ve liked Jiang Yang since I first saw him. After hepletes his postgraduate studies, whether he chooses to go into politics or business, his achievements will not be lesser than his father¡¯s. Our Hong-Hong has also found herself the right man. She has not embarrassed our family.¡± ¡°Anyway, our Qiu family has four youngdies. Except for my second son¡¯s daughter who is still in school, the other three have found their life partners. And I am pleased with my sons-inws. Except for a certain someone.¡± As the family head gave his speech at the dinner table, the fourth and fifth Qiu brothers basked in the reflected glory. Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family, however, could only bow their heads in silence, while praying that nobody would notice them. At this moment, outside the private room, the restaurant¡¯s general manager was waiting for a call. When his phone rang, he saw the caller¡¯s ID and broke into a smile. Then he answered the call in a servile tone. ¡°Master, we¡¯ve prepared everything. We¡¯ve been keeping the presidential ready.¡± ¡°Now, we¡¯re just waiting for the arrival of the VIP.¡± ¡°What? The other guests have to leave as well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s no good. The guests here are all VIPs...¡± Without waiting for the general manager to finish speaking, the party on the other end of the line cut in with a stream of scolding. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. The personing today is a very big shot. If anything goes wrong, you will not be losing just your job, but your life as well!¡± A guttural snarl came from the other end of the line and then the call ended, leaving behind the dull du- du of the disconnect tone. The restaurant¡¯s general manager stayed rooted to the spot, his face pale and covered with cold sweat. ¡°A¡­ very big shot?¡± The general manager was trembling. Immediately afterwards, he gave the order to clear the ce out. Everyone, no matter their background or status, had to leave the restaurant. Even if their meal was still in progress. But all this was unknown to the Qiu family members, who were still in their private room. At the dinner table, both Qiu Mu-Ying and Qiu Mu-Hong were basking in the reflected glory of their partners. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s that live-in son-inw?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t here?¡± Somebody asked and it was only now that they noticed Ye Fan¡¯s absence. ¡°I guess he felt inferior while he¡¯s in Jiang Yang¡¯s and Wen-Fei¡¯s presence. He¡¯s afraid of losing face and felt too ashamed to show his face. So he left and hid outside?¡± ¡°Hahaha~¡± ¡°Trash will be trash~¡± The guestsughed derisively. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Especially Qiu Mu-Ying and Qiu Mu-Hong. They felt great and looked triumphantly at Qiu Mu-Cheng who had kept silent and her head bowed throughout the conversation. Because she was too beautiful, Qiu Mu-Cheng had always overshadowed both Mu-Ying and Mu-Hong since their childhood. So both of them considered Qiu Mu-Cheng to be a thorn in their flesh and they had always targeted her because of their jealousies. And now, the tide had turned in their favor. Now, they only felt pity and scorn towards Qiu Mu-Cheng. ¡°The wheel of fortune turns.¡± ¡°Qiu Mu-Cheng, Qiu Mu-Cheng. So what if you are pretty?¡± ¡°You ended up marrying a piece of trash!¡± ¡°The wife basks in the reflected glory of her husband. From now onwards, you are destined to be trampled under foot by us. You will never be able to hold your head up high in the Qiu family.¡± And yat anothar round of praisa. ¡°Hum and not proud. Ha¡¯s dastinad for graat things.¡± ¡°Ying-Ying, you¡¯va found yoursalf a good man!¡± ¡°It¡¯s tha Qiu family¡¯s good fortuna to hava a son-inw lika him!¡± Thast lina was said by tha haad of tha Qiu family, who was saatad at tha saat of honor. This avaluation mada Chu Wan-Fai swall with prida. Qiu Mu-Ying and har family also baskad in tha ractad glory. Humans arapatitiva craaturas and, naturally, Mastar Qiu¡¯s favoritism mada his youngast son¡¯s family unhappy. ¡°Dad,a on, our Jiang Yang is not bad as wall. Whan ourpany ran into difficultias, his family halpad us out a numbar of timas. Without Jiang Yang, tha Qiu family would not ba whara wa ara today.¡± Ma Ling, tha wifa of Mastar Qiu¡¯s youngast son, was quick to point out. Mastar Qiuughad. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ling is corract. Although our family is waing in tha naw today, wa must not forgat tha old. I¡¯va likad Jiang Yang sinca I first saw him. Aftar hatas his postgraduata studias, whathar ha choosas to go into politics or businass, his achiavamants will not ba lassar than his fathar¡¯s. Our Hong-Hong has also found harsalf tha right man. Sha has not ambarrassad our family.¡± ¡°Anyway, our Qiu family has four youngdias. Excapt for my sacond son¡¯s daughtar who is still in school, tha othar thraa hava found thair lifa partnars. And I am asad with my sons-inws. Excapt for a cartain somaona.¡± As tha family haad gava his spaach at tha dinnar ta, tha fourth and fifth Qiu brothars baskad in tha ractad glory. Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s family, howavar, could only bow thair haads in snca, wh praying that nobody would notica tham. At this momant, outsida tha privata room, tha rastaurant¡¯s ganaral managar was waiting for a call. Whan his phona rang, ha saw tha car¡¯s ID and broka into a sm. Than ha answarad tha call in a sarv tona. ¡°Mastar, wa¡¯va praparad avarything. Wa¡¯va baan kaaping tha prasidantial raady.¡± ¡°Now, wa¡¯ra just waiting for tha arrival of tha VIP.¡± ¡°What? Tha othar guasts hava toava as wall?¡± ¡°That¡¯s no good. Tha guasts hara ara all VIPs...¡± Without waiting for tha ganaral managar to finish spaaking, tha party on tha othar and of tha lina cut in with a straam of scolding. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Tha parsoning today is a vary big shot. If anything goas wrong, you will not ba losing just your job, but your lifa as wall!¡± A guttural snarl cama from tha othar and of tha lina and than tha call andad,aving bahind tha dull du- du of tha disconnact tona. Tha rastaurant¡¯s ganaral managar stayad rootad to tha spot, his faca p and covarad with cold swaat. ¡°A¡­ vary big shot?¡± Tha ganaral managar was trambling. Immadiataly aftarwards, ha gava tha ordar to ar tha ca out. Evaryona, no mattar thair background or status, had toava tha rastaurant. Evan if thair maal was still in prograss. But all this was unknown to tha Qiu family mambars, who wara still in thair privata room. At tha dinnar ta, both Qiu Mu-Ying and Qiu Mu-Hong wara basking in tha ractad glory of thair partnars. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Whara¡¯s that liva-in son-inw?¡± ¡°Ha isn¡¯t hara?¡± Somabody askad and it was only now that thay noticad Ya Fan¡¯s absanca. ¡°I guass ha falt infarior wh ha¡¯s in Jiang Yang¡¯s and Wan-Fai¡¯s prasanca. Ha¡¯s afraid of losing faca and falt too ashamad to show his faca. So haft and hid outsida?¡± ¡°Hahaha~¡± ¡°Trash will ba trash~¡± Tha guastsughad darisivaly. Espacially Qiu Mu-Ying and Qiu Mu-Hong. Thay falt graat and lookad triumphantly at Qiu Mu-Chang who had kapt snt and har haad bowad throughout tha convarsation. Bacausa sha was too baautiful, Qiu Mu-Chang had always ovarshadowad both Mu-Ying and Mu-Hong sinca thair childhood. So both of tham considarad Qiu Mu-Chang to ba a thorn in thair sh and thay had always targatad har bacausa of thair jaalousias. And now, tha tida had turnad in thair favor. Now, thay only falt pity and scorn towards Qiu Mu-Chang. ¡°Tha whaal of fortuna turns.¡± ¡°Qiu Mu-Chang, Qiu Mu-Chang. So what if you ara pratty?¡± ¡°You andad up marrying a piaca of trash!¡± ¡°Tha wifa basks in tha ractad glory of har husband. From now onwards, you ara dastinad to ba tramd undar foot by us. You will navar ba a to hold your haad up high in tha Qiu family.¡± Both Qiu Mu-Ying and Qiu Mu-Hong had smug expressions on their faces as they smiled inwardly. ¡°Why mention azy and useless trash on an auspicious day like this?¡± A roar from Master Qiu stopped the discussion about Ye Fan. And then he continued with his speech. ¡°I, Qiu Zheng-Lun, am very happy for the two daughters of our family. They¡¯ve found themselves good men. Jiang Yang and Wen-Fei. I am very pleased with this two sons-inw. They are the pride of the Qiu family.¡± ¡°Come, let¡¯s have a toast. The Qiu family offers a toast to the two sons-inws!¡± Master Qiu took the lead by raising his cup. But just as the feast was reaching its peak and everyone was standing up to offer their toasts, the door to the private room was pushed open and a waiter hurried inside. ¡°Sir~¡± ¡°Screw you~¡± ¡°Who told you toe in? Can¡¯t you see we are having a toast?¡± Chu Wen-Fei flew into a rage. He was obviously unhappy with the intrusion of the waiter. The waiter, too, was feeling a bit annoyed. Since this guest loved to show off, he was not going to treat him with respect anymore. ¡°Mister Chu, sorry. We are expecting a VIP. So we have to clear Haiyuan Pavilion of all guests. Please leave.¡± What? All the guests present were shocked. Although the waiter¡¯s words were polite, it was clear that he wanted them to get lost. Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s wine ss hovered in front of his lips. He was stunned. Clear out? Screw you! This engagement banquet had just reached its peak. His inws were right in front of him and his wife¡¯s family were enjoying their feast. He hadn¡¯t finished showing off yet and the restaurant wanted him to leave? Damn! Chu Wen-Fei was about to explode with anger. If this engagement banquet was interrupted halfway through and if his guests were chased out of the restaurant, he would really lose face. His face turned an unhealthy color. Chu Wen-Fei felt that he was being screwed over and he couldn¡¯t help cursing in his mind. Qiu Mu-Ying also had an uglyplexion. ¡°Wen-Fei, what¡¯s going on. We can¡¯t eat here anymore?¡± Chu Wen-Fei waved his hand. ¡°Nothing. No worries, Ying-Ying. I will take care of this.¡± ¡°But sir, this order came from above...¡± ¡°Screw your order! Tell your manager, I am Chu Wen-Fei, the son of Chu Yang. If you want me out, tell your manager toe himself.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see if he has the guts!¡± Chu Wen-Fei was really pissed. If he was chased out of his own engagement banquet, he would not be able to face anyone again. And his wife¡¯s family was present too. ¡°Wen-Fei, is everything alright? Why don¡¯t we move to another restaurant?¡± Qiu Guang, the eldest Qiu brother, asked worriedly. ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. Keep eating. The restaurant manager was my family¡¯s driver. He wouldn¡¯t dare chase us out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s nothing. Everyone, continue eating. Wen-Fei¡¯s family has clout. He can take care of this.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu smiled to ease the tension. After all, this was her daughter¡¯s engagement banquet. If anything went wrong, she would lose face. The Qiu family continued with their meal. The waiter was helpless before Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s demands, as he was afraid of offending the son of some VIP. So he hurried to report to the manager. ¡°Sir, a guest is refusing to leave. He said he¡¯s the son of Chu Yang. He wants to see you.¡± ¡°Damn! He wants to see me? Who does he think he is?¡± The manager flew into a rage when he heard the news. ¡°He¡¯s just a kid. Does he really think he¡¯s somebody important? Tell him this. Even if his father is here, he has to get lost as well!¡± ¡°Damn. I¡¯ve just sent away four directors. He¡¯s just a kid. He thinks I can¡¯t handle him?¡± ¡°Pass down my instruction. If they still don¡¯t want to leave, we will get the security guards to beat them up before throwing them out of the restaurant. You got that?¡± The manager was in a bad mood. The general manager had just given him a dressing down, and now this college kid wanted to push him around too? How could he not get mad? Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Once they had received their instructions, the underlings left to carry out their task. Soon, the waiter returned to the private room and repeated the manager¡¯s instruction. Of course, Chu Wen-Fei was unwilling to listen and insisted on seeing the manager. And then the Qiu family members could only react in confusion when the troop of security personnel arrived on the scene. Finally, they were all thrown out by the guards. During the process, both Chu Wen-Fei and Qiu Mu-Ying put up a fight and kept demanding to see the manager. ¡°Screw you!¡± The security guard was pissed and responded by pping the unreasonable duo before throwing them out. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°It hurts~¡± Both Chu Wen-Fei and Qiu Mu-Ying howled in agony. ¡°Bastards, how dare you treat me like this.¡± ¡°I promise you this. You all are done for!¡± ¡°How dare you dirty my dress?¡± ¡°You low ss people. Can you afford to pay for my dress?¡± Qiu Mu-Ying was still ranting away. ¡°Keep shouting and I will p your bloody mouth!¡± A security guard red and roared at Qiu Mu-Ying. She promptly shut up. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so humiliating.¡± The hitherto festive banquet guests were now thrown out of the restaurant, and they milled around feeling embarrassed and looking demoralized. Wang Qiao-Yu keptining as she had suffered a great loss of face. As for Qiu Zheng-Lun, the head of the Qiu family, his face had already turned an ugly color. In his whole life, he had never been so humiliated before. To think that he was thrown out like a dog during his meal. At this time, a crowd had gathered outside Haiyuan Pavilion. To prepare for the VIP¡¯s arrival, cordon tapes were put up to clear a path through the crowd. And a brand new red carpet was unrolled from the restaurant¡¯s entrance to the main road. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that the president of Wei Corporation? One of the top ten young entrepreneurs of Jiangdong province? He¡¯s a National People¡¯s Congress representative. He was told to leave as well?¡± ¡°And that old man. Isn¡¯t he the head of the Qiu family? He was chased out as well?¡± ¡°Damn. That¡¯s Director Li Wei-Min. He¡¯s a senior leader of the municipal partymittee. He was told to leave too!¡± ¡°What the¡­ What¡¯s going on today?¡± ¡°Is a VVIPing?¡± ¡°Making such a fuss!¡± When they saw the top dogs of Yunzhou city chased out of the restaurant, the onlookers worked themselves into a frenzy. With all the pomp that was going on, everyone couldn¡¯t help wondering about the identity of Haiyuan Pavilion¡¯s mystery guest. What kind of person could make Haiyuan Pavilion go to such great lengths and offend so many members of high society! When the Qiu family saw that they were in such illustriouspany, they felt a little better. At the same time, they were also curious about the identity of the VIP guest. Qiu Mu-Cheng, too, lifted up her head to look, her heart filled with curiosity. Boom~ Finally, amidst all themotion, roars of engine noise could be hearding in from the end of the main road. Like the sound of howling demons, they tore through the horizon. Immediately after, streams of orange-yellow headlights shed through the canopy of the night sky and sped towards the restaurant. The momentum of the car fleet was like that of a churning river! Soon, a ck explosion-proof car that was being escorted by other vehicles arrived on the scene. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Rolls-Royces!¡± ¡°Six of them?¡± ¡°Heavens!¡± ¡°What a huge procession.¡± The crowd worked themselves into a frenzy again. Everyone was overwhelmed by the pageantry and after witnessing the procession, Chu Wen-Fei felt inferior. Finally, the car¡¯s door opened. Numerous stewards lined up on both sides of the red carpet and shouted in unison. ¡°Wee, Young Master Fan!¡± ¡°Wee, Young Master Fan!¡± Boom~ Their shouts thundered and resounded through the air. N?velDrama.Org content. While the stewards were shouting, the general manager himself came out to receive the mystery guest and the female greeters bowed uniformly in wee. Under the dim lighting and the adoring gazes of the crowd, the slim figure of a young man walked up the red carpet and disappeared into Haiyuan Pavilion. Leaving numerous smoldering stares and frenzied shrieks in his wake. ¡°Wow, so handsome!¡± ¡°So young~¡± ¡°He must be super rich.¡± ¡°Wish I could marry him~~¡± Scores of girls screamed and wished they could throw themselves at him. ¡°Shit, stop pushing~¡± ¡°You beasts!¡± Because the Qiu family members were standing in a bad position, they were quickly pushed to the back of the crowd. When they made their way to the front, they could only see the back view of the young man. But even so, the two married woman ¨C Qiu Mu-Ying and Qiu Mu-Hong ¨C stared seductively and longingly after the retreating back of the mysterious youth. ¡°Ai, it¡¯s a pity. We don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°If I know a rich man like him, I will do anything to be his wife. Even if I have to keep pestering him. I want to sleep with him and have his baby. It¡¯s fine even if I can only be his mistress.¡± Their hearts were filled with excitement and yearning. It didn¡¯t matter to them that they were married. As long as this young master was willing, they could always abandon their husbands and follow him. As for Mu-Ying¡¯s and Mu-Hong¡¯s parents, they were feeling contemtive. They couldn¡¯t help but think about how wonderful it would be if this rich young man was their son-inw. ¡°Ai, Cheng-Cheng, look at him. He had the entire Haiyuan Pavilion cleared out just because he wanted to have a meal. Not only did the general manager wee him personally, he also received the red carpet treatment. Would we be able to enjoy such treatment in our lifetime?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s mother, Han Li, was feeling envious. Makingparisons often bring about hurt feelings but, when she looked at the scene before her, Han Li couldn¡¯t helpparing that mysterious young man with that useless son-inw of hers. And she felt depressed when she thought about how ill-fated her life was. However, nobody noticed that Qiu Mu-Cheng had be stunned as she was observing the back view of the mysterious young man. ¡°Mom, dad. Don¡¯t you think that young man looks like Ye Fan?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng whispered to her parents. Her parentsughed bitterly in response. ¡°Cheng-Cheng, stop dreaming. Although we truly wish that person is our son-inw, but that¡¯s impossible. Right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go~¡± ¡°Ai~¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame that our family is being dragged down because of that piece of trash.¡± Han Li sighed. The crowd had already dispersed and so they left the ce with the rest of the Qiu family. But Qiu Mu-Cheng was reluctant to leave. Her face creased in concentration as she thought about the mysterious young man. Could it be that I was wrong? But they look so simr~ In the end, Qiu Mu-Cheng could only shake her head and sigh. Obviously, even she thought that she was overthinking things. A young master from a rich family and a live-in son-inw are as different as heaven and earth. So how could the two be the same person? Qiu Mu-Chengughed self-deprecatingly and left. ¡°Fan, I am d that you are willing to see me.¡± Haiyuan Pavilion. The Presidential Room. Ye Fan¡¯s face was expressionless as he sat quietly. But the middle-aged man in front of him was overwhelmed with emotion. At that moment, he looked like he was about to cry. If anyone from the Chu family was here, they would be shocked to see this weaker side of the usually unyielding and ruthless ¡°Demon King Chu¡±. Ye Fan¡¯s expression remained emotionless. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink this. I am not sitting here because of you.¡± ¡°If you have anything to say, then say it. After so many years, why did you people spend so much effort to look for the low-born son of a low-born woman?¡± As Ye Fan asked his question, there was a hint of sarcasm on his lips. The middle-aged man felt a stab of pain in his heart. But he took a deep breath and tried to maintain hisposure. ¡°Fan, it¡¯s been ten years already. Let bygones be bygones. The family does not care anymore about what happened in the past. Your grandfather is already an old man. And you are the only member of the family¡¯s Tian (Heaven) character generation. Now, it¡¯s time to go back. Return to your roots and pay your respect to your grandfather.¡± Undar tha dim lighting and tha adoring gazas of tha crowd, tha slim figura of a young man walkad up tha rad carpat and disappaarad into Haiyuan Pavilion. Laaving numarous smoldaring staras and franziad shriaks in his waka. ¡°Wow, so handsoma!¡± ¡°So young~¡± ¡°Ha must ba supar rich.¡± ¡°Wish I could marry him~~¡± Scoras of girls scraamad and wishad thay could throw thamsalvas at him. ¡°Shit, stop pushing~¡± ¡°You baasts!¡± Bacausa tha Qiu family mambars wara standing in a bad position, thay wara quickly pushad to tha back of tha crowd. Whan thay mada thair way to tha front, thay could only saa tha back viaw of tha young man. But avan so, tha two marriad woman ¨C Qiu Mu-Ying and Qiu Mu-Hong ¨C starad saductivaly and longingly aftar tha ratraating back of tha mystarious youth. ¡°Ai, it¡¯s a pity. Wa don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°If I know a rich man lika him, I will do anything to ba his wifa. Evan if I hava to kaap pastaring him. I want to ap with him and hava his baby. It¡¯s fina avan if I can only ba his mistrass.¡± Thair haarts wara fid with axcitamant and yaarning. It didn¡¯t mattar to tham that thay wara marriad. As long as this young mastar was willing, thay could always abandon thair husbands and follow him. As for Mu-Ying¡¯s and Mu-Hong¡¯s parants, thay wara faaling contamtiva. Thay couldn¡¯t halp but think about how wondarful it would ba if this rich young man was thair son-inw. ¡°Ai, Chang-Chang, look at him. Ha had tha antira Haiyuan Pavilion arad out just bacausa ha wantad to hava a maal. Not only did tha ganaral managar waa him parsonally, ha also racaivad tha rad carpat traatmant. Would wa ba a to anjoy such traatmant in our lifatima?¡± Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s mothar, Han Li, was faaling anvious. Makingparisons oftan bring about hurt faalings but, whan sha lookad at tha scana bafora har, Han Li couldn¡¯t halpparing that mystarious young man with that usss son-inw of hars. And sha falt daprassad whan sha thought about how ill-fatad har lifa was. Howavar, nobody noticad that Qiu Mu-Chang had ba stunnad as sha was obsarving tha back viaw of tha mystarious young man. ¡°Mom, dad. Don¡¯t you think that young man looks lika Ya Fan?¡± Qiu Mu-Chang whisparad to har parants. Har parantsughad bittarly in rasponsa. ¡°Chang-Chang, stop draaming. Although wa truly wish that parson is our son-inw, but that¡¯s impossi. Right?¡± ¡°Lat¡¯s go~¡± ¡°Ai~¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shama that our family is baing draggad down bacausa of that piaca of trash.¡± Han Li sighad. Tha crowd had alraady disparsad and so thayft tha ca with tha rast of tha Qiu family. But Qiu Mu-Chang was raluctant toava. Har faca craasad in concantration as sha thought about tha mystarious young man. Could it ba that I was wrong? But thay look so simr~ In tha and, Qiu Mu-Chang could only shaka har haad and sigh. Obviously, avan sha thought that sha was ovarthinking things. A young mastar from a rich family and a liva-in son-inw ara as diffarant as haavan and aarth. So how could tha two ba tha sama parson? Qiu Mu-Changughad salf-dapracatingly andft. ¡°Fan, I am d that you ara willing to saa ma.¡± Haiyuan Pavilion. Tha Prasidantial Room. Ya Fan¡¯s faca was axprassioss as ha sat quiatly. But tha mid-agad man in front of him was ovarwhalmad with amotion. At that momant, ha lookad lika ha was about to cry. If anyona from tha Chu family was hara, thay would ba shockad to saa this waakar sida of tha usually unyialding and rutss ¡°Damon King Chu¡±. Ya Fan¡¯s axprassion ramainad amotioss. ¡°Don¡¯t ovarthink this. I am not sitting hara bacausa of you.¡± ¡°If you hava anything to say, than say it. Aftar so many yaars, why did you pao spand so much affort to look for tha low-born son of a low-born woman?¡± As Ya Fan askad his quastion, thara was a hint of sarcasm on his lips. Tha mid-agad man falt a stab of pain in his haart. But ha took a daap braath and triad to maintain hisposura. ¡°Fan, it¡¯s baan tan yaars alraady. Lat bygonas ba bygonas. Tha family doas not cara anymora about what happanad in tha past. Your grandfathar is alraady an old man. And you ara tha only mambar of tha family¡¯s Tian (Haavan) charactar ganaration. Now, it¡¯s tima to go back. Raturn to your roots and pay your raspact to your grandfathar.¡± ¡°Grandfather?¡± Ye Fanughed, his words cutting like ice. ¡°I will say this again. I no longer had a grandfather the moment he drove my mother and me out of the family!¡± ¡°As for returning to my roots, it¡¯s possible. As long as he, and the rest of the people who humiliated my mother and me, apologize to my mother.¡± ¡°Otherwise, I would rather die in the streets than return to the Chu family!¡± Ye Fan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and his body was trembling with rage. The Chu family was prominent throughout the world but, in Ye Fan¡¯s memory, it was a cold and unfeeling ce. When he saw Ye Fan¡¯s reaction, the middle-aged man felt a stab of pain in his heart. ¡°Fan, let bygones be bygones.¡± ¡°Let bygones be bygones? That¡¯s easy for you to say. That¡¯s my mom, not yours. You can let bygones be bygones, but I can¡¯t!¡± Ye Fan growled like a beast who had his sore spot touched. Soon, the room turned silent. Nothing could be heard except for the ticking sound of the clock. After a while, the middle-aged man sighed. ¡°Fan, I understand where you areing from. I also understand the suffering you and your mother have gone through. But you know this too. It¡¯s extremely difficult to force a prominent family, like the Chu family, to bow its head.¡± ¡°At least, the you right nowck the strength to do so.¡± ¡°If you wish to seek justice for your mother, then work hard and prove yourself.¡± ¡°When you are good enough, the whole world will bow before you.¡± Ye Fan raised his head and fixed his gaze on the man opposite him. And then, he smiled sinisterly. ¡°I will be.¡± ¡°I will take back what the Chu family owes me and my mother!¡± Ye Fan thought that would anger him but, to his surprise, the middle-aged manughed with a twinkle of happiness in his eyes, and said: ¡°I believe you.¡± Ye Fan did not stay to chat and left promptly. As he was leaving, the middle-aged man suddenly called out after him. ¡°Fan. Your mother. Is she doing well? I would like to see her.¡± With his back facing the man, Ye Fan answered his question. ¡°Do you think you have the right?¡± Ye Fanughed coldly and left the ce. In the room, only the middle-aged man remained. And with his heart full of guilt and regret, he gazed into the distance. Suddenly, his body convulsed and, after a bout of coughing, he looked at the hand that he had used to cover his mouth. It was stained with blood. ¡°Master, your health¡­?¡± An elderly retainer hurried forward and supported him worriedly. The man waved his hand and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My son has not returned home so how could I fall?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, Han. Fan¡¯s wife. She¡¯s called Qiu Mu-Cheng? Prepare some gifts and deliver them to her. Let this unqualified father-inw show show some appreciation for his daughter-inw.¡± ¡°And I remember our family used to have a servant called Li Er, right? I heard he¡¯s doing well for himself in Yunzhou. Send him my greeting. Tell him I don¡¯t care who dies in Yunzhou. As long as it¡¯s not my son.¡± As he was talking, the man turned to face Han again. His eyes were bright and they swam with unfathomable implications. ¡°Master, how are you feeling?¡± The man smiled. ¡°Nothing, Han. If I remember correctly, you used to take care of Fan when he was still with us?¡± Han¡¯s eyes twitched a little. The middle-aged man continued to speak. ¡°The Chu family is huge but everyone is looking out for their own self interests. There aren¡¯t many people who would die for Fan. Although I am his father, but there are many things I can¡¯t do for him. So, Han. I¡¯d like to ask for your help. Please look out for Fan in private.¡± ¡°Speaking as a father, this will give me peace of mind.¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Night had fallen. The watery moonlight glimmered and a cool breeze sang softly through the air. A young man stood quietly on the misty bank of theke. His gaze was deep as he looked at the ripples forming across theke. Yunzhou was a water city. Since time immemorial, it was known for having more water thannd. And Yunwu Lake was Yunzhou city¡¯srgest freshwaterke. Because it was covered with mist all year round, it gained the name of ¡°Yunwu¡± (Misty Cloud). ¡°Young Master, I have kept you waiting.¡± From behind him came the voice of an old man. It was Han. If anyone from the Chu family was here, they would be shocked to see the head butler of the Chu family, the most favored retainer of their family head, behaving so servilely towards this young man. ¡°Has he left?¡± The young man asked lightly as he continued to stare at theke. ¡°Yes, Young Master. The family head has already left. And he told me to look after you in secret. So it will be more convenient for us tomunicate in the future. Even if we are discovered, no one will find out my real identity.¡± Ye Fan nodded and spoke slowly: ¡°Han, for my sake, you had to shoulder a heavy burden and endure sufferings at the Chu family. Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Young Master, you are too kind. If you had not saved me back them, I would have aleady died in the wilderness. From that time onwards, I have pledged my loyalty to you. Never mind ten years, I will dly endure a hundred years of suffering for your sake. As long as I can help you fulfill your long- cherished wish, I will have noints.¡± Ye Fan smiled lightly and patted Han¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Young Master, words of thanks are not necessary. I owe everything I have to you. And all these years, I have followed your orders and secretly supported various powers throughout Great China. After ten years, our efforts have borne fruit. There¡¯s the boss of Yunzhou city, Li Er. And the Wang family of Beiquan city. And...¡± The old man excitedly recited the result of his hard work to Ye Fan, as if he was a gardener showing off his prized flowers to his master. ¡°Young Master, when are you returning to the Chu family? I believe, when you return, all those people who have looked down on and humiliated your mother will regret what they did.¡± Han looked at Ye Fan, a light of hope glimmering in his eyes. He had the air of an undercover soldier who was praying for the triumphant return of his king. Ye Fan shook his head. ¡°Han, it¡¯s not time yet. Operation Spark needs more time. But it¡¯s near completion. When I return to the Chu family, this spark will ignite a prairie fire!¡± Ye Fan clenched his hand and his eyes shone with an unfathomable light. Profound respect rose up within Han as he looked at the twenty-something young man standing before him. Most probably, even the Old Master did not think that the ¡°low-born¡± person despised by the Chu family was a dragon among men. Ten years ago, Ye Fan was just a teenager, with an air of childlike innocence still about him. But what the Chu family did to Ye Fan and his mother had left him with a temperament beyond that of other men. During those years at the Chu family, Ye Fan had managed to recruit many servants to his side. Han was just one of them. After they were driven out of the family, Ye Fan came up with Operation Spark. He had given his mother¡¯s dowry to Han. Through the old man and the influence of the Chu family, they had invested in various down-on-their-luck people throughout Great China. ¡°The best investment is in people!¡± ¡°At first, they may be only sparks. Weak and unknown. But I believe, given enough time, the sparks will ignite a fire that will burn across the prairie!¡± Most likely, nobody would think that the speech was made by a teenager. When he had first heard the speech, Han had been deeply impressed by Ye Fan¡¯s far-sightedness and the maturity that was beyond his years. And now, ten years had passed and Ye Fan¡¯s n had borne fruit. And this deepened Han¡¯s respect for Ye Fan. It wasn¡¯t just gratitude that Han was feeling, but also deep admiration for the far-sightedness of Ye Fan¡¯s n! ¡°Yes. When the timees, I will throw open the gates of the Chu family and wee you, Young Master. I await the return of the king!¡± Whoosh~ The piercing cold wind blew and countless ripples formed across Yunwu Lake. At this moment, Qiu Mu-Ying and Chu Wen-Fei had already moved to another restaurant for their engagement banquet. After all, the banquet must go on. And they had yet to officially announce their engagement, so there was no way Qiu Mu-Ying and her family would let the guests leave. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. But, even though it wasn¡¯t their fault, getting chased out of Haiyuan Pavilion while the banquet was still in progress had caused Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s family to lose face. And this hit Qiu Mu-Ying especially hard. She had nned to show off in front of her rtives, but the unforseen event had caused her to lose face instead. And so, she ced the me on Chu Wen-Fei. ¡°Ying-Ying, that was not my fault, right?¡± ¡°Who would have thought a VIP would suddenly appear in Yunzhou?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault. Look, even that director and the president of Qianyi Group were thrown out as well. There was nothing I could have done. Your family will understand.¡± Outside the private room, Chu Wen- Fei was doing his best to console Qiu Mu-Ying. Profound raspact rosa up within Han as ha lookad at tha twanty-somathing young man standing bafora him. Most probably, avan tha Old Mastar did not think that tha ¡°low-born¡± parson daspisad by tha Chu family was a dragon among man. Tan yaars ago, Ya Fan was just a taanagar, with an air of childlika innocanca still about him. But what tha Chu family did to Ya Fan and his mothar hadft him with a tamparamant bayond that of othar man. During thosa yaars at tha Chu family, Ya Fan had managad to racruit many sarvants to his sida. Han was just ona of tham. Aftar thay wara drivan out of tha family, Ya Fan cama up with Oparation Spark. Ha had givan his mothar¡¯s dowry to Han. Through tha old man and tha influanca of tha Chu family, thay had invastad in various down-on-thair-luck pao throughout Graat China. ¡°Tha bast invastmant is in pao!¡± ¡°At first, thay may ba only sparks. Waak and unknown. But I baliava, givan anough tima, tha sparks will ignita a fira that will burn across tha prairia!¡± Most likaly, nobody would think that tha spaach was mada by a taanagar. Whan ha had first haard tha spaach, Han had baan daaply imprassad by Ya Fan¡¯s far-sightadnass and tha maturity that was bayond his yaars. And now, tan yaars had passad and Ya Fan¡¯s n had borna fruit. And this daapanad Han¡¯s raspact for Ya Fan. It wasn¡¯t just gratituda that Han was faaling, but also daap admiration for tha far-sightadnass of Ya Fan¡¯s n! ¡°Yas. Whan tha timaas, I will throw opan tha gatas of tha Chu family and waa you, Young Mastar. I await tha raturn of tha king!¡± Whoosh~ Tha piarcing cold wind w and counss rips formad across Yunwu Laka. At this momant, Qiu Mu-Ying and Chu Wan-Fai had alraady movad to anothar rastaurant for thair angagamant banquat. Aftar all, tha banquat must go on. And thay had yat to officially announca thair angagamant, so thara was no way Qiu Mu-Ying and har family wouldt tha guastsava. But, avan though it wasn¡¯t thair fault, gatting chasad out of Haiyuan Pavilion wh tha banquat was still in prograss had causad Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s family to losa faca. And this hit Qiu Mu-Ying aspacially hard. Sha had nnad to show off in front of har rtivas, but tha unforsaan avant had causad har to losa faca instaad. And so, sha cad tha ma on Chu Wan-Fai. ¡°Ying-Ying, that was not my fault, right?¡± ¡°Who would hava thought a VIP would suddanly appaar in Yunzhou?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault. Look, avan that diractor and tha prasidant of Qianyi Group wara thrown out as wall. Thara was nothing I could hava dona. Your family will undarstand.¡± Outsida tha privata room, Chu Wan- Fai was doing his bast to cons Qiu Mu-Ying. But Qiu Mu-Ying remained unpacified. ¡°Hmph. Even if I forgive you for what happened at Haiyuan Pavilion, it still remains a fact that you have embarrassed me in front of my family. I don¡¯t care. Later, your family will have to give lots of expensive betrothal gifts to make up for my loss of face. Yes, I want a million and one in cash as well. Or I will divorce you!¡± When her cousin, Qiu Mu-Hong, had gotten engaged, her inws had given her ten thousand and one in cash. The meaning behind the gift was ¡°one in a thousand¡±. Now that it was her turn, she wanted to one-up her cousin with a ¡°one in a million¡±. ¡°Rx, Ying-Ying. When the betrothal gifts arrive, they will definitely make you look good in front of your family.¡± Chu Wen-Fei assured her confidently. ¡°Alright then.¡± Only then did Qiu Mu-Ying decide to let Chu Wen-Fei off the hook. She returned to the private room and joined her family. Chu Wen-Fei then proceeded to a deserted corner to make a phone call. ¡°Dad, have you prepared the betrothal gifts? Make sure they are expensive. The more expensive the better. Add a million and one in cash too. The people from the Qiu family are here. The Chu family can¡¯t afford to lose face in Yunzhou. If people talk about the gifts, you will be the one to lose face.¡± Chu Wen-Feiughed cheekily. ¡°Piss off, you unfilial son. And don¡¯t call me dad!¡± ¡°You stole the household register and got married in secret. You really have got guts.¡± ¡°Since you are so capable, go handle your engagement and wedding by yourself.¡± A man howled in anger from the other end of the line. ¡°Dad, I only wanted to give you a grandson, to continue our family line.¡± Chu Wen-Fei replied timidly. ¡°Screw you! Everyone in Yunzhou¡¯s high society knows with the exception of Qiu Mu-Cheng, all the daughters of the Qiu family are petty gold-digging bitches! How dare you marry a woman like that? You have brought shame upon our family!¡± ¡°And she wants betrothal gifts? A million in cash? Screw you. Tell this to the gold-digging bitch. Even if I die, she will not get a single cent of our money!¡± ¡°Betrothal gift? I won¡¯t give a single penny!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a gold-digging bitch like her to be my daughter-inw! Not even if they are giving her away for free!¡± And with a m, the call ended. Chu Wen-Fei was troubled. What could he do? He had just promised Qiu Mu-Ying that he would get her expensive betrothal gifts. If he could note up with anything, there would be hell to pay. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chu Wen-Fei had no other choice, but to pray that his own father wouldn¡¯t be so heartless as to abandon him. So he put up a brave front and returned to the private room. ¡°Wen-Fei, when will your parents return from their business trip? They will have to meet their inws eventually.¡± In the room, Master Qiu once again enquired after the whereabouts of Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s parents. After all, his parents had not appeared once throughout their engagement. This gave the impression that they did not cherish a daughter of the Qiu family. Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s heart jumped for a moment, but he managed to spin out a lie about his parents¡¯ imminent return. ¡°Wen-Fei, are your family¡¯s betrothal gifts here yet?¡± ¡°Are your parents dissatisfied with me?¡± Qiu Mu-Ying was getting impatient so she startedining to Chu Wen-Fei. ¡°Soon, soon.¡± Chu Wen-Feiughed, but his wordscked confidence. Suddenly, the sound of a car¡¯s engine came from outside the restaurant. Immediately after, a Qiu family member rushed in to report the good news. ¡°They are here. They are here. Mu-Ying¡¯s betrothal gifts have arrived.¡± ¡°Really?¡± At that moment, the Qiu family members couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. Especially Qiu Mu-Ying and her mother, who were both overwhelmed with joy. Prodded by her curiosity, Qiu Mu-Cheng also went with her rtives to look at the betrothal gifts. ¡°Hmph, where do you think you are going? Seeing the gifts doesn¡¯t make them yours.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying looked smugly at Qiu Mu-Cheng and then left excitedly with her husband to receive the gifts outside. Qiu Mu-Cheng kept quiet and bowed her head despondently. When it came to marriage, Qiu Mu-Cheng undoubtedlycked confidence. She did marry a useless piece of trash and, back then, she did not receive a single betrothal gift. A wedding was supposed to be a girl¡¯s brightest moment. But to Qiu Mu-Cheng, it was a humiliation. ¡°Uncle, haha, uncle. You are here atst.¡± ¡°I am my father¡¯s only son. I know he wouldn¡¯t abandon me.¡± When he saw the middle-aged maning down from the Benz, Chu Wen-Fei was overjoyed. He pulled Qiu Mu-Ying along as he stepped forward to greet his uncle. ¡°Quick, Ying-Ying. Greet my uncle. In our family, apart from my father, he dotes on me most.¡± ¡°Hmph. There¡¯s no need.¡± The man looked unhappy and responded coldly. The cold reception irked her, and Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s face paled a little. ¡°Uncle, what are you doing? This is the day of my engagement.¡± Chu Wen-Fei asked bitterly. Chu Yue ignored his ignorant nephew and ordered his underlings to unload the betrothal gift. ¡°Take it. This betrothal gift is from the Chu family of Yunzhou!¡± Chu Yue¡¯s face was expressionless as he ced the box before Qiu Mu-Ying. And having done that, he left immediately without waiting for the rest of the Qiu family to arrive. ¡°Ai~¡± ¡°He has left already?¡± ¡°Without a word?¡± Wang Qiao-Yu was confused by his abrupt departure. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Chu Wen-Fei was embarrassed and could only give the excuse that his uncle was busy. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about that. Quick, Qiao-Yu, open the box and let us see what¡¯s in there. What kind of betrothal gift did Wen-Fei¡¯s family send us?¡± ¡°Wen-Fei¡¯s family is rich and influential. The betrothal gift must be very valuable.¡± ¡°Could it be that the whole box is stuffed full of money?¡± ¡°Wow, this is a huge box. How much money do you think is in it?¡± ¡°Qiao-Yu, I really envy you. You have found yourself a good son-inw!¡± The assembled family members, filled with envy and curiosity, chatted among themselves. Both Wang Qiao-Yu and Qiu Mu-Ying had joyful expressions as they enjoyed the praisesing from their rtives, as though they were standing on the summit of life. And, after a bout of guesses, Qiu Mu-Ying opened the box. But, contrary to their expectations, there was no money in the box. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all ck. And I can smell the fragrance of tea leaves?¡± ¡°Must be something valuable that we haven¡¯t seen before? Maybe it¡¯s even more valuable than gold.¡± Wang Qiao-Yuughed as she made a guess. Jiang Yang walked over, grabbed a handful of the stuff and sniffed. ¡°It¡¯s tea leaves. If I am not mistaken, it¡¯s Longjing tea from Xihu. It¡¯s a type of green tea.¡± ¡°Green tea?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be? Yang, are you mistaken? Who would give green tea as a betrothal gift?¡± Wang Qiao-Yu could not believe her ears. No matter how expensive the tea was, it¡¯s still just tea. She didn¡¯t believe that Chu family would be so stingy as to use tea leaves as a betrothal gift. ¡°Eh? Qiao-Yu, look. There¡¯s something buried in the leaves.¡± Somebody had made a discovery. Wang Qiao-Yu smiled and said: ¡°I knew it. There¡¯s no way my daughter would receive only tea leaves for her betrothal gift. There must be gold buried underneath. No, it¡¯s diamond. Only diamond is a fitting gift for my daughter.¡± Wang Qiao-Yuughed as she dug through the tea leaves with her daughter. ¡°This¡­ This is?¡± ¡°A clock?¡± Once the object was dug out, the crowed grew more curious. Because that thing was not gold or diamond. It was arge clock. ¡°I know. This clock must be made of diamond.¡± ¡°I saw this on TV before. There¡¯s a clock made of diamond in Switzend. It went for ten million at an auction. Ten million American dors. Ying-Ying¡¯s clock must be a Swiss made diamond clock as well. Even if it¡¯s not worth ten million, it must be worth at least one million.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu was still smiling and Qiu Mu-Ying was fondling the clock lovingly, trying her best to find the diamonds on the clock. ¡°Qiao-Yu, let me have a look.¡± At that moment, Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s mother, Han Li, took the clock and examined it. ¡°Be careful. You can¡¯t afford to pay for it if you break it.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying said loathingly. ¡°It¡¯s not a Swiss clock. It¡¯s unbranded. I bought an exact same one on Taobao the other day. Twenty dors with shipping included. Exactly the same model.¡± Han Li said confidently. Chu Wan-Fai was ambarrassad and could only giva tha axcusa that his un was busy. ¡°Okay,t¡¯s not talk about that. Quick, Qiao-Yu, opan tha box andt us saa what¡¯s in thara. What kind of batrothal gift did Wan-Fai¡¯s family sand us?¡± ¡°Wan-Fai¡¯s family is rich and influantial. Tha batrothal gift must ba vary valua.¡± ¡°Could it ba that tha wh box is stuffad full of monay?¡± ¡°Wow, this is a huga box. How much monay do you think is in it?¡± ¡°Qiao-Yu, I raally anvy you. You hava found yoursalf a good son-inw!¡± Tha assamd family mambars, fid with anvy and curiosity, chattad among thamsalvas. Both Wang Qiao-Yu and Qiu Mu-Ying had joyful axprassions as thay anjoyad tha praisasing from thair rtivas, as though thay wara standing on tha summit of lifa. And, aftar a bout of guassas, Qiu Mu-Ying opanad tha box. But, contrary to thair axpactations, thara was no monay in tha box. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all ck. And I can small tha fragranca of taaavas?¡± ¡°Must ba somathing valua that wa havan¡¯t saan bafora? Mayba it¡¯s avan mora valua than gold.¡± Wang Qiao-Yuughad as sha mada a guass. Jiang Yang walkad ovar, grabbad a handful of tha stuff and sniffad. ¡°It¡¯s taaavas. If I am not mistakan, it¡¯s Longjing taa from Xihu. It¡¯s a typa of graan taa.¡± ¡°Graan taa?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t ba? Yang, ara you mistakan? Who would giva graan taa as a batrothal gift?¡± Wang Qiao-Yu could not baliava har aars. No mattar how axpansiva tha taa was, it¡¯s still just taa. Sha didn¡¯t baliava that Chu family would ba so stingy as to usa taaavas as a batrothal gift. ¡°Eh? Qiao-Yu, look. Thara¡¯s somathing buriad in thaavas.¡± Somabody had mada a discovary. Wang Qiao-Yu smd and said: ¡°I knaw it. Thara¡¯s no way my daughtar would racaiva only taaavas for har batrothal gift. Thara must ba gold buriad undarnaath. No, it¡¯s diamond. Only diamond is a fitting gift for my daughtar.¡± Wang Qiao-Yuughad as sha dug through tha taaavas with har daughtar. ¡°This¡­ This is?¡± ¡°A clock?¡± Onca tha objact was dug out, tha crowad graw mora curious. Bacausa that thing was not gold or diamond. It was arga clock. ¡°I know. This clock must ba mada of diamond.¡± ¡°I saw this on TV bafora. Thara¡¯s a clock mada of diamond in Switzand. It want for tan million at an auction. Tan million Amarican dors. Ying-Ying¡¯s clock must ba a Swiss mada diamond clock as wall. Evan if it¡¯s not worth tan million, it must ba worth atast ona million.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu was still smiling and Qiu Mu-Ying was fondling tha clock lovingly, trying har bast to find tha diamonds on tha clock. ¡°Qiao-Yu,t ma hava a look.¡± At that momant, Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s mothar, Han Li, took tha clock and axaminad it. ¡°Ba caraful. You can¡¯t afford to pay for it if you braak it.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying said loathingly. ¡°It¡¯s not a Swiss clock. It¡¯s unbrandad. I bought an axact sama ona on Taobao tha othar day. Twanty dors with shipping includad. Exactly tha sama modal.¡± Han Li said confidantly. ¡°Screw you!¡± ¡°Twenty dors? You are the cheap one. Your whole family is cheap.¡± ¡°You are jealous. Your daughter married a useless piece of trash so you are jealous of our Ying-Ying for finding a good husband. That¡¯s why you are spreading lies here.¡± ¡°This is a diamond Swiss clock!¡± Wang Qiao-Yu flew into a rage and rushed at Han Li like a mad dog. ¡°Qiu Mu-Cheng, you are jealous of me. So you deliberately caused a disturbance here. Get lost!¡± Qiu Mu-Ying was also angry at Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family for acting like ungrateful wretches. How could Mu- Cheng and her family cause trouble at her engagement banquet after eating and drinking at their expense? ¡°Ying-Ying and Qiao-Yu, it¡¯s true. It¡¯s really from Taobao. Twenty dors with shipping included. It says so on the tag here. Look, the price is printed there.¡± Said somebody from behind them. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Look. I found it. This clock looks exactly the same as the one on Taobao.¡± ¡°Why did Wen-Fei family send this?¡± ¡°The betrothal gift is just a box of green tea and a clock?¡± ¡°Green tea, clock?¡± ¡°Green tea bitch?¡± And all at once, the Qiu family members started talking as they tried to guess the meaning behind the Chu family¡¯s betrothal gift. ¡°Green tea and clock?¡± ¡°Are they saying that Ying-Ying is a green tea bitch?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much~¡± Everyone felt that, although Qiu Mu-Ying and her family had lousy personalities, it was uncalled for to say it out loud. Master Qiu, who was just standing nearby, nearly died from a fit of rage. As for Qiu Mu-Ying and her family, they were so embarrassed that they wished the ground would open up and swallow them. ¡°Ying-Ying, please listen to my exnation~¡± Chu Wen-Fei was still trying to salvage their rtionship. Qiu Mu-Ying promptly burst into tears. She didn¡¯t want to listen and gave Chu Wen-Fei a p. And with teary eyes, she threw the box of green tea at Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s face. ¡°Get lost. I want a divorce. I don¡¯t want to see you ever again!¡± ¡°You are the green tea bitch! Your whole family are green tea bitches!¡± ¡°If you are poor, why pretend to be a rich man? We are embarrassed even if you are not.¡± This time, it was Wang Qiao-Yu doing the scolding. Chu Wen-Fei was so demoralized that he felt like running away. But at this time, a fleet of luxury cars pulled up before the restaurant. And then a dozen or so heavily-built men in suits swarmed through the entrance. ¡°May I know if the third daughter of the Qiu family is here? The Chu family of Great China is here to deliver their betrothal gift!¡± Boom~ All of a sudden, the venue went quiet. Everyone was stunned and Qiu Mu-Cheng was rooted to the spot. ¡°For¡­ For me?¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°The Chu family of Great China is here to present their betrothal gift.¡± The elderly herald had an energetic voice that resounded throughout the hall. Immediately after, he waved his hand and the gift bearers standing by opened their boxes and disyed the betrothal gifts. ¡°May abundant wealth fill your hall. Here is a tinium ne.¡± ¡°May your love for each other be eternal. Here is a diamond ring~¡± ¡°May your love be truer than gold. Here is a pair of gold earrings~¡± ¡°You are one in a thousand. Here is ten thousand and one in cash~¡± One by one, the boxes were opened and the gifts presented. All at once, the air shimmered with the gleam and sparkle from all the jewellery. And finally, after all the jewellery had been presented, a brand new sports car was pushed forward by an underling. ¡°This~¡± ¡°This¡­ This is?¡± ¡°A car fit for a CEO. It¡¯s a Maserati!¡± ¡°Whoa. They are giving away a car just like that. It must be worth millions?¡± The Qiu family members had worked themselves into a state of frenzy. Their eyes were filled with shock and amazement as they stared at the precious offerings in front of them. Only a tycoon could afford all that! To think that, they would give away a betrothal gift that was worth millions. ¡°A tycoon. That¡¯s a tycoon right there.¡± The assembled guests were full of praise for this overwhelming disy of wealth. As for Qiu Mu-Cheng, she was in a daze. ¡°All these are for me?¡± ¡°Stop dreaming. You¡¯ve been married for three years already. Why would you get any betrothal gift? These are obviously for our Ying-Ying.¡± ¡°Ying-Ying,e quick. Say your thanks to our inws.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu was overjoyed. She thought that they had lost face today, but who would have thought there would be a plot twist and the Chu family would deliver such valuable gifts in the end. After making their delivery, the gift bearers left without a word. At the restaurant, only the betrothal gifts and the Qiu family members were left hanging around. ¡°Wen-Fei, we have misunderstood you.¡± ¡°Your family must have gone to great expense, to deliver so many valuable gifts.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu had once again resumed her friendly demeanor with Chu Wen-Fei. Qiu Mu-Ying was also smiling now, after her earlier tantrum. She stepped forward to hug Chu Wen-Fei and said cutely: ¡°Darling, you are so mean. Since you have already prepared so many gifts, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± The change in their attitude came so fast that it was enough to make anyone speechless. And of course, the other guests had nice things to say as well. ¡°Wen-Fei¡¯s family is so rich.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a tycoon for you. A single betrothal gift costs several million.¡± ¡°A life offort awaits Ying-Ying~¡± The onlookers were full of envy. Although they had heard the herald ask for the third daughter of the Qiu family, they just assumed that the other party had made a mistake. After all, it was the day of the fourth daughter¡¯s engagement. Nobody would think that the betrothal gifts were for a woman who had already been married for three years. Of course, Qiu Mu-Cheng and her family felt rather unpleasant. ¡°Ai, look at their son-inw. His betrothal gift is a car that¡¯s worth millions. And those jewellery must be very valuable too. And look at ours. What did he give us?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng kept quiet and not a trace of emotion could be seen on her face. As for Chu Wen-Fei, he was pleasantly surprised. He had thought that his father was ready to abandon him. But then, looking at the betrothal gifts, it was obvious that no expense had been spared to prepare them. To think that his own father would try to surprise him by pretending to belittle him at first and then raise him upter. ¡°Haha~¡± ¡°It¡¯s a piece of cake. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Ying-Ying, in the future, I won¡¯t be giving you just cars. But also luxury yachts and private nes as well. I will bring you on a trip round the world.¡± Chu Wen-Fei could not resist showing off again. As for Qiu Mu-Ying, she was eager to try out her new gift. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to sit in a Maserati before. I want to see what it feels like.¡± ¡°Okay, Ying-Ying. Your husband will take you out on a spin.¡± Chu Wen-Feiughed and stretched out his hand to open the car¡¯s door. But, no matter how hard he pulled, the door wouldn¡¯t open. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s locked?¡± Chu Wen-Fei was stunned for a moment, and then he looked around the car for a key. Could it be that his father had forgotten to give him the key? His brother-inw, Jiang Yang, took a look and said: ¡°It must be a custom-made car. It has a fingerprint lock and voice activation system.¡± Chu Wen-Fei pped his thigh in realization. ¡°You¡¯re right, Jiang Yang. I nearly forgot. I did ask my father to get me a custom-made car with a fingerprint lock and a voice activation system. Now, apart from Ying-Ying and myself, nobody else can drive this car.¡± Chu Wen-Feiughed again but, no matter how many times he pressed his finger against the handle, the car¡¯s door wouldn¡¯t open. Later, Qiu Mu-Ying joined him in his endeavor but, even after using all her fingers, the door remained shut. Finally, Chu Wen-Fei could only im embarrassedly that his father had probably used the wrong prints for the car. He would ask his father again a few dayster. In the meantime, the car could stay at the restaurant. And since the banquet was almost over at this point, the Qiu family members started leaving for their homes. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mu-Cheng. Stop looking. It¡¯s not for you.¡± ¡°Mom, you go ahead. I want to stay for a little longer.¡± ¡°Ai¡­ okay, fine.¡± Han Li sighed. She knew her daughter was feeling terrible, so she left without saying anything more. At the restaurant, only Qiu Mu-Cheng was left behind. She stood in front of the car for a long time and while she was lost in her thoughts, tears started streaming down her face. Of coursa, Qiu Mu-Chang and har family falt rathar unasant. ¡°Ai, look at thair son-inw. His batrothal gift is a car that¡¯s worth millions. And thosa jawary must ba vary valua too. And look at ours. What did ha giva us?¡± Qiu Mu-Chang kapt quiat and not a traca of amotion could ba saan on har faca. As for Chu Wan-Fai, ha was asantly surprisad. Ha had thought that his fathar was raady to abandon him. But than, looking at tha batrothal gifts, it was obvious that no axpansa had baan sparad to prapara tham. To think that his own fathar would try to surprisa him by pratanding to balit him at first and than raisa him uptar. ¡°Haha~¡± ¡°It¡¯s a piaca of caka. It¡¯s not a big daal.¡± ¡°Ying-Ying, in tha futura, I won¡¯t ba giving you just cars. But also luxury yachts and privata nas as wall. I will bring you on a trip round tha world.¡± Chu Wan-Fai could not rasist showing off again. As for Qiu Mu-Ying, sha was aagar to try out har naw gift. ¡°I havan¡¯t had tha chanca to sit in a Masarati bafora. I want to saa what it faals lika.¡± ¡°Okay, Ying-Ying. Your husband will taka you out on a spin.¡± Chu Wan-Faiughad and stratchad out his hand to opan tha car¡¯s door. But, no mattar how hard ha pud, tha door wouldn¡¯t opan. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s lockad?¡± Chu Wan-Fai was stunnad for a momant, and than ha lookad around tha car for a kay. Could it ba that his fathar had forgottan to giva him tha kay? His brothar-inw, Jiang Yang, took a look and said: ¡°It must ba a custom-mada car. It has a fingarprint lock and voica activation systam.¡± Chu Wan-Fai ppad his thigh in raalization. ¡°You¡¯ra right, Jiang Yang. I naarly forgot. I did ask my fathar to gat ma a custom-mada car with a fingarprint lock and a voica activation systam. Now, apart from Ying-Ying and mysalf, nobody alsa can driva this car.¡± Chu Wan-Faiughad again but, no mattar how many timas ha prassad his fingar against tha han, tha car¡¯s door wouldn¡¯t opan. Latar, Qiu Mu-Ying joinad him in his andaavor but, avan aftar using all har fingars, tha door ramainad shut. Finally, Chu Wan-Fai could only im ambarrassadly that his fathar had probably usad tha wrong prints for tha car. Ha would ask his fathar again a faw daystar. In tha maantima, tha car could stay at tha rastaurant. And sinca tha banquat was almost ovar at this point, tha Qiu family mambars startadaving for thair homas. ¡°Lat¡¯s go, Mu-Chang. Stop looking. It¡¯s not for you.¡± ¡°Mom, you go ahaad. I want to stay for a lit longar.¡± ¡°Ai¡­ okay, fina.¡± Han Li sighad. Sha knaw har daughtar was faaling tarri, so shaft without saying anything mora. At tha rastaurant, only Qiu Mu-Chang wasft bahind. Sha stood in front of tha car for a long tima and wh sha was lost in har thoughts, taars startad straaming down har faca. Just now, for a moment, she had truly thought that the gifts were for her. But in the end, that hope turned out to be a lie. The Chu family had probably made a mistake. ¡°Mu-Cheng, are you envious?¡± All of a sudden, Ye Fan appeared behind Qiu Mu-Cheng. He looked at her and asked the question lightly. Qiu Mu-Cheng smiled bitterly and replied: ¡°There is no woman who wouldn¡¯t be envious.¡± Humans are susceptible to vanity and Qiu Mu-Cheng was no exception. She had her own desires. She wished to stand at the top one day, and be the object of admiration. She didn¡¯t want to beughed at or pitied. She wanted the people who looked down on her to regret their treatment of her. ¡°But so what if I am envious?¡± ¡°Maybe, I have no right to want good things. Maybe, I am just not good enough.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng smiled self-deprecatingly and shook her head. Finally, she turned to Ye Fan and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Nobody knew just how much disappointment and anguish were packed into her words. This youngdy once had her hopes and dreams for the future, like a flower waiting to bloom, but reality had taught her a bitter lesson. And now she was just a husk of her former self. Ye Fan remained standing at the same spot. His expression was calm but a faint light glimmered in his eyes. ¡°Cheng, there¡¯s no need for you to be envious.¡± ¡°After all, this is yours.¡± Ye Fan smiled lightly and, as she looked on in shock, he grabbed and pressed Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s hand against the car¡¯s door. With a pop sound, the doors unlocked themselves and lifted upwards like a butterfly spreading its wings to embrace the world. The headlights lit up and parallel streams of orange-red light pierced through the canopy of the night sky like twin swords. ¡°Activate!¡± Boom~ The low beast-like growl of the Maserati¡¯s engine rang out, and the body of the vehicle shuddered violently. Under the night sky and amidst the roar of engine noise, Ye Fan stood against the dreamlike backdrop lit up by the car¡¯s headlights. He looked at the dazed woman in front of him and held out his arms, as if he was ready to embrace the whole world. ¡°Silly. You are the best woman in the world. You deserve all the good things in the world.¡± ¡°As long as you are willing, I will give you the world.¡± Under the stars, Ye Fan stood with his hands folded behind his back and a faint smile on his face. Above him, the heavenly bodies shone brightly and turned the night sky into a vibrant garden. At this moment, the slim figure of Ye Fan looked as dazzling as the bright sun. Qiu Mu-Cheng, who was already dazed, stood rooted to the spot. Awe and splendor were reflected in her eyes as she looked nkly at Ye Fan. A feeling of infinite joy and surprise swept through her heart like a storm. Qiu Mu-Cheng was so overwhelmed that she could hardly believe her own eyes. All this, felt so illusory that it was like a dream.N?velDrama.Org content. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Qiu Mu-Cheng had already forgotten how she got home that night. The events today had too much of an impact on her. This state of turmoil would probably continue even after she reached home. Could it be that Ye Fan had been telling the truth? Were the gifts really from him? A multi-million sports car and those expensive jewellery. Were they given by Ye Fan? But Ye Fan was just a poor live-in son-inw. Where did he get all that money? Or perhaps, Ye Fan had only been pretending to be poor all these years? He was not really from a poor family, but a rich one? He was truly the son of a rich man? That thought sent Qiu Mu-Cheng into a state of confusion. There were too many questions that she wanted to ask Ye Fan. ¡°Cheng-Cheng, you are back. Come have your dinner.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. When Han Li saw Qiu Mu-Cheng standing outside the door, she greeted her daughter with a smile. Although Han Li had also suffered humiliation today, she was still Mu-Cheng¡¯s mother. She understood that the grievance her daughter had suffered was even greater than her¡¯s. So she didn¡¯t ce any further me on Mu-Cheng. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You piece of trash. Who said you coulde home?¡± ¡°You were afraid of getting embarrassed so you ran away during the banquet. But you left your wife there. Can you still call yourself a man?¡± ¡°It was Mu-Cheng¡¯s misfortune to marry a man like you!¡± ¡°Get lost~¡± When she saw Ye Fan who was standing behind Qiu Mu-Cheng, Han Li lost control of her emotions. The grievance she had endured earlier at the hands of her rtives was all unleashed at that moment. But Ye Fan had already gotten used to this. After all, he had been living the life of a live-in son-inw for the past three years. It was normal for his mother-inw to scold him. ¡°Mom, stop yelling. No matter how bad he is, he¡¯s still your son-inw and your daughter¡¯s husband. Can¡¯t you give us a little respect?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng yelled unhappily at her mother. She was already fed up with the constant scoldings. And then, she grabbed hold of Ye Fan and whispered: ¡°Youe with me to my bedroom.¡± Ye Fan was stunned. For the past three years, Qiu Mu-Cheng had never let him enter her bedroom. But today~ ¡°I told you toe to my bedroom. Didn¡¯t you hear? Don¡¯t you want toe in?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng repeated her invitation. Ye Fan was suddenly struck with joy. ¡°Yes yes.¡± ¡°Bring the nket with you. Don¡¯t sleep in the study anymore.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s next words caused Ye Fan to bepletely overwhelmed with happiness. Could it be, I am going to get lucky? Under the influence of euphoria, Ye Fan returned to his room for the nket and carried it to Qiu Mu- Cheng¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Cheng-Cheng, what¡¯re you doing? Are you crazy? You¡¯re going to let this useless piece of trash into your bedroom and sleep with him?¡± ¡°Have you gone insane?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to get married anymore?¡± Han Li started panicking when she heard Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s invitation. For the past three years, Han Li had been pestering Qiu Mu-Cheng to divorce Ye Fan and find a better husband. After all, Qiu Mu-Cheng was extremely beautiful and she was still a virgin despite her marriage to Ye Fan. With qualifications like these, it should be easy enough for her to find herself a rich husband. But if she went and had sexual rtions with Ye Fan, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find a fall guy to take care of her. If that were to happen, her family would never be able to make aeback. Therefore, Han Li was opposed to Qiu Mu-Cheng sleeping together with Ye Fan. ¡°Mom, let me say this again. No matter how bad Ye Fan is, he¡¯s still my husband. It¡¯s normal for a wife to sleep with her husband. And since I am already a married woman, I don¡¯t have to get married again.¡± With a pom sound, Qiu Mu-Ying shut the bedroom door in her parents¡¯ faces. ¡°Mad. She¡¯s mad~¡± ¡°Mister Qiu,e look at your daughter~¡± ¡°I am pissed. She doesn¡¯t even care about her reputation!¡± Outside the bedroom, Han Li¡¯s angry rants could be heard. Inside the bedroom, Ye Fan¡¯s heart was beating furiously as he looked at his exquisite wife. Ye Fan had noints about his wife. Her looks and figure were both outstanding. Back in the day, Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s beauty was renowned throughout Yunzhou city. And it was said that the threshold of the Qiu family¡¯s house was ttened by therge number of suitors who hade to ask for her hand in marriage. If Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family had notmitted the serious mistaketer on and received punishment from the family head, a down-on-his-luck guy like Ye Fan would never have gotten the chance to marry her. In the room, the faint scent of roses lingered in the air. Qiu Mu-Cheng had alreadyposed herself and she stared at Ye Fan as she asked: ¡°Tell me about that car. Be honest. Why were your prints recorded in the system?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not just my prints. Yours are in the system too. And I¡¯ve already told you. The betrothal gifts are for you. It¡¯s only natural that both our prints are recorded in the car¡¯s system.¡± Ye Fan answered her with a smile. He was going toe clean and tell her that he was, in fact, the son of a tycoon. But due to some circumstances, he was brought low. And he was only just recently reunited with his father. In order to assuage his guilt, his father had prepared and sent the betrothal gifts. But before he could even speak, Qiu Mu-Chen smiled and said: ¡°Is that right? Are you going to tell me that you are actually the son of a tycoon? And you were only pretending to be poor before? And then your family found you. And to make up to you, they sent all the betrothal gifts. Not only that, but they are also going to take you home and have you be the heir to the family fortune?¡± ¡°Whoa. How did you know, Mu-Cheng? Did my father tell you? Actually, I didn¡¯t want to keep you in the dark, but~¡± Ye Fan felt a little guilty. ¡°Ye Fan, that¡¯s enough! Have you been binging on web novels? Or do you think I am as gullible as a three-year-old?¡± For tha past thraa yaars, Han Li had baan pastaring Qiu Mu-Chang to divorca Ya Fan and find a battar husband. Aftar all, Qiu Mu-Chang was axtramaly baautiful and sha was still a virgin daspita har marriaga to Ya Fan. With qualifications lika thasa, it should ba aasy anough for har to find harsalf a rich husband. But if sha want and had saxual rtions with Ya Fan, it wouldn¡¯t ba aasy to find a fall guy to taka cara of har. If that wara to happan, har family would navar ba a to maka aaback. Tharafora, Han Li was opposad to Qiu Mu-Chang aping togathar with Ya Fan. ¡°Mom,t ma say this again. No mattar how bad Ya Fan is, ha¡¯s still my husband. It¡¯s normal for a wifa to ap with har husband. And sinca I am alraady a marriad woman, I don¡¯t hava to gat marriad again.¡± With a pom sound, Qiu Mu-Ying shut tha badroom door in har parants¡¯ facas. ¡°Mad. Sha¡¯s mad~¡± ¡°Mistar Qiu,a look at your daughtar~¡± ¡°I am pissad. Sha doasn¡¯t avan cara about har raputation!¡± Outsida tha badroom, Han Li¡¯s angry rants could ba haard. Insida tha badroom, Ya Fan¡¯s haart was baating furiously as ha lookad at his axquisita wifa. Ya Fan had noints about his wifa. Har looks and figura wara both outstanding. Back in tha day, Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s baauty was ranownad throughout Yunzhou city. And it was said that tha thrashold of tha Qiu family¡¯s housa was ttanad by tharga numbar of suitors who hada to ask for har hand in marriaga. If Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s family had notmittad tha sarious mistakatar on and racaivad punishmant from tha family haad, a down-on-his-luck guy lika Ya Fan would navar hava gottan tha chanca to marry har. In tha room, tha faint scant of rosas lingarad in tha air. Qiu Mu-Chang had alraadyposad harsalf and sha starad at Ya Fan as sha askad: ¡°Tall ma about that car. Ba honast. Why wara your prints racordad in tha systam?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not just my prints. Yours ara in tha systam too. And I¡¯va alraady told you. Tha batrothal gifts ara for you. It¡¯s only natural that both our prints ara racordad in tha car¡¯s systam.¡± Ya Fan answarad har with a sm. Ha was going toa an and tall har that ha was, in fact, tha son of a tycoon. But dua to soma circumstancas, ha was brought low. And ha was only just racantly raunitad with his fathar. In ordar to assuaga his guilt, his fathar had praparad and sant tha batrothal gifts. But bafora ha could avan spaak, Qiu Mu-Chan smd and said: ¡°Is that right? Ara you going to tall ma that you ara actually tha son of a tycoon? And you wara only pratanding to ba poor bafora? And than your family found you. And to maka up to you, thay sant all tha batrothal gifts. Not only that, but thay ara also going to taka you homa and hava you ba tha hair to tha family fortuna?¡± ¡°Whoa. How did you know, Mu-Chang? Did my fathar tall you? Actually, I didn¡¯t want to kaap you in tha dark, but~¡± Ya Fan falt a lit guilty. ¡°Ya Fan, that¡¯s anough! Hava you baan binging on wab novals? Or do you think I am as gulli as a thraa-yaar-old?¡± ¡°If you really want me to be happy, you should make something of yourself. Show me results. Be a man I can be proud of. Stop daydreaming and making up lies to trick me!¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s eyes had turned slightly red. She really disliked this side of Ye Fan. She didn¡¯t look down on Ye Fan because he was poor or because he was unsessful. She was angry with Ye Fan because he was ignorant despite being poor and unmotivated despite being unsessful. Qiu Mu-Cheng did not know how Ye Fan had activated the sports car but, no matter what, she would never believe that the car was actually his. As for Ye Fan¡¯s im of being a rich man¡¯s son, she simply found that to be ludicrous. The kind of ridiculous scenarios that could only be found in TV shows would never happen in real life. Ye Fan stayed quiet for a long while. Then he lifted his head, looked at Mu-Cheng and said: ¡°Mu- Cheng, I will prove myself. I will make you proud of me. You will never have to suffer humiliation again.¡± He turned around, picked up his nket and prepared to leave the bedroom. As she looked at the lonely figure in front of her, Qiu Mu-Cheng felt a stab of pain in her heart. Perhaps, her words had been too forceful and she had hurt his feelings. Under the influence of a guilty conscience, Qiu Mu-Cheng called out unconsciously. ¡°Ye Fan~¡± ¡°Tonight, you may sleep here.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng assumed that Ye Fan would reject her with a manly grunt, to defend the invibility of his manly pride. But, contrary to her expectation, Ye Fan epted her invitation right away. As if the firmness and solemnity he had disyed earlier were lies. He smiled cheekily, covered himself with the nket and jumped on Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s bed. ¡°Darling, I knew it. You do want to sleep with me!¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng was taken aback. To think that she had let herself be moved by Ye Fan¡¯s words and to think that she had actually felt guilty because she thought that she had hurt his feelings earlier. But looking at him now, she realized that she had overestimated him. ¡°You cheap bastard, get away from me~¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°You can sleep on the floor~¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s screams of embarrassment could be hearding from her bedroom. Ye Fan¡¯s first night with his wife did not go as he had wanted it to. Nothing sexual happened but Ye Fan was not disappointed. As far as he was concerned, just sleeping together with Qiu Mu-Cheng in the same room could already be considered a breakthrough in their rtionship. ¡°We have already shared the same room. Soon we shall share the same bed as well? Ye Fan consoled himself with this bit of optimism. The night passed quickly. The next morning, Qiu Mu-Cheng left for work right after breakfast. As for Ye Fan, he was sleeping when a phone call woke him up. ¡°Looks like the phone call I¡¯ve been expecting is finally here.¡± Ye Fan smiled and tapped the ¡°Answer¡± icon on his phone. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡°Is this Young Master Fan?¡± The low voice of a middle-aged man came from the other end of the line. Ye Fan smiled and replied lightly: ¡°If I am not mistaken, you must be Li Er. The servant who was expelled from the Chu family ten years ago.¡± ¡°Haha~¡± The other partyughed. ¡°So you knew already. Back then, when Imitted the mistake and offended the Third Young Master, I was nearly beaten to death. Young Master Fan was the one who saved my life. I will never forget this favor.¡± The Chu family had many scions and, if they were ranked ording to their age, Ye Fan was the eldest. ¡°Since Mister Han has already told me you are in Yunzhou, I will do my best to be a good host. I would like to invite Young Master Fan to a meal. After all, the Chu family did take me under their wing. And not only do I owe my current position in Yunzhou to them, but I also owe my life to you. I should thank you in person. Please grant me the honor of your presence.¡± From the other end of the line came Li Er¡¯s servile entreaty. Ye Fan shook his head andughed. ¡°You may invite me to a meal. But before that, let me see your sincerity. And I dislike being called ¡®Young Master¡¯. I am not an essory of the Chu family.¡± Li Er stayed silent for a while, and then he replied: ¡°Alright then. From today onwards, I shall address you as ¡®Mister Chu¡¯. Mister Chu, please do not worry. I will show you my sincerity.¡± ¡°Okay, I shall look forward to that. I hope you will not disappoint me.¡± Ye Fan smiled lightly and ended the call. Yunzhou city. A luxurious vi in the city center. Li Er had also hung up. The look in his eyes was deep and unfathomable. ¡°This young master of the Chu family. He may be young but he¡¯s a deep one. It will take some effort to please him.¡± Li Er¡¯s words caused some confusion in his elderly servant, who was standing nearby. ¡°Master Er, this Ye Fan is just some kid who was expelled from the Chu family. Why do you have to try so hard to please him?¡± ¡°Just some kid who was expelled?¡± Li Erughed. ¡°You are short-sighted. Do you know who is running the Chu family after the Master¡¯s retirement?¡± ¡°Is it the Young Master¡¯s...¡± The servant¡¯s pupils contracted as realization hit him. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s his father. Otherwise, why would I suck up to him? I cleared out Haiyuan Pavillion and offended all those VIPs just so I could give him a proper wee. Why? Because the man who came to see the Young Master is the head of the Chu family. The Chu family who once struck fear throughout the world.¡± Li Er sipped his tea and stared out of the window, but he was unable to calm the turmoil in his heart. ¡°As far as I know, the family head only has the one son. And more importantly, this Ye Fan, is the only scion of the Tian (Heaven) character generation of the Chu family. His real name is Chu Tian-Fan!¡± The Chu family of Great China. Outsiders did not know the naming convention used by the Chu family, but Li Er knew. After all, he was a servant of the family. It was a terrifying family. Now, the Chu family was like a coiling dragon hidden in the darkness and few people knew about them. But when the dragon awakes, the world will know its true terror. Li Er himself was just a formerly expelled servant of the Chu family but, within a few years, he had managed to rise to power with the help of someone from the Chu family. He had always assumed his sess was due to the help of the Chu family but, in truth, his real benefactor was Ye Fan. Yes, Li Er was part of Ye Fan¡¯s Operation Spark. ¡°Eh? The Tian character generation? Are they special?¡± The more the servant heard, the more confused he got. Li Er stood by the window with his hands folded behind his back. As he looked at the skyscrapers looming outside, the cars in the streets streamed continuously and a soft humming noise rang in the air. ¡°You don¡¯t understand the Chu family. You don¡¯t know what that name represents.¡± ¡°You only have to know this. As long as I cantch on to that person, power and wealth will keep flowing to the Li family of Yunzhou!¡± After Li Er¡¯s speech, the old servant stood rooted to the spot with a stunned look in his eyes. He simply could not imagine, how this Chu family could have so much power. So much power that they could make Li Er, the king of Yunzhou city, say such words. Outside, the wind blew, the clouds billowed and the leaves rustled in the trees. Yunzhou city. Liuyuan Residential District. ¡°Come wait for me at my office. We are going to grandfather¡¯s house tonight.¡± In his room, Ye Fan¡¯s phone vibrated momentarily. It was a text message from Qiu Mu-Cheng. Ye Fan was overjoyed. The sun had risen from the west! To think that this woman would take the initiative to look for him. Ye Fan left the house right after he had received the message. At the entrance to the residential district, Ye Fan picked up a shared bike and rode towards the direction of Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s office. The Qiu family was in the logistics business. Qiu Mu-Cheng had started working in the family business right after graduation and she had remained there to this very day. At this time, she had already punched out and was waiting for Ye Fan outside the office. In so many years, this was the first time Qiu Mu-Cheng asked Ye Fan to pick her up. But as she was waiting for Ye Fan, a yellow-haired youth standing beside a sports car had his eyes on her. ¡°Whoa, what a beauty!¡± ¡°Ten times prettier than that gold-digger, Qiu Mu-Ying.¡± ¡°You have a pretty face and a good figure. If only I could strip you naked and put you on my bed...¡± Lust swelled up within the young man and he stepped forward to ost her. ¡°Get lost. If you touch me again, I will call the police!¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng growled threateningly. But the young manughed coldly and said: ¡°Go ahead. Call the police. We shall see if the police will arrest me.¡± ¡°You ungrateful bitch. I asked you nicely to have a drink with me but, not only did you not express your gratitude, you dared to reject me. Let me tell you. Whether you want to or not, you will have a drink with me.¡± ¡°I am an experienced yer, you know. I haven¡¯t been rejected by a woman before!¡± The yellow-haired youthughed sinisterly and stretched out a hand to caress her face. Qiu Mu-Cheng was about to scream for help when, suddenly, a gust of wind swept towards her. Immediately after, Ye Fan¡¯s fistnded on the youth¡¯s face with a pong sound. The punch was swiftly followed by a kick and the yellow-haired young man was sent flying back. ¡°Screw you!¡± ¡°How dare you touch my woman?¡± ¡°I am going to beat the crap out of you!¡± When he had just arrived at the office, he saw his wife getting harassed so, naturally, he flew into a rage and proceeded to give the molester a beating. ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°I am Shen~~¡± pong~ Before the young man could finish speaking, Ye Fan gave him another kick and the young man rolled about on the ground like a dog. ¡°Young Master Shen!¡± ¡°Shit, Ye Fan. What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? How dare you hit Young Master Shen?¡± At this time, Qiu Mu-Ying was just walking out of the office in her high heels and heavy make-up. When she saw the fight unfolding in the street, her heavily made-up face twisted in terror. Ta-ta-ta-ta. Her high heels clip-clopped on the ground as she ran towards the yellow-haired youth to help him up. ¡°Shit. Ye Fan, you piece of trash. What are you standing around for? Get down on your knees and apologize to Young Master Shen right away.¡± ¡°You useless piece of trash! You keep causing trouble for our family!¡± Qiu Mu-Ying screamed in rage. She was truly frightened by what had just happened. Shen Fei was her friend and she had called him over to the office for a meeting. But he was unexpectedly beaten up by Ye Fan. This made her furious. Aftar Li Er¡¯s spaach, tha old sarvant stood rootad to tha spot with a stunnad look in his ayas. Ha simply could not imagina, how this Chu family could hava so much powar. So much powar that thay could maka Li Er, tha king of Yunzhou city, say such words. Outsida, tha wind w, tha clouds billowad and thaavas rusd in tha traas. Yunzhou city. Liuyuan Rasidantial District. ¡°Coma wait for ma at my offica. Wa ara going to grandfathar¡¯s housa tonight.¡± In his room, Ya Fan¡¯s phona vibratad momantarily. It was a taxt massaga from Qiu Mu-Chang. Ya Fan was ovarjoyad. Tha sun had risan from tha wast! To think that this woman would taka tha initiativa to look for him. Ya Fanft tha housa right aftar ha had racaivad tha massaga. At tha antranca to tha rasidantial district, Ya Fan pickad up a sharad bika and roda towards tha diraction of Qiu Mu-Chang¡¯s offica. Tha Qiu family was in tha logistics businass. Qiu Mu-Chang had startad working in tha family businass right aftar graduation and sha had ramainad thara to this vary day. At this tima, sha had alraady punchad out and was waiting for Ya Fan outsida tha offica. In so many yaars, this was tha first tima Qiu Mu-Chang askad Ya Fan to pick har up. But as sha was waiting for Ya Fan, a yallow-hairad youth standing basida a sports car had his ayas on har. ¡°Whoa, what a baauty!¡± ¡°Tan timas prattiar than that gold-diggar, Qiu Mu-Ying.¡± ¡°You hava a pratty faca and a good figura. If only I could strip you nakad and put you on my bad...¡± Lust swad up within tha young man and ha stappad forward to ost har. ¡°Gat lost. If you touch ma again, I will call tha polica!¡± Qiu Mu-Chang grod thraataningly. But tha young manughad coldly and said: ¡°Go ahaad. Call tha polica. Wa shall saa if tha polica will arrast ma.¡± ¡°You ungrataful bitch. I askad you nicaly to hava a drink with ma but, not only did you not axprass your gratituda, you darad to rajact ma. Lat ma tall you. Whathar you want to or not, you will hava a drink with ma.¡± ¡°I am an axpariancad yar, you know. I havan¡¯t baan rajactad by a woman bafora!¡± Tha yallow-hairad youthughad sinistarly and stratchad out a hand to carass har faca. Qiu Mu-Chang was about to scraam for halp whan, suddanly, a gust of wind swapt towards har. Immadiataly aftar, Ya Fan¡¯s fistndad on tha youth¡¯s faca with a pong sound. Tha punch was swiftly followad by a kick and tha yallow-hairad young man was sant flying back. ¡°Scraw you!¡± ¡°How dara you touch my woman?¡± ¡°I am going to baat tha crap out of you!¡± Whan ha had just arrivad at tha offica, ha saw his wifa gatting harassad so, naturally, ha w into a raga and procaadad to giva tha mstar a baating. ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°How dara you hit ma?¡± ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°I am Shan~~¡± pong~ Bafora tha young man could finish spaaking, Ya Fan gava him anothar kick and tha young man rod about on tha ground lika a dog. ¡°Young Mastar Shan!¡± ¡°Shit, Ya Fan. What tha hall ara you doing?¡± ¡°Ara you crazy? How dara you hit Young Mastar Shan?¡± At this tima, Qiu Mu-Ying was just walking out of tha offica in har high haals and haavy maka-up. Whan sha saw tha fight unfolding in tha straat, har haavily mada-up faca twistad in tarror. Ta-ta-ta-ta. Har high haals clip-cloppad on tha ground as sha ran towards tha yallow-hairad youth to halp him up. ¡°Shit. Ya Fan, you piaca of trash. What ara you standing around for? Gat down on your knaas and apologiza to Young Mastar Shan right away.¡± ¡°You usss piaca of trash! You kaap causing trou for our family!¡± Qiu Mu-Ying scraamad in raga. Sha was truly frightanad by what had just happanad. Shan Fai was har friand and sha had cad him ovar to tha offica for a maating. But ha was unaxpactadly baatan up by Ya Fan. This mada har furious. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. But, surprisingly, Ye Fan did not abide by her wish this time. He replied coldly: ¡°Apologize? He should be the one doing the apologizing!¡± ¡°He dared to harass my wife in broad daylight. Doesn¡¯t he deserve a beating?¡± ¡°Shut your trap. He¡¯s my friend. You are just a lowly live-in son-inw. Who gave you the right to criticize him? Moreover, Young Master Shen is a distinguished person. It¡¯s an honor to be able to talk to him. But instead of showing gratitude, you hit him instead? Apologize to him right now!¡± Qiu Mu-Ying commanded. ¡°Qiu Mu-Ying, it¡¯s fine if you criticize me. But Qiu Mu-Cheng is your cousin. How could you say that about her?¡± Ye Fan clenched his hands in anger. ¡°You bastard. So you are just a live-in son-inw of the Qiu family. You are just a piece of trash. How dare you hit me?¡± ¡°Wait, I...¡± pong~ Shen Fei had just gotten up but, before he could finish speaking, the enraged Ye Fan kicked him again. ¡°Ah~¡± ¡°You bastard. You are finished. I hereby dere. You are finished!¡± ¡°Not just you. But that ungrateful bitch of a wife of yours as well. And the Qiu family. You are all finished.¡± ¡°This is what happens when you offend me. I will make you all suffer a fate worse than death~¡± Shen Fei howled as he clutched his stomach in pain. ¡°Young Master Shen, listen to me. It has nothing to do with me. It has nothing to do with the Qiu family. It¡¯s all Ye Fan¡¯s and his wife¡¯s fault~¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Of course, Shen Fei was unwilling to listen to Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s exnation. He pushed her away, staggered into his car and drove away. Back at the scene, a pale-faced Qiu Mu-Ying was left behind with the husband-and-wife duo. ¡°Qiu Mu-Cheng, look at what that useless husband of yours has done!¡± ¡°You just wait. When Shen Fei goes after your family, the Qiu family will do nothing to help.¡± Qiu Mu- Ying said viciously before leaving in her car. After Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s departure, Ye Fan looked at his wife and asked: ¡°Erm, did I cause trouble for you?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng did not answer his question, but said quietly: ¡°Let¡¯s go to my grandfather¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°And these are the clothes I¡¯ve bought for you. Find some ce to change into them.¡± As she said this, she handed over the box with the brand new suit to Ye Fan. Qiushui Logistics was thepany founded by Master Qiu, the head of the family. It could be said that the Qiu family owed their current sess entirely to him. That was why Master Qiu¡¯s had unshakeable authority within the family. That was also why Qiu Mu-Cheng had married Ye Fan so readily when Master Qiu gave her the order. Right now, at Master Qiu¡¯s vi, several of his children had already gathered. ording to family tradition, after a wedding celebration, Master Qiu would throw a feast for the new son-inw. Of course, this tradition only started when Qiu Mu-Hong had gotten married to Jiang Yang. Ye Fan, the useless live-in son-inw, had been left out of this tradition. ¡°Okay, everyone is already here. Is everyone seated?¡± It was already dinner time so Master Qiu asked everyone to take their seats. ¡°Dad, Mu-Cheng is not here yet.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s father, Qiu Lei, reminded softly. But Master Qiu pretended not to hear and continued: ¡°Start serving the food.¡± ¡°Grandfather, sorry we arete. We were held up earlier.¡± At this moment, hurried footsteps could be hearding from the entrance. Qiu Mu-Cheng and the now well-dressed Ye Fan had arrivedte to the feast. ¡°Oh, you are wearing a suit now?¡± ¡°A dog dressed up in human clothes is still going to act like a dog. And a useless son-inw in a suit is still a useless son-inw.¡± When the Qiu family members saw Ye Fan in a suit, they greeted him with jeers. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The smile vanished from Master Qiu¡¯s face as soon as Qiu Mu-Cheng and Ye Fan appeared. He snorted coldly and refused to look at them. ¡°Mu-Cheng,e have a seat.¡± Qiu Lei weed his daughter to the feast. His phone rang just then, so he excused himself with an apologetic smile and left the room to answer the call. ¡°This trash. Howe he has so many phone calls? Who knows what kind of trashy friend is calling him.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying humphed coldly and then she remembered what she was about to say. ¡°That¡¯s right, grandfather. I nearly forgot. I have something to report. Just now, the young master of the Shen family came to my office for a business meeting. But he got beaten up by Ye Fan and his wife when he left the building.¡± What? When they heard this, the dinner guests swiveled their heads upwards. ¡°They assaulted the young master of the Shen family?¡± ¡°Are they crazy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the only son of the Shen family, and the heir to the Shen Corporation!¡± ¡°His father, Shen Jiu-Yi used to be the number one tycoon in Yunzhou. He is very powerful and is on good terms with Master Li Er.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Master Li Er, the top boss of Yunzhou!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a person with a powerful background. And this piece of trash actually hit him?¡± ¡°They are trying to destroy our family!¡± All at once, the Qiu family members turned pale with shock. And even Master Qiu had an unhealthy pallor on his face. The Shen Corporation was one of the top enterprises in Yunzhou, and its assets were worth billions. Compared to them, the Qiu family¡¯s logisticspany only had assets worth a few dozen millions. The Shen Corporation was more than just a few rungs above the Qiu family and a behemoth that the Qius should never pick a fight with. Meanwhile, Qiu Lei¡¯s face had gone as white as a ghost. ¡°Grandfather, we were only defending ourselves. That rich boy from the Shen family harassed me first.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng exined. ¡°Cousin, you should not confound right and wrong. Young Master Shen was just joking with you. But you are a stuck-up and small-minded person so you couldn¡¯t take a joke. Not only did you gang up with your useless husband to beat him up but, now, you are also falsely using him of harassment.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying smiled smugly and then, putting on a mask of piteousness, she turned to speak to Master Qiu. ¡°Grandfather, you have to help me. I spent a lot of effort to secure the order from the Shen Corporation. Today, Young Master Shen was going to sign the contract with me. But after their interference, my months of effort have gone to waste.¡± And of course, Qiu Mu-Ying had to add fuel to fire. When Wang Qiao-Yu heard that her daughter¡¯s business has been affected, she flew into a rage. ¡°Is your family bent on destroying the Qiu family?¡± ¡°Back then, we should have expelled them from the Qiu family. All these years, they have been living off us. Yet, they do not know how to be grateful and keep causing trouble. Now, even the order that my Ying-Ying secured for us is gone.¡± ¡°Beautiful women are trouble indeed!¡± Wang Qiao-Yu cursed angrily. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve already said we shouldn¡¯t keep this woman around. She¡¯s trouble!¡± ¡°She nearly destroyed our family back then. And now she¡¯s causing trouble again?¡± The other rtives also chipped in to criticize Qiu Mu-Cheng. Master Qiu turned to look at her with a look of anger on his face. ¡°Qiu Mu-Cheng, are you sorry for what you have done?¡± ¡°Grandfather, I don¡¯t know what wrong I have done. Are you just going to listen to their side of the story...¡± ¡°Shut up! You are still unrepentant? You said you don¡¯t know what wrong you havemitted. Let me ask you. Did you and your husband beat up Young Master Shen?¡± ¡°I ask you again. Ying¡¯s order. Is it gone now because of what you have done?¡± ¡°Finally, is our Qiu family in danger because of what you have done?¡± Master Qiu sprang to his feet, his eyes wide with anger. He had fallen into the throes of rage after asking the three questions in session, and he was not going to give Qiu Mu-Cheng the chance to speak for herself. ¡°Dad, is there a need to ask? Didn¡¯t she admit to assaulting Young Master Sheng just now? Just because of a joke, she flew into a rage and ganged up with her husband to give Young Master Shen a beating.¡± ¡°This girl. She has been spoilt by the family. Today, we should make her go down on her knees and apologize to us.¡± The fourth eldest Qiu brother, Qiu Luo, looked on with a smile on his face. ¡°That¡¯s right. Kneel and apologize to Ying-Ying!¡± ¡°Apologize to the family~¡± ¡°Just expel them from the Qiu family~¡± Qiu Mu-Ying, Wang Qiao-Yu and the rest of the Qiu family were eager to kick Qiu Mu-Cheng while she was down. As they scolded her, they also called for the expulsion of Qiu Mu-Cheng and her family. That way, they would receive arger share of the family fortune in the future. When Qiu Lei heard their calls for expulsion, he was scared out of his wits. So as he begged his father for mercy, he also ordered Qiu Mu-Cheng to apologize. ¡°Mu-Cheng, get on your knees quick. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Do you want to see your father and mother starve to death in the streets?¡± Qiu Lei howled bitterly. All of a sudden, Qiu Mu-Cheng became Public Enemy Number One. Everyone was screaming at her. They all wanted her to kneel in apology. At this moment, Qiu Mu-Cheng felt incredibly aggrieved. She turned her red-rimmed eyes to look at her father, grandfather and rtives. She couldn¡¯t understand why. Why did they only listen to Qiu Mu- Ying¡¯s side of the story and refuse to give her a chance to tell hers. She also couldn¡¯t understand why her rtives did not show any concern for her, but instead chose to side with an outsider like Shen Fei. Could it be because Qiu Mu-Ying had a rich and powerful husband while hers was poor and useless? Could it be because Shen Fei had a powerful background while she and Ye Fan weremoners? The assembled guests continued to scream and, as she faced the attacksing from all sides, Qiu Mu-Chengughed. Sheughed piteously and tears streamed from her eyes. At that moment, Qiu Mu-Cheng felt that the world had abandoned her. She had to resign herself to her fate. Reality is cruel. If you do not have wealth or power, nobody will give damn about your dignity. Atst, Qiu Mu-Cheng bowed her head and started to bend her knees. She was going to kneel down in front of her rtives. But, at that moment, a firm hand reached out and stopped her from going down on her knees. ¡°Mu-Cheng, why kneel down in front of these people? They do not deserve your respect!¡± Ye Fan¡¯s words were firm and resounded like the sound of a rock striking the ground. At once, Qiu Mu-Cheng froze in surprise. She didn¡¯t know when it started, perhaps since the day of her cousin¡¯s engagement banquet, but she felt that Ye Fan had changed. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. He had be bigger and taller! And the hand holding her had be stronger. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°You bastard. How dare you show us such disrespect. Do you still recognize us as your elders?¡± The fourth Qiu brother, Qiu Luo, flew into a rage and screamed as he gestured at Ye Fan and Qiu Mu- Cheng. ¡°Elders?¡± Ye Fanughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°Uncle, let me ask you and everyone else in this room. I recognize you as my elders. But when have you ever treated Mu- Cheng as a niece and me as a son-inw?¡± ¡°Mu-Cheng was nearly vited but, instead of showing concern for her, you are berating us and you even tried to make her kneel in apology? I don¡¯t know who¡¯s really your niece. Mu-Cheng or that rich boy from the Shen family. If he asks you to sever ties with Mu-Cheng, are you really going to do that?¡± Ye Fan¡¯s words were sonorous and forceful. As he spoke, he stared fiercely at the Qiu family members. His speech was cutting and rendered Qiu Luo speechless. His face turned red and, for a while, he couldn¡¯t get any word out of his opened mouth. ¡°We didn¡¯t say we would sever ties with Mu-Cheng. But Ying-Ying said Young Master Shen was just joking with Mu-Cheng. He didn¡¯t...¡± Qiu Luo tried to exin but his tone was already weaker than before. Ye Fan thought he had just heard a joke. ¡°A joke? Uncle, let me ask you. If some passerby on the street starts touching your wife, would you still think it¡¯s funny? If somebody harassed your daughter in public, would you still think it¡¯s a joke?¡± ¡°This girl. Sha has baan spoilt by tha family. Today, wa should maka har go down on har knaas and apologiza to us.¡± Tha fourth aldast Qiu brothar, Qiu Luo, lookad on with a sm on his faca. ¡°That¡¯s right. Knaal and apologiza to Ying-Ying!¡± ¡°Apologiza to tha family~¡± ¡°Just axpal tham from tha Qiu family~¡± Qiu Mu-Ying, Wang Qiao-Yu and tha rast of tha Qiu family wara aagar to kick Qiu Mu-Chang wh sha was down. As thay scoldad har, thay also cad for tha axpulsion of Qiu Mu-Chang and har family. That way, thay would racaiva argar shara of tha family fortuna in tha futura. Whan Qiu Lai haard thair calls for axpulsion, ha was scarad out of his wits. So as ha baggad his fathar for marcy, ha also ordarad Qiu Mu-Chang to apologiza. ¡°Mu-Chang, gat on your knaas quick. What ara you doing?¡± ¡°Do you want to saa your fathar and mothar starva to daath in tha straats?¡± Qiu Lai hod bittarly. All of a suddan, Qiu Mu-Chang bacama Public Enamy Numbar Ona. Evaryona was scraaming at har. Thay all wantad har to knaal in apology. At this momant, Qiu Mu-Chang falt incradibly aggriavad. Sha turnad har rad-rimmad ayas to look at har fathar, grandfathar and rtivas. Sha couldn¡¯t undarstand why. Why did thay only listan to Qiu Mu- Ying¡¯s sida of tha story and rafusa to giva har a chanca to tall hars. Sha also couldn¡¯t undarstand why har rtivas did not show any concarn for har, but instaad chosa to sida with an outsidar lika Shan Fai. Could it ba bacausa Qiu Mu-Ying had a rich and powarful husband wh hars was poor and usss? Could it ba bacausa Shan Fai had a powarful background wh sha and Ya Fan waramonars? Tha assamd guasts continuad to scraam and, as sha facad tha attacksing from all sidas, Qiu Mu-Changughad. Shaughad pitaously and taars straamad from har ayas. At that momant, Qiu Mu-Chang falt that tha world had abandonad har. Sha had to rasign harsalf to har fata. Raality is crual. If you do not hava waalth or powar, nobody will giva damn about your dignity. Atst, Qiu Mu-Chang bowad har haad and startad to band har knaas. Sha was going to knaal down in front of har rtivas. But, at that momant, a firm hand raachad out and stoppad har from going down on har knaas. ¡°Mu-Chang, why knaal down in front of thasa pao? Thay do not dasarva your raspact!¡± Ya Fan¡¯s words wara firm and rasoundad lika tha sound of a rock striking tha ground. At onca, Qiu Mu-Chang froza in surprisa. Sha didn¡¯t know whan it startad, parhaps sinca tha day of har cousin¡¯s angagamant banquat, but sha falt that Ya Fan had changad. Ha had ba biggar and tar! And tha hand holding har had ba strongar. ¡°How dara you!¡± ¡°You bastard. How dara you show us such disraspact. Do you still racogniza us as your aldars?¡± Tha fourth Qiu brothar, Qiu Luo, w into a raga and scraamad as ha gasturad at Ya Fan and Qiu Mu- Chang. ¡°Eldars?¡± Ya Fanughad as if ha had just haard tha funniast joka in tha world. ¡°Un,t ma ask you and avaryona alsa in this room. I racogniza you as my aldars. But whan hava you avar traatad Mu- Chang as a niaca and ma as a son-inw?¡± ¡°Mu-Chang was naarly vitad but, instaad of showing concarn for har, you ara barating us and you avan triad to maka har knaal in apology? I don¡¯t know who¡¯s raally your niaca. Mu-Chang or that rich boy from tha Shan family. If ha asks you to savar tias with Mu-Chang, ara you raally going to do that?¡± Ya Fan¡¯s words wara sonorous and forcaful. As ha spoka, ha starad fiarcaly at tha Qiu family mambars. His spaach was cutting and randarad Qiu Luo spaacss. His faca turnad rad and, for a wh, ha couldn¡¯t gat any word out of his opanad mouth. ¡°Wa didn¡¯t say wa would savar tias with Mu-Chang. But Ying-Ying said Young Mastar Shan was just joking with Mu-Chang. Ha didn¡¯t...¡± Qiu Luo triad to axin but his tona was alraady waakar than bafora. Ya Fan thought ha had just haard a joka. ¡°A joka? Un,t ma ask you. If soma passarby on tha straat starts touching your wifa, would you still think it¡¯s funny? If somabody harassad your daughtar in public, would you still think it¡¯s a joka?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Qiu Luo was struck dumb and his face turned red. He didn¡¯t know how to respond to Ye Fan¡¯s questions. Ye Fanughed coldly and then he turned to interrogate Master Qiu. ¡°That rich kid from the Shen family insulted Mu-Cheng¡¯s modesty and we merely defended ourselves. What wrong did we do? But look at you. You didn¡¯t care for right or wrong. You only listened to Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s one-sided story and passed judgement on Mu-Cheng.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you all feel guilty?¡± Cold anger smoldered in Ye Fan¡¯s eyes and he showed no fear whatsoever even as he debated the rabble all by his lonesome. Meanwhile, Qiu Mu-Cheng waspletely dazed by the scene unfolding before her. Was this still the same weak and submissive husband who had never uttered a word ofint? Was this still the same useless piece of trash son-inw? When did her husband grow a backbone? At that moment, Qiu Mu-Cheng felt that Ye Fan had be as tall as a giant, and that gave her a sense of security. Under Ye Fan¡¯s questioning, a number of the Qiu family members had turned red-faced in embarrassment. Qiu Luo and his family, especially, were so ashamed that they could not say a word. Master Qiu was furious. But he could do nothing except fall back on his seniority. ¡°How dare you! You are just a useless live-in son-inw! How dare you disrespect your elders! Even if we are in the wrong, you still have no right to criticize us. Are you not going to kneel down? If not, you can leave the Qiu family.¡± Ye Fan smiled a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Grandfather, you have already lived past half a century. You must have been through a lot. I have always thought that you were an understanding person. But now, it looks like you are nothing but a stubborn old fool who only knows to take advantage of his seniority.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, there¡¯s no need to stay in the Qiu family.¡± ¡°Mu-Cheng, let¡¯s go. I will bring you home.¡± Under the stunned looks of the Qiu family, Ye Fan grabbed hold of Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s hand and departed without turning back. Back at the vi, an oppressive silence remained in the air. ¡°You¡­ You people~¡± The abrupt departure of Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng caused Master Qiu to tremble with rage and he nearly choked to death on his own anger. ¡°Qiu Lei, look at your daughter and son-inw!¡± ¡°Your family, they are really something, eh? They are so capable that they can even disrespect father.¡± ¡°Our family has no daughter like her.¡± ¡°From now onwards, Qiu Mu-Cheng is no longer a member of our family!¡± ¡°Tomorrow we will kick her out of Qiushui Logistics!¡± The eldest Qiu brother, Qiu Guang, roared angrily as he held up his father. Qiu Lei¡¯s face paled in terror and his skin took on a lifeless pallor. At that moment, he looked as if all strength had left his body. Outside the vi, Ye Fan supported Qiu Mu-Cheng as they walked back home. There was a tinge of sadness in Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s eyes. She knew. She knew what the actions of the Qiu elders meant to her. It was quite possible that she would not have a ce within the Qiu family from today onwards. She had grown up in the Qiu family and had lived with them all her life. Now that she was expelled from the family, Qiu Mu-Cheng did not know where to go or how to support her family. ¡°Mu-Cheng, believe in me. After a while, the Qiu family will beg you to return.¡± Ye Fan said confidently with a smile. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ye Fan¡¯s words were grave and resonated with firmness. At the same moment, in the Li family¡¯s vi within the city center, an elderly man was holding a ss of red wine and standing in front of a French window. Outside, a river of stars spread out across the night sky and the streets below were lit up with bright and colorful lights. It was night but vehicles streamed continuously on the roads. And then the old man spoke: ¡°Mister Chu, by this time, my gift should have already arrived.¡± ¡°I hope you like it.¡± Li Er smiled lightly, lifted his wine ss and raised a toast to the scenery outside his window. And then, he titled his head back and quaffed the drink! Chapter 11 Chapter 11 The Qiu¡¯s family house. After Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s departure, the remaining guests carried on with their feast. Except for Qiu Lei. The atmosphere at the feast had gotten too ufortable for him after his daughter¡¯s row with the family. So he made up an excuse and left. ¡°Lei¡¯s family are totally useless.¡± ¡°His daughter is too wilful and his son-inw is a useless piece of trash. They havepletely shamed us.¡± After Qiu Lei¡¯s departure, Qiu Guang, the eldest Qiu brother, continued to sneer at his younger brother¡¯s family. ¡°Brother-inw, why mention them? Today is supposed to be a happy asion. Let¡¯s not dampen our mood.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu joined in the conversation and tried to change the topic. Then she smiled warmly at her son-inw, Chu Wen-Fei. ¡°Wen-Fei, don¡¯t you have some more gifts for your grandfather? What did you buy? Tell us about it. Your grandfather will be happy too.¡± ¡°Yes, Wen-Fei, we are all curious. Tell us about it.¡± The youngest Qiu brother smiled as he looked at Chu Wen-Fei. The other rtives went with the flow and also prodded him for information. ¡°Haha, uncle. Just wait and see. The gifts are on their way here. Once they have arrived, you will find out.¡± ¡°I promise. Grandfather will receive a huge surprise.¡± Chu Wen-Fei said confidently and Qiu Mu-Ying hugged his arm coquettishly. Since they did receive many valuable gifts from the Chu family yesterday and those gifts did add significantly to her prestige, Qiu Mu-Ying was extremely satisfied with her fianc¨¦. The atmosphere at the Qiu¡¯s family house was slowly getting festive and the sombre mood caused by the argument earlier was swept away. ¡°It looks like Wen-Fei is feeling confident in his gifts. Well, are you confident enough to beat your brother-inw? That year, he gave us a valuable painting painted by a famous artist. Your grandfather was all smiles for several days. Now, the painting is hanging in his study. Your grandfather enjoys looking at it every day.¡± Qiu Guang said with a smile. Chu Wen-Fei just shook his head. ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t say that. A gift should not be judged by how valuable it is. It¡¯s just a token of my appreciation for grandfather. As long the thought is there, no matter what I give, I am sure grandfather will be happy with it.¡± ¡°Haha, you are right, Wen-Fei. I am too shallow.¡± Qiu Guang replied with augh. The other family members also praised Wen-Fei for his eloquence and high emotional quotient. But although they said that, they were stillpetitive when it came to such things. This was especially true for a vain woman like Qiu Mu-Ying. She had already told Chu Wen-Fei that he had to give something valuable or she would lose face in front of her rtives. ¡°Wen-Fei, it¡¯s fine as long as the thought is there. Forget about the gift. Don¡¯t go to expense on my ount. You bing my grandson-inw is already the best gift you can give me.¡± Master Qiu had alreadyposed himself and now he had a smile on his face as he exchanged pleasantries with Chu Wen-Fei. ¡°How could I do this. I have to give a gift or I wouldn¡¯t be doing my duty as a grandson-inw.¡± ¡°Grandfather, just take a seat. My surprise will arrive soon.¡± Chu Wen-Fei was confident. When the others heard this, they started another round of praises for him. ¡°Wen-Fei is so thoughtful~¡± ¡°He¡¯s from a rich family and so filial. Luo, your family is so lucky to get a son-inw like him.¡± ¡°Ying-Ying has found a good husband!¡± ¡°Fei-Fei, look. When it¡¯s time for you to find a husband, you must find someone like Wen-Fei. He¡¯s good-looking, talented and a promising young man.¡± ¡°Come, let us give Wen-Fei a toast~¡± In the courtyard, the Qiu family members were having a merry and harmonious time. Things had gotten lively as the guests talked andughed among themselves. Chu Wen-Fei was smiling proudly in the face of everyone¡¯s praise, and Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s vanity had been satisfied so she was contented. At this moment, both Chu Wen-Fei and Qiu Mu-Ying, who had been ced on a pedestal by their rtives, felt infinitely glorious as if they were standing at the pinnacle of life. When he looked at his outstanding son-inw, Master Qiu smiled so much that he barely had time to shut his mouth. It was a scene of domestic bliss. As everyone was enjoying themselves, the butler came in and announced that a car had just arrived. ¡°Haha~¡± ¡°It¡¯s here, grandfather. The gift your grandson-inw prepared for you is here.¡± Chu Wen-Fei stood up with a smile and hurriedly ordered the servants to bring his gift in. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s huge!¡± ¡°Wen-Fei, what is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got a pretty woman in there. You even covered it up with a red cloth.¡± A short whileter, several able-bodied men carried the gift into the hall. When the assembled guests saw this, they were stunned. The gift was around two meters wide and half-a-meter tall. It looked like a rectangr box but, as it was covered with a piece of red cloth, they couldn¡¯t tell what it was. ¡°Wen-Fei, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s really a beautiful woman. Your grandfather is already an old man, so he won¡¯t be able to use your gift.¡± Qiu Guang joked around with Wen-Fei and caused everyone tough. Master Qiu also chided his eldest son light-heartedly. But as the Qiu family members wereughing, Chu Wen-Fei frowned. He thought there was something strange about the shape of the gift. ¡°It¡¯s probably just the gift box.¡± Chu Wen-Fei guessed to himself and then smiled in response. ¡°Haha, uncle, stop guessing. Just wait. And I will reveal the answer to you.¡± And then, under the curious gazes of their rtives, Chu Wen-Fei grabbed Qiu Mu-Ying and led her to the front. They bowed to Master Qiu who was seated at the seat of honor and said: ¡°Thank you, grandfather, for raising Ying-Ying to be such an outstanding woman. Please ept a bow from your grandson-inw.¡± ¡°At the same time, to express my thanks, Ying-Ying and I would like to present grandfather with an evergreen pine tree from Nanshan. May grandfather enjoy immense fortune and live to a ripe old age!¡± Chu Wen-Fei and Qiu Mu-Ying bowed together. Master Qiu¡¯s smile grew so wide that his lips nearly touched his ears. And he eximed: ¡°Splendid~Splendid~Splendid~¡± ¡°Wen-Fei, you are so thoughtful~¡± And everyone else followed his example and cut loose with yet another round of praises for the couple. Qiu Mu-Ying tilted her chin proudly and looked at her fianc¨¦ joyfully. Both Wang Qiao-Yu and Qiu Luo felt distinguished, as they basked in the reflected glory of their son-in- law. ¡°Remove the cloth!¡± Amidst the praises of the guests and the happyughter of Master Qiu, Chu Wen-Fei waved his hand and gave the order haughtily. But unexpectedly, when the red cloth was removed, it turned out that there wasn¡¯t an evergreen pine tree underneath. Instead, they saw a coffin. A pitch-ck and heavy coffinid quietly on the floor. Whoosh~ All of a sudden, the door to the hall opened by itself and the cold wind howled like a devil. As it passed through the hall, the wind lifted up the piece of red cloth and caused it to p about noisily. Pitch-ck coffin. Bright red cloth. At this moment, within the hall, everyone was scared witless. Wang Qiao-Yu¡¯s eyes were wide opened with fear. Qiu Mu-Hong and her family screamed in terror, while the children simply burst into tears. And Chu Wen-Fei was rooted to the spot as he stared unbelievably at the scene before him. It was supposed to be an evergreen pine tree, so how did it change into a coffin? As for Master Qiu, he was scared witless the moment he saw the coffin when the red cloth was removed. He trembled violently and his face turned pale as a ghost. When he opened his mouth, frightened growls could be heard. ¡°You¡­ You...¡± ¡°You are trying to curse me to death~¡± Master Qiu¡¯s body went limp and he started screaming in fear. Chu Wen-Fei actually sent him a coffin on this day of celebration. Even a youngster like Qiu Mu-Hong found it hard to ept such a twist in the plot, let alone a senior citizen like Master Qiu. Whan ha lookad at his outstanding son-inw, Mastar Qiu smd so much that ha baraly had tima to shut his mouth. It was a scana of domastic bliss. As avaryona was anjoying thamsalvas, tha bur cama in and announcad that a car had just arrivad. ¡°Haha~¡± ¡°It¡¯s hara, grandfathar. Tha gift your grandson-inw praparad for you is hara.¡± Chu Wan-Fai stood up with a sm and hurriadly ordarad tha sarvants to bring his gift in. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s huga!¡± ¡°Wan-Fai, what is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tall ma you¡¯va got a pratty woman in thara. You avan covarad it up with a rad cloth.¡± A short whtar, savaral a-bodiad man carriad tha gift into tha hall. Whan tha assamd guasts saw this, thay wara stunnad. Tha gift was around two matars wida and half-a-matar tall. It lookad lika a ractangr box but, as it was covarad with a piaca of rad cloth, thay couldn¡¯t tall what it was. ¡°Wan-Fai, don¡¯t tall ma it¡¯s raally a baautiful woman. Your grandfathar is alraady an old man, so ha won¡¯t ba a to usa your gift.¡± Qiu Guang jokad around with Wan-Fai and causad avaryona tough. Mastar Qiu also chidad his aldast son light-haartadly. But as tha Qiu family mambars waraughing, Chu Wan-Fai frownad. Ha thought thara was somathing stranga about tha shapa of tha gift. ¡°It¡¯s probably just tha gift box.¡± Chu Wan-Fai guassad to himsalf and than smd in rasponsa. ¡°Haha, un, stop guassing. Just wait. And I will ravaal tha answar to you.¡± And than, undar tha curious gazas of thair rtivas, Chu Wan-Fai grabbad Qiu Mu-Ying andd har to tha front. Thay bowad to Mastar Qiu who was saatad at tha saat of honor and said: ¡°Thank you, grandfathar, for raising Ying-Ying to ba such an outstanding woman. asa apt a bow from your grandson-inw.¡± ¡°At tha sama tima, to axprass my thanks, Ying-Ying and I would lika to prasant grandfathar with an avargraan pina traa from Nanshan. May grandfathar anjoy immansa fortuna and liva to a ripa old aga!¡± Chu Wan-Fai and Qiu Mu-Ying bowad togathar. Mastar Qiu¡¯s sm graw so wida that his lips naarly touchad his aars. And ha aximad: ¡°Sndid~Sndid~Sndid~¡± ¡°Wan-Fai, you ara so thoughtful~¡± And avaryona alsa followad his axam and cut loosa with yat anothar round of praisas for tha cou. Qiu Mu-Ying tiltad har chin proudly and lookad at har fianc¨¦ joyfully. Both Wang Qiao-Yu and Qiu Luo falt distinguishad, as thay baskad in tha ractad glory of thair son-in- law. ¡°Ramova tha cloth!¡± Amidst tha praisas of tha guasts and tha happyughtar of Mastar Qiu, Chu Wan-Fai wavad his hand and gava tha ordar haughtily. But unaxpactadly, whan tha rad cloth was ramovad, it turnad out that thara wasn¡¯t an avargraan pina traa undarnaath. Instaad, thay saw a coffin. A pitch-ck and haavy coffinid quiatly on tha floor. Whoosh~ All of a suddan, tha door to tha hall opanad by itsalf and tha cold wind hod lika a davil. As it passad through tha hall, tha wind liftad up tha piaca of rad cloth and causad it to p about noisily. Pitch-ck coffin. Bright rad cloth. At this momant, within tha hall, avaryona was scarad wiss. Wang Qiao-Yu¡¯s ayas wara wida opanad with faar. Qiu Mu-Hong and har family scraamad in tarror, wh tha childran simply burst into taars. And Chu Wan-Fai was rootad to tha spot as ha starad unbaliavably at tha scana bafora him. It was supposad to ba an avargraan pina traa, so how did it changa into a coffin? As for Mastar Qiu, ha was scarad wiss tha momant ha saw tha coffin whan tha rad cloth was ramovad. Ha tramd vintly and his faca turnad p as a ghost. Whan ha opanad his mouth, frightanad growls could ba haard. ¡°You¡­ You...¡± ¡°You ara trying to cursa ma to daath~¡± Mastar Qiu¡¯s body want limp and ha startad scraaming in faar. Chu Wan-Fai actually sant him a coffin on this day of cbration. Evan a youngstar lika Qiu Mu-Hong found it hard to apt such a twist in tha plot,t alona a sanior citizan lika Mastar Qiu. Finally, Master Qiu fell off the chair he was sitting on andnded on the floor, where heid gasping for breath. ¡°Grandfather!¡± ¡°Father~¡± ¡°Quick, call 120!¡± The Qiu family members were in a state of confusion as they ran towards their patriarch to help him up. The eldest Qiu brother, Qiu Guang, was so angry that he sent Chu Wen-Fei flying to the ground with a kick. ¡°You bastard. If anything happens to my father, I will kill you.¡± ¡°Get lost. Look at what your son-inw has done.~¡± After berating Chu Wen-Fei, Qiu Guang turned to Wang Qiao-Yu and pushed her away. ¡°Grandfather, I¡­ I¡­ really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± Chu Wen-Fei was overwhelmed with confusion. After he was kicked to the ground, he could onlyy there quivering as snot and tears streamed down his face. He truly had no idea what had just happened. He had prepared an evergreen pine tree, so how did it turn into a coffin? There is this saying. Good fortune neveres in pairs and trouble never travels alone. And so, just as the Qiu family members were milling about in confusion, the butler came in with more bad news. ¡°Master, there¡¯s trouble. There¡¯s big trouble.¡± ¡°Our Qiushui Logistics is under investigation.¡± ¡°Our ten warehouses have been sealed!¡± ¡°The Qiu family assets have been frozen~¡± ¡°Thepany executives have been taken away by the police for questioning~¡± ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s all over for Qiushui Logistics!¡± What? All of a sudden, the thunderstruck family members stood rooted to the ground. Fear and shock were growing in their wide opened eyes. What was happening to their family? Could it be punishment from the gods? However, as they were still struggling in a state of panic, several police cars had already stopped outside the Qiu¡¯s family house. Several police officers got out of the vehicles and pushed open the gate to the house. Once inside, the officers produced their identifications. ¡°Good evening, we are from the Yunzhou City Public Security Bureau.¡± ¡°Qiushui Logistics is under suspicion ofmitting economic crimes, illegal business conduct and other offences. We would like General Manager Qiu Luo and Chairman Qiu Guang to follow us and assist in our investigation.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. When they heard this, Qiu Guang¡¯s face turned pale and Qiu Luo¡¯s copsed right on the floor as his legs had already turned to jelly. ¡°I won¡¯t let you take my husband~¡± Wang Qiao-Yu cried and pulled on Qiu Luo and refused to let go. But her efforts were futile. Finally, both Qiu Guang and Qiu Luo were taken away by the police. In just one night, nearly all the pirs of the family had fallen. Master Qiu was admitted into the hospital. The two most capable brothers were taken away by the police. Their warehouses had been sealed and Qiushui Logistics was in a state of paralysis. The Qiu family had fallen in just one night. Who would have thought that a celebratory banquet would end with the death knells of the Qiu family. The previously haughty Qiu Mu-Ying and Wang Qiao-Yu were now like defanged tigers and the splendor of their former selves hadpletely vanished. ¡°Who did we offend?¡± ¡°Why, why did the heavens treat us this way?¡± In the Qiu¡¯s family house, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. The whole family was in a state of grief. But all these happenings were unknown to Qiu Mu-Cheng. After she had been chased out of the family housest night, she went home and slept. And after the troubles had hit the Qiu family, a text message was sent to Ye Fan¡¯s phone. ¡°Young Master Chu, the Qiu family has fallen. Those who have offended you have been punished.¡± ¡°Are you satisfied with my gift?¡± Before the French window, Li Er smiled as he admired the wine ss in his hand. Outside the window, the sky was dark and the clouds were billowing as the wind blew. It looked like a storm wasing. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 sh~ A branched lightning bolt tore through the sky as the rain poured down in sheets. At this moment, in his room at the Yunzhou City People¡¯s Hospital, Master Qiu had already woken up. The Qiu family members were gathered at his bedside and they did not look good. Wang Qiao-Yu was crying, Qiu Mu-Ying simply kept quiet with her head down and Chu Wen-Fei was kneeling apologetically in front of Master Qiu¡¯s bed. After all, it was Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s gift that had sent Master Qiu into a fit of fright in the first ce. The old man was in a severe state after the ¡°surprise¡± and if he had not been sent to the hospital in time, he would have died. Luckily, Master Qiu managed to recover from the shock. Otherwise, Chu Wen-Fei would have to bear a very heavy burden. ¡°Dad, please find a way to help Guang and Luo. We haven¡¯t heard anything from them for the whole night. Are they going to prison? Will they face the firing squad?¡± ¡°Fei-Fei is still a child. She needs her father~¡± The eldest daughter-inw of the Qiu family was sobbing as she pleaded with her father-inw. And Wang Qiao-Yu was also wiping tears away from her red-rimmed eyes. Although the Qiu family had many offsprings, the only ones who could shoulder the burden for the family were just Qiu Guang and Qiu Luo. Once they were gone, the family would simply copse. ¡°Stop crying!¡± ¡°You only know how to cry~¡± ¡°If you are going to keep crying, you can get out of my room!¡± Wang Qiao-Yu and herpanions in misery were frightened by this violent outburst and promptly shut up. And then, Master Qiu took one look at the still kneeling Chu Wen-Fei and said gravely, ¡°You can get up.¡± ¡°Grandfather, I am sorry. What happened yesterday~¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Chu Wen-Fei was going to continue when Master Qiu waved dismissively and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. It¡¯s not your fault. Someone else is targeting our family.¡± Master Qiu was an old-timer so he had already noticed the suspicious points in this incident. ¡°What? Somebody is targeting our family?¡± ¡°Who could it be?¡± ¡°Qiushui Logistics hasn¡¯t offended anyone powerful recently. And in Yunzhou city, we don¡¯t have any business enemies either.¡± ¡°So who¡¯s going after our family!¡± Once again, Wang Qiao-Yu and the womenfolk went into a state of panic. Their bodies shook as tears streamed down their faces. ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°You women are useless here. You are only good for irritating me.¡± Master Qiu was already in a lousy mood and listening to the cries of the womenfolk only made him angrier. ¡°Think carefully. Have you offended anyone?¡± ¡°Enemies don¡¯t just pop up out of nowhere. There must be a reason why they are targeting us like this.¡± Master Qiu dered as he looked at his family. Qiu Mu-Ying and Qiu Mu-Hong shook their heads. They did not remember offending anyone powerful. They did bully weaklings like Ye Fan, but weak people like him were unlikely to have the power to retaliate against the Qiu family. ¡°Wait, grandfather. It must be Qiu Mu-Cheng and that useless trash, Ye Fan!¡± ¡°It must be them.¡± ¡°They attacked the Young Master of the Shen family yesterday and, right after that, these cmities started happening to us. It can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± ¡°The Shen family must have retaliated against us because of what Qiu Mu-Cheng and Ye Fan did. This is the Shen family¡¯s revenge against us.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying screamed out the facts that she had just thought of. Chu Wen-Fei followed suit and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The Shen family must have prepared the coffin in order to exact vengeance on us. They are one of the top-tier powers in Yunzhou and they have the backing of Master Li Er. In Yunzhou, there are few powers who are capable of orchestrating the events that happened yesterday. Very few, but the Shen family is definitely one of those groups.¡± ¡°That bastard Ye Fan and that bitch Qiu Mu-Cheng! It¡¯s all because of them. It¡¯s their fault that my husband was arrested. Dad, we must not spare troublemakers like them.¡± The red-eyed Wang Qiao-Yu said viciously. Everyone else followed suit and ced the me on the couple as well. Master Qiu had a sombre expression on his face as he coldly gave the order. ¡°Go get that unfilial girl, Qiu Mu-Cheng, and bring her to me.¡± He was so angry that his voice shook as he spoke. When Qiu Mu-Cheng received the call, Ye Fan was still making breakfast in the kitchen. As a live-in son-inw, it was his job to take care of all the household chores. ¡°Mu-Cheng, breakfast is ready.¡± A few minutester, Ye Fan had already finished setting the table so he started calling Qiu Mu-Cheng and her family to breakfast. ¡°Stop shouting. Mu-Cheng has already left.¡± ¡°Eh? Where did she go? It¡¯s still early and it¡¯s raining too.¡± Ye Fan asked with a frown. Han Li replied coldly: ¡°What? Must my daughter report to you whenever she goes out?¡± Since his mother-inw was angry, Ye Fan wisely kept his mouth shut. But Qiu Mu-Cheng did not return for the rest of the day, and that made Ye Fan very worried. Evening came and still Qiu Mu-Cheng did not return. Ye Fan tried calling her but nobody answered the phone. His worry deepened as he looked at the pouring rain outside. Just as he was about to go look for her at the Qiu¡¯s family house, his phone rang. The caller was Qiu Mu-Ying. ¡°Ye Fan, go to the Shen family manor and pick up your wife from the entrance. She¡¯s not a princess but she¡¯s as delicate as one. She only kneeled down for a while but she actually fainted on the spot? I am speechless!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t do the time, then don¡¯t do the crime. Now you¡¯ve dragged us down with you. You guys are really jinxes!¡± Qiu Mu-Ying smiled coldly as she ridiculed Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng. What? ¡°Mu-Cheng went to the Shen family?¡± ¡°And she fainted?¡± Ye Fan¡¯s face turned frosty when he heard the news. The Qiu family. It was the Qiu family! They ced all the me onto Mu-Cheng and him. They thought that the Shen family was responsible for the acts of retaliation and so they forced Qiu Mu-Cheng to go and apologize personally to the Shen family. But, Qiu Mu-Cheng, that silly girl. Why didn¡¯t she tell him? Why did she go by herself? Was she afraid that he would suffer humiliation? Was she afraid that he would have to face persecution at the hands of the Shen family? But, Mu-Cheng, I am your husband. I am your man. I am supposed to be the one to brave the rain. Why did you, a woman, go face the troubles alone? At that moment, Ye Fan¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot and he clenched his hands so tightly that his fingers dug deep into the flesh. And mes of rage burned within his chest. ¡°Qiu Mu-Ying, let me tell you. If anything happens to Mu-Cheng, there will be no ce for the Qiu family in Yunzhou city!¡± Ye Fan¡¯s words were cold and sinister. They rang like a crack of thunder to her ears and she was instantly stunned. Her face had also turned white as sheet. Very briefly, Qiu Mu-Ying wondered if she had dialled a wrong number. Was this still the useless trash of the Qiu family? Was this still the same submissive Ye Fan? Why did she suddenly feel such overwhelming pressure? Qiu Mu-Ying shivered unconsciously, an unknown fear fomenting in her heart. ¡°Ying-Ying, what¡¯s wrong? You look pale.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu, who was standing beside her daughter, asked curiously. Qiu Mu-Ying shook her head and replied, ¡°Nothing, mom. It¡¯s just that Ye Fan threatened me. He said that if anything happens to Qiu Mu-Cheng, he will take it out on the Qiu family.¡± When the Qiu family members heard this, they burst intoughter. ¡°He¡¯s just a piece of trash. He can only talk tough. There¡¯s no need to take him seriously, right?¡± ¡°He wants to take it out on us. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯s capable of doing so!¡± Everyoneughed. They didn¡¯t give a damn about Ye Fan and his family. ¡°But we still have to think of a way to get your uncle and father out. Yang-Yang, have you asked your father? Can he help?¡± Wang Qiao-Yu looked at Jiang Yang. His father was a part of the city administration and had his own connections. Jiang Yang shook his head. ¡°Auntie, I did ask my father. But he said the Qiu family had offended a very powerful person. So my father can¡¯t do anything.¡± When the Qiu family members heard this, they felt even more hopeless. ¡°It¡¯s all Ye Fan¡¯s and Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s fault. Is it really all over for our family?¡± They couldn¡¯t help but lament. ¡°Wen-Fei, please think of something. Your father also has connections in Yunzhou, right? Why not ask your father and see if he can help us.¡± A red-eyed Qiu Mu-Ying tugged at Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s arm and pleaded. Chu Wen-Fei looked troubled. ¡°My father knows businessmen, but I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t know any politicians...¡± ¡°Wen-Fei, just call him and try asking. Maybe he knows someone?¡± The Qiu family members turned to look at Chu Wen-Fei and they looked like drowning men desperately grasping for a straw to save their lives. Chu Wen-Fei smiled bitterly. Since his father did not even want to acknowledge this marriage, he thought that his father probably wouldn¡¯t want to help even if he could. But the Qiu family members looked at him so yearningly that Chu Wen-Fei found it hard to turn down their plea for help. So even though he knew this endeavor was doomed to failure, he dialled his father¡¯s number. ¡°Dad, regarding the Qiu family¡¯s problem...¡± Before Chu Wen-Fei couldplete his sentence, Chu Yang¡¯s angry voice came roaring from the other end of the line. ¡°You unfilial son. Don¡¯t call me ¡®dad¡¯. As long as you do not divorce that green tea bitch, I will not allow you to set foot inside our house.¡± Dududu~ Chu Yang had hung up. ¡°Wen-Fei, how was it? What did you father say?¡± The questioning came immediately after the call. Chu Wen-Feiughed guiltily and told Wang Qiao-Yu, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. My father said he will think of something and take care of the problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. At this crucial moment, we can only rely on Wen-Fei and Yang-Yang. The people in Lei¡¯s family are just useless troublemakers.¡± The Qiu family members smiled in relief and Master Qiu¡¯s mood took a turn for the better. None of them suspected that Chu Wen-Fei had been bragging earlier. Take care of the problem? Yeah, right! Even if the problem of Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s family being only second-tier and lower-ranking than the Shen family was ignored, Chu Yang was simply not interested in helping the Qiu family. At this moment, as the Qiu family members were digesting Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s words offort, Ye Fan was on his way to the Shen family manor. When Ye Fan arrived at his destination, Qiu Mu-Cheng was still on her knees. Themps on both sides of the street glowed weakly and illuminated her limp figure. Through the curtain of rain that was as thick as an iron wall, Ye Fan could see the small figure of Qiu Mu-Cheng. She was kneeling there all by herself, so small and forlorn like a single spark lost in the vast night sky, as if the world had abandoned her. ¡°Mu-Cheng~¡± Ye Fan hurried over and swept her into his hug. Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s body was icy cold and her clothes had been thoroughly soaked through by the rain. Her face was as pale as paper but her forehead was raging hot. Because she had been kneeling for a long time, her porcin legs were marred by bloody marks. As the rain poured down, the blood from her wounds was washed away. ¡°You stupid woman. Are you an idiot?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me. Why did youe by yourself!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already expelled you from the Qiu family, so why bother yourself with them?¡± ¡°Why are you so stupid?¡± Ye Fan howled angrily. The rain continued to beat down on him as he held Qiu Mu-Cheng in his embrace. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Qiu Mu-Cheng smiled weakly. She didn¡¯t know why but, as she felt Ye Fan¡¯s embrace and listened to his voice, Qiu Mu-Cheng felt a sense of security. As if she was being hugged by the whole world. ¡°Ye Fan, I am sorry. For the past three years, you have been humiliated by my rtives.¡± ¡°I am truly sorry.¡± ¡°This time, I do not wish to get you involved with the Qiu family and suffer humiliation again.¡± All these years, everyone was picking on Ye Fan. They humiliated him and even her parents med him for being useless. And she was also painted with the same brush. But Qiu Mu-Cheng knew. She and her family were the ones who had dragged him down. Back then, it had been her decision to take in Ye Fan as a live-in son-inw. If it weren¡¯t for her, perhaps this twenty-something young man would have had a happier life. Qiu Mu-Cheng said her apology in a whisper. When Ye Fan heard her faint voice, he could almost feel his heart breaking. He knew just how strong-minded she was. Qiu Mu-Cheng would only show that soft side of hers at her weakest moment. As the rain continued to beat down on them, Ye Fan hugged his wife tightly and said, ¡°Mu-Cheng, there¡¯s no need for you to apologize. You are the best gift I have received from heaven. The greatest honor of my life is being your husband.¡± Whoosh~ At this moment, a Benz sped past and its spinning wheels stirred up the rainwater. All of it sshed onto Ye Fan and he was soon covered with ck muddy water. The car stopped and, from within, Shen Fei¡¯s haughtyughter could be heard. ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t this the useless live-in son-inw? You are really a piece of trash. You actually let your own wife beg for mercy on your behalf.¡± ¡°Now you know what fear is. Since you can¡¯t do the time, then you shouldn¡¯t have done the crime.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already warned you. I am not the sort of person a useless trash like you can afford to offend.¡± Shen Fei looked at Ye Fan with mockery and disdain in his eyes. How on earth did this useless piece of trash manage to marry a superb woman like Qiu Mu-Cheng? ¡°But, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t let you off. If you let your wife service me tonight, I promise, things will return to normal at the Qiu family.¡± Shen Fei smiled coldy and looked impassionedly at Qiu Mu-Cheng. Of course, Shen Fei was just lying to Ye Fan. He had nothing to do with the going-ons happening to the Qiu family. At this time, the power of the Shen family rested in the hands of his father. Therefore, Shen Fei definitely did not have the power to topple a family on his own. But it was unimportant to Shen Fei whether he had the power or not. As long as he could bed Qiu Mu- Cheng, he didn¡¯t care what happened to the Qiu family. When he heard this, Ye Fanughed. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You trashy live-in son-inw, what are youughing at? Who gave you the right tough?¡± Shen Fei was annoyed by Ye Fan¡¯sughter so he retaliated with a scolding. Ye Fan shook his head and replied, ¡°Shen Fei, oh Shen Fei. I amughing at you because although you have eyes, you cannot recognize true greatness when it¡¯s right in front of you!¡± ¡°You have no idea what kind of existence is standing right before you?¡± ¡°And you have no idea exactly what kind of person you have offended today?¡± ¡°In my eyes, the Qiu family is insignificant. So is the Shen family. And even Li Er of Yunzhou is just a servant of mine!¡± As the rain poured around them, Ye Fan stood tall and proud. His voice was loud, like a crack of thunder, and resounded through the horizon. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. The crown prince of the Shen family, Shen Fei, was rooted to the spot instantly. At that moment, he could hear nothing else but Ye Fan¡¯s imperious deration. The Ye Fan before him now was like a tiger baring its proud fangs and ws after a long slumber. His aura was so overpowering that Shen Fei started trembling unconsciously. It was as if Ye Fan was no longer the useless live-in son-inw of the Qiu family, but the heir of the world¡¯s most prominent family. It wasn¡¯t just Shen Fei. Beside them, the pale and weak Qiu Mu-Cheng was also stunned by the sudden change in Ye Fan. Was he still the same Ye Fan? ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°You moron~¡± ¡°You are an idiot!¡± After a long stunned moment, Shen Feiposed himself and started berating Ye Fan. ¡°I have eyes but cannot recognize true greatness?¡± ¡°You are an idiot!¡± ¡°You think the Qiu family is insignificant? You think my family is insignificant too? And Master Li Er is your servant?¡± ¡°Screw you!¡± ¡°You are just a useless live-in son-inw. Who gave you the courage to shoot your mouth off?¡± Shen Fei smiled angrily. In his eyes, Ye Fan was just aplete retard. ¡°Qiu Mu-Cheng, don¡¯t me me for not giving you a chance. If you want to find someone to me, go me your useless husband!¡± ¡°You¡¯re all going to die soon~¡± Shen Fei could not be bothered with an idiot like Ye Fan, so he ordered his driver to move into the manor. Only Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng were left at the entrance. ¡°Ye Fan, you shouldn¡¯t have provoked him. And you definitely shouldn¡¯t have offended Master Li Er.¡± ¡°The Shen family is powerful but Master Li Er is the unofficial king of Yunzhou city. Both the underworld and police answer to him. We can¡¯t afford to offend either side.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s face had turned pale with worry. She was really afraid that the Shen family would retaliate against them. At that time, the Qiu family would have to suffer more humiliations. But Ye Fan said lightly, ¡°Mu-Cheng, don¡¯t worry. Trust me. I will make the Shen family pay for the humiliation you have suffered today. Many times over.¡± Afterwards, Ye Fan sent Qiu Mu-Cheng to the hospital. She had been kneeling in the rain for a whole day and her body was at its limits. Her fever was also still raging. But Qiu Mu-Cheng was still worried about the troubles guing the Qiu family. Ye Fan looked at her with a firm look in his eyes. ¡°Mu-Cheng, do you trust me?¡± ¡°But the Shen family is powerful, I am afraid...¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng said worriedly. ¡°Answer me. Do you trust me?¡± Ye Fan asked again, his voice heavy with authority. Qiu Mu-Cheng was surprised. It was the first time she had seen Ye Fan treat her so seriously. After a long pause, Qiu Mu-Cheng nodded and replied with an affirmative grunt. ¡°Ye Fan, I trust you.¡± Actually, after they had reached the hospital, Qiu Mu-Cheng regretted her action for a while. She did not know what had possessed her to believe that Ye Fan, a live-in son-inw, could challenge the Shen family. But, Ye Fan had already left the hospital. Even if she wanted to stop him, she couldn¡¯t. Ye Fan did not go far. He stopped at the hospital entrance and dialled Li Er¡¯s number. When Li Er saw that the caller was Ye Fan, he was overjoyed. This was the first time Ye Fan had taken the initiative to call him. It was surely a good sign. ¡°It looks like Mister Chu is starting to ept me.¡± Li Er knew what Ye Fan meant to the Chu family and he knew just how powerful the Chu family was. So he was in a state of excitement, now that he had sessfullytched on to Ye Fan. He answered the call right away and was properly solicitous. But because he was so excited, his voice trembled a little. ¡°Mister Chu, this is the first call I receive from you. I will always remember this moment.¡± ¡°Mister Chu, since you are calling me, does this mean you are satisfied with my gift? Are you ready to meet me and have dinner with me?¡± Li Er smiled joyfully. He was in a splendid mood. ¡°Screw you and your dinner!¡± Ye Fan¡¯s words, however, hit Li Er like a p on the head. And he was sent into a state of confusion right away. ¡°Mister Chu, you¡­ you are?¡± Li Er stammered. ¡°Let me ask you. Does the Shen family in Yunzhou work for you?¡± Ye Fan¡¯s voice shook with barely suppressed anger. Li Er was stunned for a moment, as he considered various things in his mind. Finally he nodded and said, ¡°Mister Chu, what happened? Did someone from the Shen family offend you?¡± ¡°Stop wasting my time! Li Er, let me tell you. After tonight, I want the Shen family to vanish. Fail to do that and the consequence will be unbearable for you. I can give you power and I can also take it away.¡± Ye Fan¡¯s angry voice exploded in the room and Li Er¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet. He didn¡¯t think Ye Fan was joking with him. The Chu family was perfectly capable of eliminating not just one, but tens and hundreds of Li Ers in a single night. ¡°Screw that bastard, Shen Jiu-Yi.¡± ¡°Shui, call that bastard right away. How dare he offend Mister Chu. He must be tired of living!¡± Li Er¡¯s screams of rage could be hearding from the room. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 The Shen family manor. The rain was pouring heavily outside, and the sky was overcast. When Li Er called, Shen Jiu-Yi was watching the financial news in the living room. And a topless Shen Fei was just leaving the bathroom after his shower. ¡°Dad, did you see that Qiu Mu- Cheng kneeling in front of our house? I heard the third daughter of the Qiu family was a prideful woman but, in front of the Shen family, she could do nothing but kneel in apology.¡± Shen Fei looked proud of himself. He enjoyed the feeling of having power over others, especially when they grovelled before him. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. However, Shen Jiu-Yi turned to re at Shen Fei and said, ¡°You unfilial son. I am warning you. If you abuse our family¡¯s authority to bully others, I will break your legs!¡± ¡°Dad, I am innocent. Qiu Mu-Cheng came to kneel on her own ord. I had nothing to do with it,¡± Shen Fei said aggrievedly. Shen Jiu-Yi snorted coldly. ¡°Hmph, you had better be telling the truth. If I find out you have been committing misdeeds, I will punish you.¡± Every time Shen Jiu-Yi saw his son, he managed to get himself worked up. Over the years, Shen Fei had caused a lot of trouble for him. If their family did not have power and influence, Shen Fei would have faced the firing squad several times over. ¡°Go get dressed. We are going to see Master Er.¡± Li Er had called and asked for a meeting earlier. Shen Jiu-Yi did not think much about it and decided to bring his son along to meet Master Er as well. Shen Fei did not dare to act up in front of his father so heplied right away. After changing into his clothes, he drove to Master Li Er¡¯s residence with his father. Shen Fei did not often get involved in business operations, but the name Li Er was well known to him. ¡°Master Er is the unofficial king of Yunzhou and even the mayor has to treat him with respect. Be on your toes when you see himter. If he likes you, then it will be helpful to our family.¡± Along the way, Shen Jiu-Yi instructed his son on proper conduct. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I am sharp. I won¡¯t embarrass you.¡± Shen Feiughed heartily. Before long, the Benz reached the Li family vi. Under the guidance of a servant, the father and son pair soon reached the living room. In the room, Li Er sat quietly, his expression grave. Although he looked calm, he still inspired awe. When he saw Li Er, Shen Fei hurried forward to pay his respect. But Li Er paid him no attention. ¡°Master Er, you wanted to see me?¡± Shen Jiu-Yi¡¯s senses told him that something was wrong. His heart tensed and he suddenly had a very bad feeling. ¡°Shen Jiu-Yi, let me ask you. Did you offend anyone important recently?¡± Shen Jiu-Yi went quiet for a while and then shook his head. ¡°Master Er, I have been busy with my company¡¯s affairs. I haven¡¯t had the time to offend anyone.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Li Er snorted coldly and threw a photograph at Shen Jiu-Yi. ¡°Take a good look. Tell me, have you offended the person in the photograph?¡± Shen Jiu-Yi bowed his head and took a look. The photograph was that of a young man wearing simple clothes. He was slim and good-looking but, considering his attire, he didn¡¯t look like a rich person. ¡°Master Er, I have never seen this person before. How could I have offended him?¡± Shen Jiu-Yi was really confused. He didn¡¯t know why Master Er was asking him about the young man, but he was getting nervous. Pong! Li Er mmed the table and jumped to his feet. The movement caused a tea cup to fall to the floor, where it smashed to pieces. ¡°You are still denying it? Then let me remind you again. His name is Ye Fan, a son-inw of the Qiu family.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± When he heard Ye Fan¡¯s name, Shen Fei frowned and, without waiting for his father¡¯s response, he hurried forward to look at the photograph. And then he smiled. ¡°Master Er, I am afraid you have made a mistake. I know the person in this photo. He is a live-in son-in- law of the Qiu family. A useless trash. He is not anyone important. Just now, he was still kneeling in front of our house with his wife.¡± Shen Feiughed heartily and hepletely missed the frosty look in Li Er¡¯s eyes. So he continued, ¡°Ye Fan is a silly man. He is just a live-in son-inw but not only did he look down on my family, he also insulted you. He actually said Master Er was a nobody. That made me angry. I was willing to let him off for insulting me, but I could not tolerate him insulting you. So I got a few of my men to follow him. They will teach him a lesson.¡± Shen Fei smiled happily at Li Er and waited expectantly for the praise toe his way. ¡°What? You sent your men to teach him a lesson?¡± Li Er trembled violently, as if he had just been struck with a bolt of lightning. ¡°Yes, Master Er. They should be reaching his house around this time. Is there something the matter?¡± Shen Fei had a perplexed look on his face. He didn¡¯t understand why Master Er was overreacting. ¡°Screw you!¡± ¡°If you want to die, don¡¯t drag me down with you!¡± Li Er was scared witless. He cut loose with a stream of scolding and sent Shen Fei to the floor with a kick. His face had already turned pale and his back was soaked with cold sweat. Who was Ye Fan? He was the heir to the Chu family of Great China! He was the only descendant of the Chu family who could use the Tian (Heaven) character in his name! In order to see him, the head of the Chu family came down personally to Yunzhou. Li Er was all too willing to suck up to a person like him. He was even willing to call Ye Fan ¡°daddy¡±. But his own underlings went and provoked Ye Fan. Surely, they were trying to get him killed? Were they tired of living? In a fit of rage, Li Er threw a kick at Shen Jiu-Yi. ¡°Shen Jiu-Yi, screw you!¡± ¡°You will be the death of me!¡± ¡°Do you know who he is?¡± ¡°He is Chu Tian-Fan, the only member of the Tian character generation in the Chu family!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Chu family. The family that¡¯s as powerful as a country. Even the government has to suck up to them. Even heads of state have to show them respect.¡± ¡°Do you know? A hundred thousand soldiers are stationed in the suburb of Fenghai city. Why? Because the government is protecting the Chu¡¯s family house!¡± Li Er howled angrily. Shen Jiu-Yi and his son were both scared witless and their minds were in a nk state. ¡°The Chu family of Great China?¡± ¡°As powerful as a country?¡± ¡°Fenghai suburb. A hunded thousand soldiers. Just to protect the Chu¡¯s family house?¡± Heavens! Who had they provoked? Shen Fei was in a state of daze. Both his legs were shaking and his body was drenched in cold sweat. And Shen Jiu-Yi was panicking. His face had turned as white as sheet and, finally, he copsed on the floor with a pong sound. ¡°Mas¡­ Master Er, wha...what should I do? Please, you have to help me?¡± Shen Jiu-Yi was a veteran of the business world and had a tougher temperament than most people. Even as he was panicking, he knew to ask Li Er for help. ¡°Get lost!¡± Li Er threw another kick at Shen Jiu-Yi. ¡°Help you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even save myself now.¡± ¡°Young Master Fan has already said so. After tonight, the Shen family shall vanish from Yunzhou city!¡± Boom~ The news hit the father-and-son pair like a thunder bolt from the sky. They stayed rooted to the spot, stunned and filled with despair. Shen Feiid limply on the floor. He was so petrified that he couldn¡¯t get a word out of his mouth. As for Shen Jiu-Yi, his heart was filled with despair. Finally, he decided to vent his anxiety and anger by beating his son. ¡°You bastard, oh, you bastard!¡± ¡°You bastard~¡± ¡°The Shen family will be destroyed because of you!¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Li Er was mad at the Shen family for provoking Ye Fan. But after he had calmed down, he began to think of a n to save the Shen family. After all, Li Er had been operating in Yunzhou for many years and, during that time, the Shen family had made themselves useful to him. Most of his funds came from the Shen family. Therefore, unless it was absolutely necessary, Li Er did not want to abandon the Shen family. Finally, after facing a barrage of pleas from Shen Jiu-Yi, aposed Li Er sighed and said, ¡°Alright, since you have served me faithfully all these years and because it was really your son¡¯s fault, I will see what I can do. Maybe I can beg for forgivness on your behalf. As for you two, you are not getting any rest tonight. Get your ass over there and grovel in front of Young Master Fan.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master Er. Thank you, Master Er.¡± The desperation in Shen Jiu-Yi was clear to see. After giving thanks to Li Er, he left the Li family vi with his son. Yunzhou City People¡¯s Hospital. ¡°Mu-Cheng, are you feeling better?¡± In the hospital ward, when Ye Fan saw that Qiu Mu-Cheng had woken up, he offered her an apple he had peeled earlier. Qiu Mu-Cheng had already regained her frosty demeanour. In the past, she would simply ignore Ye Fan. She did not know since when, but her attitude toward Ye Fan had been slowly changing. So she unconsciously epted the apple from Ye Fan, and even thanked him for it. ¡°Could it be that, I have fallen in love with this man?¡± But she squashed the thought as soon as it appeared. A proud woman like Qiu Mu-Cheng would never allow herself to fall in love with a mediocre man. That was Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s pride as a woman. Ye Fan shook his head and smile. ¡°There is no need for a husband and wife to stand on ceremony with each other.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng said nothing. She bowed her head and ate the apple in silence. However, a blush could be seen on her exquisite face. ¡°Oh by the way, how¡¯s my grandfather doing? And the Qiu family, how are they doing?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng suddenly remembered the problems guing her family, so she turned worriedly to Ye Fan for answers. Ye Fan¡¯s expression turned grave. He looked at Qiu Mu-Cheng and asked, ¡°Mu-Cheng, don¡¯t you hate the Qiu family? You still worry about them after what they have done to you.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng shook her head and smiled bitterly. ¡°Blood is thicker than water. They are still my rtives and my elders, no matter how mean they are. I owe them for raising and educating me. And the Qiu family is where my roots are. Can you sever blood and family ties so easily? Also, it is my fault this time. I am the one who got the Qiu family into trouble.¡± Even now, this kind-hearted girl only knew how to me herself and her words were full of self- reproach. Ye Fan sighed. ¡°You silly girl.¡± ¡°Alright, we shall let them off this time. The Qius are really fortunate to have a niece like you. And Master Qiu should be counting his lucky stars for having you as his granddaughter.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ye Fan¡¯s words made Qiu Mu-Cheng confused. ¡°Let them off? Ye Fan, are you hiding something from me?¡± Ye Fan shook his head and smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Oh, that¡¯s right. Your grandfather is staying at this hospital too. I will take you to see him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng nodded and left the room with Ye Fan. ¡°Wen-Fei, have you heard anything from your father yet?¡± ¡°Can he help or not?¡± Qiu Mu-Ying was pacing around the room and bombarding Chu Wen-Fei with questions. After all, her father was still being held for questioning and she had not heard anything from him for an entire day. It was only natural for her to be worried. ¡°Ying-Ying, don¡¯t rush Wen-Fei. Such things cannot be rushed. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate.¡± Master Qiu was still resting on his sick bed and his words were frail, like his health. Worrying about the cmity facing his family had caused him to age overnight. And now he looked several decades older than he really was. Just as the Qius were worrying themselves to death, the door to the ward was pushed open and Ye Fan entered with Qiu Mu-Cheng. ¡°Shit, how dare you show your face around here?¡± ¡°Our family is in such sad straits all thanks to you!¡± ¡°My father has been arrested and his whereabouts is still unknown. Grandfather nearly died from shock because of you. Don¡¯t you feel guilty?¡± When she saw Ye Fan and her cousin, Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot and she started raging at the couple. Qiu Mu-Hong and her husband, Jiang Yang, were also unhappy. ¡°Please leave. You are not weed here.¡± ¡°What do we have here? One useless husband who¡¯s a piece of trash. Someone who can¡¯t do anything right.¡± ¡°And the other one is pretending to be weak and trying to solicit pity for herself. You two are a good match for each other!¡± ¡°Just looking at you makes me sick. Get out!¡± Wang Qiao-Yu was sent into the throes of rage when she saw Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng. Needless to say, the other rtives also started criticizing Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng. After all, in the eyes of the Qiu family members, the cmity facing them was entirely the fault of Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng. When she heard the hurtful wordsing from her rtives, Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s already paleplexion turned paler. She did not try to defend herself, but said softly: ¡°I am only here to see grandfather. I will just take a look and then leave. I have no intention of disturbing my elders.¡± ¡°Hmph, look at me? I am just an old bag of bones. I can¡¯t shoulder the burden!¡± With a huff, Master Qiu turned his back on Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng. ¡°Are you deaf? Grandfather says he doesn¡¯t want to see you. So can you get lost?¡± Qiu Mu-Ying screamed at her cousin. ¡°Get lost!¡± Wang Qiao-Yu followed suit. ¡°Get lost~¡± In the hospital ward, almost every member of the Qiu family was screaming and their voices resounded through the room. Qiu Mu-Cheng stopped talking. She bowed her head, boundless grief swirling about in her heart. As Ye Fan and Qiu Mu-Cheng stood in the midst of everyone¡¯s hostilities, it looked as if the world had abandoned them. The light flickered and cast a shadow beneath them. Ssh~ Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s eyes had turned red. Tear drops rolled down her face and hit the floor, where they shattered. Just by holding her hand, Ye Fan could clearly feel her body trembling. He said in a low voice, ¡°Mu-Cheng, let¡¯s go.¡± But just as they were preparing to leave, a pair of visitors pushed the door open and hastened into the room. ¡±Are you blind? How can you just barge in like this? Can¡¯t you see my father is resting?¡± Wang Qiao-Yu was still fuming so, when she saw the intruders, she vented her anger on them. But when Master Qiu saw the neers, his expression paled. In a single bound, he leapt out of his bed and pped Wang Qiao-Yu so hard that she fell onto the floor. ¡°Dad, why did you do that for?¡± Wang Qiao-Yu felt so aggrieved that she was about to cry. ¡°You bitch. You can¡¯t just go around scolding people. Are you trying to ruin our family!¡± Master Qiu berated his daughter-inw and then he hurried forward to pay his respects to Shen Jiu-Yi and Shen Fei. ¡°President Shen, we are honored to have you here. I am sorry I am unable to receive you properly. Please forgive me!¡± What? ¡°President Shen?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he is the President of Shen Corporation, Shen Jiu-Yi!¡± When they heard Master Qiu¡¯s greeting, the Qiu family members were all surprised. And one by one, they stepped forward to grovel before the Shens. They bowed and greeted Shen Jiu- Yi so abjectedly that they looked like ves paying homage to their master. But Shen Jiu-Yi ignored the Qius. He pushed Master Qiu aside and then walked directly to where Ye Fan was standing. And under the astonished gazes of the Qius, Shen Jiu-Yi pulled his son along and knelt in front of Ye Fan with a pong sound. With his forehead and hands touching the floor, Shen Jiu-Yi pleaded piteously: ¡°It was my son¡¯s fault for not recognizing and offending you. Please punish us, Mister Chu!¡± Behind him, Shen Fei was also on his knees. He added intively, ¡°Please punish me, Mister Chu!¡± Their voices were so loud that it shook the whole room. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°What~What~¡± ¡°What~¡± The room went dead still and the Qius stared with their mouths open. Outside, the cold wind blew and ravaged thend. In the room, the pleas of the Shens reverberated for a while. Qiu Mu-Cheng was instantly rooted to the spot, as she looked at the scene unfolding before her in disbelief. She could not believe that, Shen Jiu-Yi, the head of a multibillion family, would grovel in front of Ye Fan and beg for mercy. It was especially unbelievable because Master Li Er was the patron of the Shen family. But when she thought about the events that had happened before, Qiu Mu-Cheng couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Ye Fan might, in fact, be hiding some secrets about himself. As for Wang Qiao-Yu, Qiu Mu-Ying and the rest of the Qiu family, they looked as if they had just been pped in the face. And all of them just stood there agape. What¡¯s this? What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t Ye Fan just a useless trash? Wasn¡¯t he just a live-in son-inw? A trash without wealth or power? The Qius¡¯ minds went nk when they saw Shen Jiu-Yi and his son grovelling in front of Ye Fan, after they had pushed Master Qiu away. Meanwhile, the old patriarch was still squatting on the floor like a dog. After getting pushed down earlier, he had not been able to muster the strength to get up. But at that moment, the shock reverberating through his mind was much greater than the pain on his butt. Standing in stark contrast to the stupefied members of the Qiu family, Ye Fan had a calm demeanor. His face was expressionless as he looked down on the kneeling father-and-son pair. Ye Fan said coldly, ¡°Are you afraid now? When you insulted Mu-Cheng earlier, did you not think of the consequence?¡± Ye Fan¡¯s angry castigation frightened the Shens so badly that they started trembling and did not dare to lift their heads. Now that they knew Ye Fan¡¯s true identity, they did not even dare to look him in the eye. As for Shen Fei, he had already been scared witless back at the Li family manor. Before this day, he would never have thought that the trash that everyone had looked down on was actually a dragon among men. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± ¡°Get over there and apologize!¡± Ye Fan barked out an angrymand and the Shens got up in a hurry. They darted over to where Qiu Mu-Cheng was standing and prepared to go down on their knees. But at that moment, Wang Qiao-Yu hurried over and said: ¡°President Shen, do not be fooled by this fox pretending to be a tiger. He is just a useless piece of trash. A live-in son-inw without power or money. An idiot. His name is not Chu. You are mistaken.¡± ¡°The real Mister Chu is right here?¡± As she was chatting away, Wang Qiao-Yu called for her son-inw and daughter. She wanted to present them to Shen Jiu-Yi. If her family could get to know a big shot like Shen Jiu-Yi, their position within the Qiu family would rise to the top. Even Master Qiu himself would have to suck up to them. ¡°Screw you!¡± But, just as Wang Qiao-Yu had finished talking, Shen Jiu-Yi pped her in the face and Shen Fei jumped over to kick her in the stomach. ¡°You silly bitch, how dare you insult Mister Chu?¡± ¡°Who gave you the audacity to do so!¡± Shen Jiu-Yi and his son had nearly pissed themselves. After severely castigating Wang Qiao-Yu, the father-and-son pair hurried over to Qiu Mu-Cheng and fell to their knees with a pong sound. And then they proceeded to beg for forgiveness. ¡°Mom~¡± As Wang Qiao-Yuid moaning on the floor, Qiu Mu-Ying hurried to her side to help her up. As for the rest of the Qiu family members, they were in a state of befuddlement, without any idea about what had just happened. And even though they had just witnessed the beating of Wang Qiao-Yu, none of them dared to say a word, for fear of offending Shen Jiu-Yi and his son. ¡°Get lost. I will let you off just this once, on ount of Li Er. Next time, take a careful look before you offend somebody!¡± Ye Fan could not be bothered to look at the piteous disy of the Shens, so hemanded them to leave. ¡°Mu-Cheng, it¡¯ste. Let us go back and rest.¡± Ye Fan¡¯s voice sounded quietly beside Qiu Mu-Cheng, who had yet to recover from her shock. Qiu Mu-Cheng said nothing. She merely nodded her head, gave an affirmative grunt and left the room with Ye Fan. After the couple¡¯s departure, Master Qiu¡¯s hospital ward went into a state of silence. After a long while, it was Qiu Mu-Hong who first started talking. ¡°Grand¡­ Grand¡­ Grandfather, Just¡­ Just now, was he really the head of the Shen family, Shen Jiu-Yi?¡± she stammered. In the room, the Qius looked at each other in disbelief. Why did the President of Qianyi Corporation behave so servilely toward their useless live-in son-in- law? Could it be, our live-in son-inw¡¯s secret identity is a big shot? ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to give me an exnation for what happened earlier?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng looked at Ye Fan and asked coldly. After reaching her hospital ward, she had been feeling increasingly uneasy about the whole incident. Ye Fanughed and asked in a low voice, ¡°What kind of exnation do you want?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng had already regained her frost demeanor. She looked directly at Ye Fan and asked: ¡°You are just a live-in son-inw. You are nobody famous. So why were the Shens so afraid of you? Why did Shen Jiu-Yi grovel before you? And that sports car. Howe you could activate it?¡± ¡°Ye Fan, who are you?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng asked softly and fixed her bright gaze on him. It was silent in the room except for the echo of Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s question. The cold night wind passed through the window and swirled around the room. It stirred up her hair and sent the strands dancing about like a flurry of snow. After a long pause, Ye Fan smiled and replied, ¡°I have already told you about the sports car. As for what happened today, I have no idea. You should go ask the Shen family. Of course, it could be a case of mistaken identity like what our aunt said.¡± Ye Fan did not feel like continuing the conversation so he turned and left the room. ¡°Ye Fan, stop!¡± ¡°I am warning you. I can put up with you being poor and I can put up with you being mediocre. But if you break thew, I will look down on you!¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng roared angrily. She could not help but think of the events that had happened today. After all, before today, Ye Fan was just a live-in son-inw of her family. He had been born in the countryside. He had no connections, power or wealth. And yet, today, the top tycoon of Yunzhou grovelled before him. Besides illegal dealings, Qiu Mu-Cheng could not imagine how Ye Fan had managed to achieve this feat. Ye Fan did not turn back. He stood at the entrance with his back facing her, and remained silent for a while. And then he smiled a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Qiu Mu-Cheng, so that¡¯s what you really think of me.¡± Ye Fan smiled ruefully and left the room quickly. And Qiu Mu-Cheng could only see his lonely back view as he faded into the distance. At that moment, Qiu Mu-Cheng felt a sense of pity. Maybe she had been too harsh with Ye Fan. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. I don¡¯t want him going down the wrong path!¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng snorted coldly and that sense of pity she had felt earlier vanished instantly like a candle me in the wind.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 The next day, both Qiu Mu-Cheng and Master Qiu were discharged from the hospital. Qiu Mu-Cheng wanted to return to the Qiu¡¯s family house to visit her grandfather, but changed her mind when she reached the gate. ¡°We¡¯re already at the gate. Don¡¯t you want to go in?¡± Ye Fan asked. Qiu Mu-Cheng shook her head and smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°No. When grandfather sees me, it will only make him mad. I was the one who got the Qiu family into trouble.¡± After saying her piece, she returned home. At that moment, Ye Fan¡¯s phone vibrated. It was a text message from Li Er. ¡°Young Master Fan, I¡¯ve followed your instruction. It¡¯s done.¡± Ye Fan lifted his head and looked at the Qiu¡¯s family house. He smiled ambiguously and left. The Qiu¡¯s family house. Although Master Qiu had already left the hospital, the rest of the Qiu family were still hanging around him. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Right now, the eldest and fourth Qiu brothers were in prison. The second and youngest brothers were not around. And Qiu Lei, Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s father, was just useless. He did not even dare to visit the family house. Only Master Qiu was left to support the family in its time of need. ¡°Tell me, do you think we have underestimated Ye Fan?¡± ¡°Even the Shens were so servile to him. This Ye Fan could be a hidden dragon!¡± ¡°Perhaps, the cmity we are facing now has nothing to do with the Shen family. Maybe it is Ye Fan¡¯s revenge on us?¡± The person speaking was the only daughter of the patriarch and Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s paternal aunt, Qiu Huan. ¡°Hmph, what kind of bullshit big shot is he?¡± ¡°This Ye Fan is just a useless piece of trash. If he¡¯s somebody important, then my Ying-Ying is the First Lady. Obviously, the Shen family had made a mistake. The person they were looking for is our Wen- Fei.¡± Wang Qiao-Yu¡¯s face was still swollen, but she had already forgotten the lesson taught to her at the hospital. She was still insisting that the Shens had made a mistake. The other Qius kept their peace. Obviously they were skeptical of Wang Qiao-Yu¡¯s judgement. After all, even if the Shens had made a mistake when they thought that Ye Fan was Chu Wen-Fei, how could they have mistaken Qiu Mu-Cheng for Qiu Mu-Ying? All of them remembered that the Shens had kowtowed to Qiu Mu-Cheng. ¡°Wen-Fei, say something. Tell your uncles and aunties that you were the one who settled the issue with the Shen family.¡± When she saw that the others did not believe her, Wang Qiao-Yu angrily demanded Chu Wen-Fei to speak up. ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Uncle Luo~¡± ¡°Uncle Guang!¡± ¡°You are back?¡± But just as the Qius were discussing the events that had taken ce at the hospital, two persons walked into the meeting. Qiu Mu-Ying and the others recognized the new arrivals, and joyously weed them. ¡°Guang and Luo, what happened? Howe you are out so soon?¡± Master Qiu was pleasantly surprised but, at the same time, confused. ¡°Dad, we will exinter. Where¡¯s Wen-Fei? Luo and I have to thank Wen-Fei properly.¡± Qiu Guang started looking for Chu Wen-Fei the moment he arrived. Finally, the two Qiu brothers almost knelt down in front of Chu Wen-Fei. ¡°Dad, uncle, don¡¯t do this. It will be most unfilial of me if I let my elders kneel down in front of me!¡± Chu Wen-Fei waspletely stupefied when he saw his uncles-inw attempting to kneel in front of him. He was so frightened that he stopped them immediately. ¡°Wen-Fei, this time, the Qiu family has to thank you!¡± ¡°You are the savior of our family.¡± ¡°Without you, we would never have ovee this trial!¡± When Qiu Guang and Qiu Luo thought about the events that had happened that night, they still had lingering fears. When Qiu Guang had been arrested, he had thought that was the end of the Qiu family. But, to his surprise, they had been released this morning. Not only them, but the Qiu family warehouses had also been reopened. When they had left the public security bureau, Qiu Guang and Qiu Luo had met Shen Jiu-Yi. And he had told them, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Mister Chu¡¯s magnanimity, your family would have been destroyed.¡± ¡°Rejoice, for your family is fortunate enough to have a son-inw like Mister Chu!¡± And that had told the Qiu brothers everything they needed to know about the situation, including the identity of their savior. In the Qiu family, there was only one person with the Chu surname. It could only be Chu Wen-Fei. And that was why the Qiu brothers had thanked Chu Wen-Fei upon their return. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s really Wen-Fei!¡± ¡°Wen-Fei¡¯s family is so powerful that they can even handle the Shen family?¡± ¡°Our family has an excellent son-inw indeed.¡± ¡°Wen-Fei, you are the savior of our family.¡± All at once, after the Qiu brothers¡¯ confirmation, everyone¡¯s suspicion was dispelled and theypeted to offer thanks to Chu Wen-Fei. Wang Qiao-Yu and Qiu Mu-Ying were both overjoyed. ¡°Heh, I have said it before. Our Wen-Fei is the one who saved our family. And you didn¡¯t believe me? And you even gave credit to that piece of trash, Ye Fan. Do you believe me now?¡± Wang Qiao-Yu said smugly. ¡°That¡¯s right, my husband is the best! The Shens obviously made a mistake yesterday. They should have kowtowed to my husband. But that useless trash Ye Fan took advantage of their mistake.¡± Qiu Mu-Ying raised her chin proudly. The Qius were all smiling, but Chu Wen-Fei failed to raise his spirits. What was going on? How did he be the savior of the Qiu family? The important thing was that Chu Wen-Fei did not remember doing anything to help. Could it be the phone call I made to my father? Damn. When did my father be so powerful that he can take care of the Shen family of Yunzhou? Chu Wen-Fei basked in happiness when he thought about this. He decided to ept that it was his father who had lent a helping hand. ¡°Hahaha~¡± ¡°Uncle and auntie, it was nothing. We are all family. There is no need to stand on ceremony.¡± After some consideration, Chu Wen-Fei decided to stop being humble. It was time to show off. The Qiu family had just survived a crisis, so the mood was jubnt. That night, the Qiu family members gathered for dinner. At the family banquet, Master Qiu sighed as he looked at the empty spots where Qiu Lei and his family were supposed to be seated. ¡°Tomorrow, give Mu-Cheng a call. Tell her to return to thepany. She is still a daughter of the Qiu family after all. Even broken bones are held together by tendons and blood is thicker than water.¡± In the past, Qiu Mu-Cheng had been Master Qiu¡¯s favorite granddaughter. But due to some reasons, he had be disappointed in her. But, despite his disappointment, he did miss his granddaughter. Master Qiu¡¯s suggestion, however, was not well-received by the other family members. Qiu Mu-Ying and her family were especially opposed to this idea. But Master Qiu ignored the voices of dissent and stood firmly by his decision to let Qiu Mu-Cheng return. ¡°Nevermind, we are one family after all. Let¡¯s not quibble with her. If she wants to return, let her.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Come, let us all toast Wen-Fei. He single-handedly turned back the tide and save the Qiu family.¡± And so the Qius raised their cups toward Chu Wen-Fei. And he decided not to be shy about taking credit for his sess, so he epted their toasts. Basking in the limelight, Chu Wen-Fei looked the very picture of sess and he was contented. Damn. Showing off felt really good! After a while, a messenger sent by Shen Jiu-Yi arrived with an invitation for Master Qiu. ¡°What happened before was my fault. I have failed to bring up my son properly and I am ashamed of myself. Three dayster, my son and I will throw a banquet at Yunjing Hotel, where we will personally apologize to the Qiu family. At that time, I hope Mr. Chu and Mrs. Qiu will do us the honor of attending the banquet!¡± Written by, Shen Jiu-Yi! ¡°Whoa, Wen-Fei, that¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°A handwritten invitation from the head of the Shen family, inviting you to a banquet where he will personally apologize to you?¡± When they saw the invitation, the Qius got themselves all worked again. And Qiu Mu-Ying felt really proud of herself. After all, having an amazing husband like Chu Wen-Fei made her look good too. But as Chu Wen-Fei looked at the invitation, he could not help but feel that something was wrong. Since his father was the one who had dealt with the Shen family, with zero participation from himself, then the person Shen Jiu-Yi should be inviting was his father. So why was he invited? Moreover, Shen Fei had never offended him or his wife before. So why did Shen Jin-Yi talk about his failure to bring up his son properly? Why mention apologizing at all? ¡°Damn it, what went wrong?¡± The more Chu Wen-Fei thought about this invitation, the more suspicious it looked to him. He could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Since Chu Wen-Fei could not figure it out, he decided to just stop thinking about it. After all he was the only person with the Chu surname in the Qiu family, so he must be the one Shen Jiu-Yi wanted to invite. ¡°This Shen Jiu-Yi, he really knows how to please me.¡± ¡°Okay, go back and tell your boss that I will be there three dayster. And I will be bringing my friends and rtives.¡± ¡°I hope I can see his sincerity then.¡± When it came to showing off, Chu Wen-Fei did not go about it with half measures. He put on airs and looked down on the messenger with amanding aura radiating from his eyes. And his elegant bearing immediately aroused respect among the Qius. ¡°That temperament~¡± ¡°Hees from wealth indeed. A child from amoner family would never have amanding presence like Wen-Fei.¡± And the Qius indulged in another round of praise for Chu Wen-Fei. As for Qiu Mu-Ying and Wang Qiao- Yu, they were smiling so hard that the corners of their mouths nearly touched their ears. With their fortunes changed for the better after they had been standing on shaky ground, it was only natural for the Qiu family members to rejoice. Of course, Ye Fan did not know that Chu Wen-Fei had taken credit for his work. But he would not mind even if he did know. Only Qiu Mu-Cheng was important to him, so how the other Qius saw him did not matter to him. Last night, the Qiu family had informed Qiu Mu-Cheng that she had been reinstated. This was good news to Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family and made them very happy. To celebrate, Qiu Lei opened a bottle of 1982 Scheurebe. After all, Master Qiu had expelled Qiu Mu-Cheng from the family. Although he had not made any statements, just the fact that he was letting Qiu Mu-Cheng return to thepany meant that he was no longer angry with her. ¡°Mu-Cheng, your grandfather did go overboard.¡± ¡°But, deep now, he cares about you. So, please don¡¯t hate him.¡± At the dining table, Qiu Lei spoke gravely to his daughter. Qiu Mu-Cheng nodded vigorously, with slightly red eyes. ¡°Dad, I know.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng would never forget her childhood. Back then, Master Qiu had doted on her. He had given her all sorts of delicious food and fun toys but, unfortunately, his attitude toward Qiu Mu-Cheng had taken a turn for the worse three years ago. Qiu Mu-Cheng did not me her grandfather. She only med herself for being a disappointment. ¡°Alright, why are we talking about this? Let¡¯s talk about something cheerful. How about we go on a holiday after Mu-Cheng gets her pay check this month?¡± Han Li decided to change the topic. ¡°Haha~Good!¡± Qiu Lei agreed right away. There was a happy and harmonious atmosphere surrounding the family of three. And Qiu Mu-Cheng was especially cheerful. Now that she had her grandfather¡¯s forgiveness, she felt unburdened. But they did not notice someone looking at them. He was standing quietly by the study¡¯s door, with a contented smile on his refined face. After all, his hard work had been for the sake of protecting the happiness of this beautiful woman. This night, a lot of people smiled. Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s family smiled, and so did Wang Qiao-Yu¡¯s family. The Qiu family members were immersed in joy after their close brush with destruction. In their eyes, the world was so beautiful. But little did they know that there was no such thing as peace on Earth. There was just somebody who was willing to shoulder the burden and clear the way for them. Ye Fan did not disturb them. After a short while, he turned around and went back to the study. All these years, Ye Fan would always visit the study after dinner and stay tillte at night. Day after day, it was always like this. Sometimes, when he got tired, he would look out of the window. The multitude of stars sprinkled across the night sky looked like sparks swaying in the wind. Maybe they were weak and small, but Ye Fan believed that, one day, the sparks will start a prairie fire. ¡°Very soon, the Chu family will pay back many times over what they owed me and my mother!¡± Ye Fan had a firm look in his eyes as he clenched his hands. The next day. Qiu Mu-Cheng had already left for work early in the morning. The Liuyuan residential district they were staying at was close to her office and there was a direct bus that went there. Although she was a manager at thepany, Qiu Mu-Cheng would take public transport every day in order to save money. It couldn¡¯t be helped. When you are poor, nothing goes right for you. The burden of supporting this family of four had fallen on Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s shoulders. She had no choice but to be frugal. It did hurt Ye Fan though, when he saw his wife going through hardship. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°I should go get some money and buy a car for Mu-Cheng.¡± As Ye Fan looked at the beautiful and graceful figure of his wife standing at the bus stop, he started to make ns. The Maserati had already been towed away by Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s family. After all, everyone in the Qiu family had assumed that the car was Chu Wen-Fei¡¯s betrothal gift to Qiu Mu-Ying. There was no way for Ye Fan to retrieve the car now. But it was funny. Qiu Mu-Ying¡¯s family had not managed to open the car¡¯s doors even once, so they could not take the car out for a spin. Right now, it was just gathering dust in their garage. Ye Fan was the sort of person to act once he had set his mind to something. So immediately after he had made his decision, he went straight to the nearest Hongqi Bank using his phone¡¯s navigation app. The time was nine o¡¯clock in the morning. The bank had just opened for business and there weren¡¯t many customers. At this moment, several bank employees were chatting away in the lobby. ¡°What? Our Yunzhou Hongqi Bank is part of the Hongqi Bank in America? I thought we were just a third-rate bank with the same name?¡± Li Xiao-Hong had just joined the bank and did not know a lot about Hongqi¡¯s history. After hearing her colleagues¡¯ discussion, she was so shocked that she covered her mouth. The Hongqi Bank of America. That was the biggest bank in the world. ¡°Xiao-Hong, you are fearless because you are ignorant. Our Hongqi Bank has branches in more than one hundred and fifty countries and territories, and our brand value is ranked among the top fifty in the world. Even our branch in Yunzhou city is iparable to other banks. How dare you call us a third- rate bank?¡± ¡°Do you know, there are only three branches of Hongqi Bank in all of Great China. There¡¯s one in Yunzhou city, one in the capital Yanjing and thest one is in Zhonghai, the financial hub of Great China. Consider yourself incredibly lucky to be able to work in our bank.¡± Wang Kai-Wen snorted and looked at the farming vige girl in front of her with disdain and contempt. As expected, people from the countryside are ignorant. ¡°Surely, that¡¯s impossible? Yunzhou is just a third-tier city. Why would Hongqi Bank set up a branch here?¡± Li Xiao-Hong still found this difficult to believe. Shouldn¡¯t an outstanding bank like Hongqi choose one of the top-tier cities? Why did they pick an out-of-the-way third-tier city like Yunzhou? ¡°Who knows?¡± Wang Kai-Wen did not know the answer either. ¡°But the older employees said the bank chose this location for the sake of just one person.¡± What? Li Xiao-Hong was stunned almost immediately. One of the world¡¯s top banks chose to set up a branch in a third-tier city just to service one single person. If this person really existed, then he must be truly outstanding! Could it be that he was as rich as Croesus? Because of the shock, Li Xiao-Hong had her eyes wide opened. She couldn¡¯t help being curious about the identity of the person who had caused the bank to set up their branch here. ¡°Good morning, do I need a queue number to withdraw money?¡± At this moment, Ye Fan walked into the bank and smiled lightly as he made his inquiry. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Ye Fan was addressing Wang Kai-Wen, the bank employee nearest to him. Wang Kai-Wen took one look at Ye Fan¡¯s unfashionable appearance and was immediately filled with disdain for him. She thought he had the air of a country bumpkin and was probably a peasant-worker who hade to the city to work. ¡°Queue number? Go outside and turn left. Keep walking for two hundred meters. There¡¯s a rural commercial bank there. Why don¡¯t you get a queue number there?¡± ¡°Our Hongqi Bank is an international bank. We only deal with the upper crust of society, and country bumpkins are not weed.¡± Wang Kai-Wen¡¯s eyes were filled with contempt and she did not even look at Ye Fan. If it were not for her professionalism, she wouldpletely ignore a country bumpkin like him and let the security guards chase him out. Withdraw money? Was he not embarrassed toe here and withdraw a pittance amount of just one or two hundred? Was Hongqi Bank the sort of ce a country bumpkin could patronize? The smile faded away from Ye Fan¡¯s face and was reced with a frown. ¡°Mister, do you have a transaction to handle? Let us go get a queue number?¡± At this moment, Li Xiao- Hong approached Ye Fan genially, with a bright smile on her face. Her high heels cked lightly on the floor as she walked toward him. ¡°Hmph, acting so friendly toward a poor person. Birds of a feather really do flock together.¡± Wang Kai- Wen truly despised poor people like Ye Fan and Li Xiao-Hong. She felt so insulted, having to work with a country bumpkin at the bank. Halfway through her sneer, a couple walked in from the entrance. When Wang Kai-Wen saw them, the look of disdain vanished from her face and she started fawning over the neers. ¡°Manager Wang, you havee?¡± Wang Yu nodded and gave an affirmative grunt. He had a phone in one hand and the other was busy hugging the slim waist of his femalepanion. ¡°I am withdrawing some money. Be quick about it. I am in a hurry. I have to attend a high ss auctionter.¡± ¡°Haha, rx, Manager Wong. You are our VIP customer, so we will prioritize your transactions.¡± Wang Kai-Wen smiled fawningly. The servile demeanor she had on now stood in stark contrast to the look of contempt she had shown Ye Fan earlier. And then, she took Wang Yu¡¯s identification card to the queue number dispenser. Ye Fan was still standing in front of the machine and trying to get his card out, when Wang Kai-Wen pushed him aside without a word. ¡°Kai-Wen, what are you doing? Mr. Ye has not received his queue number yet?¡± Li Xiao-Hong said as she stood up for Ye Fan. Wang Kai-Wen said disdainfully: ¡°He¡¯s just a country bumpkin. Tell him to stand aside and wait. Manager Wang is our VIP customer and the general manager of a listedpany. Can an intern like you afford to offend him?¡± Of course, Wang Kai-Wen ignored theirints. Ye Fan¡¯s frown got deeper and he said unhappily, ¡°I was here first. Why do I have to wait?¡± When Wang Kai-Wen heard this, she burst intoughter. ¡°Heh, for a useless guy, you are pretty cocky?¡± ¡°You are just a poor country bumpkin. Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed when youpare yourself to Manager Wang?¡± ¡°Manager Wang¡¯s transactions at our bank can reach ten million per annum. What about you? I bet you won¡¯t be able to see that much money in your whole life. So how can youpare yourself to Manager Wang?¡± ¡°Just leave obediently and turn left at the entrance. Go to that ruralmercial bank. That¡¯s where peasant-workers like yourself belong.¡± Wang Kai-Wen¡¯s eyes were filled with scorn. And as she snorted inughter, she walked toward Wang Yu. ¡°Wen, what¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t the Hongqi Bank a high ss establishment? Why did you let in the riff- raffs?¡± Wang Yu frowned when he caught sight of Ye Fan. As if he was being insulted just by standing next to someone like Ye Fan. Wang Yu had already gotten used to feeling superior to others. So eventually, he came to believe that he was truly superior to other people. Wang Kai-Wen exined hurriedly, ¡°Manager Wang, don¡¯t worry. I will go get the security guards to chase him out. This sort of thing won¡¯t happen ever again.¡± Wang Yu gave an affirmative grunt and nodded his head. ¡°Okay, help me withdraw my money now. Let¡¯s withdraw half a million. Don¡¯t worry about your performance. I will be getting a million from my project funds in a few days time and I will deposit it all into your bank.¡± The bank employees had to meet monthly deposit targets, and their bonuses were tied to those targets. So when Wang Kai-Wen heard Manager Wang¡¯s promise, she was overjoyed and hurried to process his withdrawal. But she stopped to ridicule Ye Fan once more before departing. ¡°Now, can you see the difference? He can withdraw half a million just like that. What about you? Are you going to withdraw fifty or a hundred?¡± ¡°Haha~¡± More than a few people in the vicinity went along with Wang Kai-Wen andughed at Ye Fan. Wang Yu lifted his chin proudly as he basked in the admiring gazes of the onlookers. And his sense of superiority became even more bloated. ¡°Mr. Ye, pay them no mind. The rich have their own way of living and we poor people have ours. How much do you want to withdraw? I will help you. Don¡¯t worry. Even if it¡¯s just one or two hundred, the bank will still allow that.¡± Li Xiao-Hong did not join in the mocking of Ye Fan, and continued to deal with him patiently. Ye Fan was expressionless as he asked lightly, ¡°How much money do you have in your bank?¡± Li Xiao-Hong spaced out for a while. She could not understand why Ye Fan had asked that question. Out of curiosity, maybe? Li Xiao-Hong chose to be upfront. ¡°Mister, the vault of a small bank would hold hundreds of thousands per day. A bigger bank would have around a million. But Hongqi Bank is a high end establishment so, on a business day, we keep around twenty million in our vault.¡± ¡°Okay, I want to withdraw all of it.¡± ¡°Eh, what?¡± Li Xiao-Hong thought she had misheard, so she repeated her question. ¡°I said. All the cash in your bank. I am withdrawing everything!¡± As he was speaking, Ye Fan mmed a bank card onto the counter. The card was ck and fringed with a golden pattern that reflected a dazzling light. When the card appeared, the onlookers could feel a noble and mysterious aura radiating from it. ¡°This¡­ This is?¡± ¡°ck with a golden fringe?¡± ¡°Could this be Hongqi Bank¡¯s top-level ck card?¡± In the bank, an experienced employee screamed in shock. What? Top-level credit? ck card? All at once, the atmosphere got heavy and everyone in the bank went dead quiet. ¡°This...this...this can¡¯t be true?¡± How can a poor person like him have the ck card? Wang Yu was stunned. He had been associating with Hongqi Bank for many years, so he knew exactly what the card represented. As far as he knew, only two persons in the whole of Great China possessed the ck card. And one of them was the former top tycoon of Hong Kong, Li Jia-Cheng. This card was not just a symbol of wealth, but an acknowledgement of one¡¯s power and status. Even he did not meet the criteria for application. So it was impossible for a poor young man to have one. ¡°A fake. It must be a fake!¡± ¡°Haha~¡± ¡°I think you have been thinking too much about money and gone crazy. How dare you forge our bank¡¯s ck card?¡± ¡°You just wait. I am going to call the police. You are going to prison.¡± Wang Kai-Wen did not believe that a poor person would possess a status symbol like the ck card, so she immediately jumped to the conclusion that Ye Fan had forged the one in his possession. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Wang Yu felt relieved when he heard this. He had been thinking along the same lines too. This poverty-striken person had probably been angered by the humiliation, so he took out the fake card to show off. But, I am curious to see how you are going to get away with this? ¡°Wen, let¡¯s not call the police. Maybe this fellow¡¯s secret identity is a super tycoon? Swipe his card for him. Give him a chance to show off.¡± Wang Yu said mockingly. And it was obvious from his tone that he was definitely not on Ye Fan¡¯s side. Wang Kai-Wen was not going to go against Wang Yu¡¯s wishes, so she followed his lead and smiled. ¡°Manager Wang, you are right. Whether this fellow is a fake tycoon or a real idiot, we can find out just by swiping his card.¡± ¡°You poor bastard, how about it? Do you have the guts to try?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± After enduring several rounds of humiliation, Ye Fan was furious. Without another word, he took his card to the counter. If they wanted to examine his card, he was going to let them do so. Just wait. The truth will hit you hard in the face! Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Mr. Ye, don¡¯t fall into their trap.¡± ¡°They want to see you embarrass yourself.¡± ¡°You should go. Miss Wang really will call the police.¡± And even if you really want to get back at them, you don¡¯t have to do it now. Wait fifty years. When you have be a sessful person, it¡¯s still not toote to have your revenge, right? I believe when that timees, you will be able to step on these people who are looking down on you now.¡± Just as Ye Fan was about to step forward, Li Xiao-Hong who was standing behind him tried to pull him back. She looked at him and kept shaking her head, as worry filled her eyes. Obviously, even Li Xiao-Hong thought that Ye Fan¡¯s card was a forgery. Her impression of him was that of an angry and impulsive young man out to right a wrong. In the end, the whole thing was just a farce. After all, it was difficult to believe that a college-age person like Ye Fan would possess the Hongqi Bank¡¯s ck card. As for all that talk about seeding in life fifty yearster, that was just Li Xiao-Hong¡¯s attempt to console him. In this world, it was not easy for someone to reach the top. Especially for the poor people. Ny-nine percent of them would be doomed to a life of servitude. And, in their minds, Ye Fan would be no exception. But Ye Fan smiled lightly and said, ¡°Fifty years?¡± ¡°Do I need fifty years to surpass them?¡± ¡°Right now, they are already beneath me!¡± He smiled derisively and handed over his ck card to a bank employee at the counter. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°The poor bastard has gone and done it!¡± ¡°Wait and see. He¡¯s going to embarrass himself!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see how you are going to get out of this mess?¡± Wang Kai-Wen andpany looked at Ye Fan mockingly, as if he was an idiot. Wang Yu¡¯s expression was full of disdain. ¡°Country bumpkins will be country bumpkins. Just provoke them a little and they start acting stupid.¡± All at once, the onlookers startedughing at Ye Fan¡¯s ignorance. Everyone was waiting for him to make a fool of himself. Finally, a bank employee received the card from Ye Fan and swiped it through the card reader. And a shrill buzz rang out almost immediately, startling everyone in the lobby. At the same time. The fifth floor conference room of Hongqi Bank. The bank manager Xu Lei was dressed in a ck officedy outfit, which helped to outline her attractive figure. Her slim porcin legs were encased in luxurious silk stockings and the pair of silvery high heels on her feet served to emphasize her elegant and mature charms as a woman. Currently, she was conducting a meeting with the bank executives. But the middle-aged men below the podium were probably not paying much attention. The allure of her ¡°uniform¡±bined with her aloof and authoritative aura were proving to be too much to bear for the lustful executives. Who knew which lucky bastard would obtain this sex goddess in the future? What a shame that would be. Just as these middle-aged men were mentally sighing over this imagined tragedy, an rm rang out frantically from Xu Lei¡¯s phone. She frowned. That was a top priority rm. It was supposed to activate only when there was something important for her to know. So she put the meeting on hold and took a look at her phone. And in the next moment, Xu Lei¡¯s pupils contracted in shock and a shiver ran through her body. Ten years. She had been waiting for the past ten years for card number 001 to appear! It could be excitement. Or it could be shock. Whatever the reason was, Xu Lei turned away from the meeting and ran out of the conference room, her exquisite high heels cking against the floor along the way. ¡°Manager, manager. Where are you going?¡± ¡°Are we still having the meeting?¡± But Xu Lei sprinted away in her high heels, while the abandoned bank executives sat around and looked at each other. ¡°Eh?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Is this for real?¡± After the rm stopped buzzing, Wang Yu and Wang Kai-Wen frantically asked the junior bank employee for answers. The junior employee frowned and said, ¡°Miss Wang, it seems like this card is real.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Wang Kai-Wen was shocked and refused to believe her ears. ¡°Miss Wang , don¡¯t worry. Wait for me to finish speaking. This card really belongs to our bank. But it¡¯s probably not the ck card. Because when I swiped it earlier, the machine issued a warning. There¡¯s insufficient fund in the ount.¡± Pfft~ There was a moment of silence thatst for about a fraction of a second. And then the whole room burst intoughter. ¡°Haha~¡± ¡°I thought he¡¯s somebody awesome?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t show off when you have insufficient fund!¡± ¡°Haha~¡± ¡°Oh, this is killing me.¡± ¡°I think he not only has insufficient fund, but his intelligence is insufficient as well. He wants to withdraw all the money in the bank?¡± ¡°Screw you!¡± In the lobby, many people were bent over withughter. Ye Fan had be aughing stock in their eyes. ¡°Impossible. I have never used this card before. How could there be insufficient fund?¡± Ye Fan had a terrible expression on his face now. He had never doubted the authenticity of the ck card. After all, with the influence of the Chu family, it was easy enough for them to obtain one. This ck card was the bride price his useless father had paid to his mother. Afterward, Ye Fan had withdrawn a sizeable amount and given it to Han for investments. Ten years had passed and, ording to Han, the return rate for those ten-year-old investments was one thousand percent. Each year, a huge amount of money would be deposited into the ck card. So, how could it have insufficient fund? That was a bloody lie! ¡°Swipe it again!¡± Ye Fan repeated his instruction angrily. And, once again, the bank employeeplied. But the result was the same as before. On the screen, the ount bnce was represented by a string of asterisks. The bank employee smiled and said, ¡°I am sorry, but you have insufficient fund.¡± ¡°Haha~¡± There was another round ofughter. ¡°What an idiot. And he wanted to withdraw twenty million?¡± ¡°What a joke.¡± ¡°Wen, you can call the police now.¡± Wang Yu said contemptuously. He had no more desire to watch this farce, and left the bank with his femalepanion. After Wang Kai-Wen had seen Wang Yu off, she instructed the security guards to chase Ye Fan out of the bank. ¡°Get this idiot out of here!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to leave?¡± Wang Kai-Wen screamed, her voice dripping with disgust. ¡°Stop!¡± Suddenly, a woman¡¯s aloof and authoritative voice rang out from the back. Xu Lei had already arrived at the lobby. And almost immediately, she spotted the ck card Ye Fan was holding. The ck card was just so eye-catching that she couldn¡¯t help but notice it. ¡°Manager!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the manager. The manager is here. That poor bastard is going to get it.¡± A number of onlookersughed quietly. While Li Xiao-Hong and Wang Kai-Wen, who were bank employees, hurried forward to greet their superior. ¡°Just now, was it this gentleman who took out the ck card?¡± Xu Lei asked immediately. ¡°Miss Xu, I was about to report to you?¡± Wang Kai-Wen replied quickly. ¡°Just now, an idiot came into our bank and not only did he disrupt our business operations, but he also tried to use a forgery of our bank¡¯s ck card. And even said he wanted to withdraw all our money.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am. I have taken care of the troublemaker. I have already instructed the security guards to restrain him.¡± What? When Xu Lei heard this, her heart almost popped out of her chest. ¡°You told the security guards to restrain him?¡± Xu Lei almost went out of her mind. Suddenly, she felt ill. Ten years. She had been waiting for this person for ten years. During the past ten years, she had always wanted to meet the card holder. Outsiders had no idea but, as the person-in-charge of the Yunzhou branch of Hongqi Bank, Xu Lei knew the true purpose of this particr branch. It existed for the sake of one person. In other words, the Hongqi Bank set up a branch in Yunzhou city just so they could service this one person. So one could imagine, this ck card with the code number 001... Chapter 21 Chapter 21 One could only imagine just how wealthy and powerful the holder of card number 001 was. Even in her dreams, Xu Lei had always wanted to get to know a person like the card holder. But now, her own subordinate had treated the VIP like an idiot and restrained him, during his very first visit. ¡°Ma¡¯am, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have already taken care of everything. I have dialed 110 as well. We just have to wait for the police to arrive and send him to prison.¡± Wang Kai-Wen saw Xu Lei¡¯s terrible expression and assumed that the manager was worried about the bank¡¯s reputation. She smiled again and waited expectantly for Xu Lei tovish praise on her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You freaking called the cops too?¡± Screw you! Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Xu Lei was immediately staggered and scared witless by the impact of this news. And while in the throes of rage, she pped Wang Kai-Wen right in the face. ¡°You bitch, don¡¯t you know there are people you are not supposed to offend?¡± ¡°If you want to die, go die by yourself! Don¡¯t drag us down with you!¡± Xu Lei was frightened out of her mind. The person in front of her was the holder of the ck card! During its three-hundred-year-old history, Hongqi Bank had issued less than a thousand ck cards. Currently, in Great China, there were only three ck card holders. All three of them held unimaginable power and wealth. Of course, that was not the issue here. The important thing to note was that this ck card in front of her had the code number 001. What did this number represent? Did it mean that this card was the first card issued by the bank? Of course not! What the code number represented was status. In other words, this ck card had the highest level of authority among all the ck cards in cirction. The 001 ck card had no equal, only subordinates! Otherwise, why would the Hongqi Bank set up a branch in Yunzhou, just to service this single customer? But now, her subordinate had offended and even reported him to the police. How could Xu Lei remain calm in this situation? She was truly frightened. If the big shot decided to punish her alongside her subordinate, then Xu Lei¡¯s future would be ruined. Prompted by her fear, Xu Lei hurried forward and, in a very respectful manner, apologized to Ye Fan. ¡°Most honored ck card holder, what happened earlier was a result of my failure to discipline my subordinates. Please ept my most sincere apologies on behalf of Hongqi Bank.¡± ¡°Please let us know if you have any requests. I will do my best to fulfill them.¡± Xu Lei¡¯s respectful voice resounded through the lobby. Everyone was taken aback by this turn of events, and the mockings against Ye Fan were stifled immediately. As for Wang Kai-Wen, she was lying limply on the floor, her mind a total nk. She could only stare foolishly at Xu Lei, who was so frightened that she could hardly speak in front of Ye Fan. Only then, did Wang Kai-Wen understand. This seemingly poor person she had looked down on was actually a big shot, powerful beyond her imagination. Her gaze followed Ye Fan and Xu Lei as they entered the bank¡¯s VIP reception room. The derision and disdain she had felt for him had disappeared and, in her heart, those feelings were reced by lamentation for her own folly. Good heavens! Who had she offended? ¡°Mr. Ye, I really must apologize for what happened today. To express my regret, henceforth, all your loans will be interest-free for a period of up to three years. As long as the loan amount is below a hundred million.¡± Ye Fan had alreadypleted his transaction and was just walking out of the VIP reception room. Although he had not expressed outward signs of anger, Xu Lei was still panicking and kept on apologizing. Suddenly, Ye Fan stopped to look at the mature and elegant woman by his side. And then he said lightly, ¡°Miss Xu, do you think I am so poor that I need to take out loans from the bank?¡± ¡°Erm~Erm~¡± The corner of Xu Lei¡¯s mouth twitched a little. She did not know how to respond to Ye Fan. Perhaps, all big shots talked like that regrly. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all for today. Miss Xu, thank you for your hospitality. As for my money, please make sure I receive it on time.¡± ¡°And, I do not wish to reveal my identity at this time.¡± ¡°Mr. Ye, please do not worry. The Hongqi Bank will serve you wholeheartedly!¡± Xu Lei replied quickly. Ye Fan grunted affirmatively and left the bank satisfied. But before his departure, Ye Fan turned around and looked at the crowd who had mocked him earlier. Finally, his gaze rested on a demure girl and he smiled lightly. ¡°You are Li Xiao-Hong, right? Come over and walk me to my car.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Me¡­ Me?¡± When Ye Fan singled her out, Li Xiao-Hong was surprised. Her face blushed with nervouseness even as she smiled. ¡°What? Are you not willing?¡± Ye Fan smiled kindly. Li Xiao-Hong was too nervous to speak so she just nodded her head frantically. She was a young girl who had just started working so, naturally, she panicked when a big shot like Ye Fan started acting friendly toward her. Afterward, under the envious gazes of the other bank employees, Li Xiao-Hong escorted Ye Fan to his car. ¡°You are Li Xiao-Hong, a newly hired intern?¡± After returning to the bank, Xu Lei found Li Xiao-Hong immediately. As a veteran of the business world, Xu Lei understood that Ye Fan had favored Li Xiao- Hong over the other bank employees. Since she believed that the customer is god, Xu Lei decided to cater to Ye Fan¡¯s fancy. ¡°Mm,¡± Li Xiao-Hong said cautiously and nodded her head. She had already worked at the bank for a month and this was the first time she received a summon from the manager. ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Xu Lei asked again. Li Xiao-Hong did not understand why Xu Lei would ask her this question, but she shook her head honestly. ¡°Mm, good. Xiao-Hong, from now on, you are my personal assistant. Your primary duty is liaising with Mr. Ye. I will double your pay.¡± ¡°Also, you are pretty. So learn to put on makeup. Maybe Mr. Ye wille to like you?¡± Xu Lei left behind this ambiguous statement before departing with a smile on her face. ¡°Waa~¡± ¡°Xiao-Hong, you have hit the jackpot!¡± ¡°You are climbing up the socialdder~¡± ¡°I am super envious!¡± ¡°When you be rich, don¡¯t forget us, your very best friends.¡± Once Xu Lei had left, the bank employees swarmed around Li Xiao-Hong to offer their congrattions. But Wang Kai-Wen felt unpleasant as she looked at Li Xiao-Hong, who was being surrounded by her well-wishers. This opportunity to suck up to someone rich and powerful should have gone to her. Afterall, Ye Fan had asked Wang Kai-Wen for help first, before turning to Li Xiao-Hong. But regretfully, she had failed to recognize Ye Fan¡¯s true identity. And therefore, she had missed the opportunity to befriend a tycoon and marry into wealth. Wang Kai-Wen¡¯s heart filled with regret when she thought about this. After Ye Fan had left the bank, he received a phone call. ¡°Mr. Chu, since we have an appointment tonight, how about you tell me your whereabouts now and I will send a driver to pick you up?¡± The call was from Li Er. Since a few days ago, he had been asking Ye Fan for a meeting. After getting turned down several times, Li Er had finally managed to persuade Ye Fan with his sincerity. And so they were going to meet tonight. ¡°Mm. There¡¯s no need to trouble you. Just send me the address and I will make my way there.¡± ¡°Alright, we will do it your way, Mr. Chu. The address is Shanshui Club. They will be holding an auction there tonight. I can apany Mr. Chu if you wish to attend.¡± Ye Fan nodded and after replying with a brief ¡°Yes¡±, he hung up. But at that exact moment, another call came in. This time, the caller was Qiu Mu-Cheng. ¡°What time are you getting home tonight?¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s frosty voice came from the other end of the line. This woman was always so cold, even toward her own husband. ¡°I have something on tonight, so I will be backter than usual.¡± Ye Fan replied resentfully. But no reply came from the other end. He smiled bitterly. ¡°Damn it, this bitch. Couldn¡¯t she have said something when she hung up?¡± ¡°Hmph, this bastard. Something on? Well, he can go attend to his business. I didn¡¯t want him toe in the first ce. I will go by myself.¡± In her office, Qiu Mu-Cheng had just hung up her phone, and she was still miffed at her husband¡¯s response. At this moment, two invitation cards were lying on her desk. The address printed on them was: Shanshui Club! Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡°Ye Fan, you bastard. How dare you turn down my invitation. I am never asking you out again.¡± At that time, the employees of Qiushui Logistics had already punched out. Qiu Mu-Cheng was left alone in the office. And she was seething with anger. Earlier today, a business associate had given her two tickets to an auction, and she wanted to invite Ye Fan to the event but, to her surprise, the bastard had turned her down using a prior engagement as an excuse. ¡°Hmph, you have too many engagements!¡± ¡°I will never ever go out with you again.¡± Qiu Mu-Cheng was really mad. Although she had not asked him explicitly to apany her to the auction, the bastard should have guessed her intention. Why else would she have called him and asked about his ns for the evening? If he had just a little bit of emotional intelligence, he would have guessed the reason for her call. ¡°Hmph, this blockhead. No wonder he¡¯s still a virgin.¡± When Qiu Mu-Cheng stomped away on her high heels, she was still fuming. Before going to the auction, she went home first and had a change of clothes. Members of upper-crust society were going to attend the auction and, as the third daughter of the Qiu family, she had to pay attention to her appearance if she didn¡¯t want to bring shame to her family. Meanwhile, Ye Fan had his own problem to think about as he made his way to Shanshui Memorial Garden. ¡°Is that Xu Lei trustworthy or not? If she reveals my identity, the n that I have been working on for the past ten years could be exposed.¡± Ye Fan was well aware of the might of the Chu family. If anyone in that family found out about the enormous wealth in his possession, they would want to investigate and find the source of his funds. And if they traced the trail back to Han, his identity as a spy would be exposed. ¡°I have to get in touch with Han. I can¡¯t afford to be too careful.¡± Halfway through his thoughts, Ye Fan arrived at Shanshui Memorial Garden. ¡°Mr. Chu, you have arrived?¡± Li Er had been waiting at the entrance since half an hour ago. When he saw Ye Fan, he skipped forward to wee him. And the servile look on Li Er¡¯s face caused his underlings to gape in shock. Was this the unofficial king of Yunzhou, Li Er? Was this the same Li Er who ruled over the police and the underworld? Under the astonished gazes of his underlings, Li Er escorted Ye Fan into Shanshui Memorial Garden. ¡°Mr. Chu, what happened with the Shen family was due to my negligence. I promise, such a thing will never ever happen again.¡± Li Er tapped his chest confidently. Ye Fan smile and said, ¡°Remember what you said today.¡± Midway through their talk, Li Er and Ye Fan arrived at the hall. Shanshui Memorial Garden was renowned as a high-end entertainment club in Yunzhou. Normally, only members or VIPs were allowed to set foot on its premises. ¡°Mr. Chu, in a while, they will hold an auction here. If you see anything you like, just tell me and I will get it for you.¡± A crowd had already filled the hall. Everyone was dressed beautifully and their manners were elegant. One could see at a nce that they were the elites of society and from the very best families. As they held wine sses filled with red wine, the attendees chatted among themselves. ¡°Wah~¡± ¡°So beautiful!¡± ¡°As pretty as a fairy?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that beauty!¡± But, the hubbub in the hall suddenly ceased and was reced by silence. Many in the crowd turned their gazes toward the door, to look at thedy in the purple dress. Ye Fan, too, turned to look. And then he stared with his eyes wide open. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Why is this woman here?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that man?¡± ¡°Shit, she had better not be fooling around outside!¡± When he saw the well-dressed but uncouth man standing next to her, Ye Fan¡¯s expression turned ugly. Just then, the lights suddenly dimmed. The auction was about to start, so the attendees looked away and returned to their seats. ¡°Mr. Chu, the auction is about to begin. Let us move to the Crystal Room and wait?¡± Li Er asked fawningly. But Ye Fan was not paying attention to him. He was staring at his wife, his eyes aze with emotion. Li Er sensed that there was something odd about Ye Fan¡¯s expression, so he asked in confusion. ¡°Mr. Chu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. I am not going to the private room. You get me that seat over there. That¡¯s right, the one behind thedy in the purple dress. Yes, the prettiest one. And get me a mask.¡± For safety reasons, lottery winners would hid their faces with masks. Auction attendees would adopt the same measure to protect their identities, so masks were provided at auctions. A few minutester, Ye Fan put on a mask and mixed into the crowd. ¡°Mu-Cheng, the auction is about to start. Let us take our seats?¡± Lin Qian smiled and asked her companion. The uncouth man Ye Fan had spotted earlier was standing beside Lin Qian. He was actually Lin Qian¡¯s husband, but that fact was unknown to Ye Fan at that moment. Qiu Mu-Cheng nodded and thepany of three took their seats. But right after they had taken their seats, someone slipped in unnoticed and took a seat directly behind them. ¡°Mu-Cheng, I haven¡¯t seen you much since our college graduation. I remember, thest time we met was three years ago. Just after you got married.¡± ¡°It was raining then and you were waiting for a taxi on the roadside. You were in a pathetic state then. Wang Yu and I were the ones who sent you home. And then we didn¡¯t see each other for a few years. Now, look at you. It¡¯s unbelievable. You are attending a high-ss auction. It looks like you have done well for yourself. You are now one of the rich people.¡± Lin Qian smiled lightly. Her tone carried an inexplicable sharpness, as if Qiu Mu-Cheng¡¯s good fortune was making her feel bad. But Qiu Mu-Cheng shook her head and smiled: ¡°I am not rich at all. This invitation was given to me by a friend. I am just here to have a look.¡± Lin Qian smiled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. You married a useless husband after all. Considering your status, it¡¯s impossible to get invited to such an auction. You are just basking in your friend¡¯s glory.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, where¡¯s your husband? Is he too ashamed to show his face? Is he afraid of getting humiliated?¡± Lin Qian smiled lightly as she questioned Qiu Mu-Cheng. As she touched on the topic of husbands, Li Qian¡¯s eyes filled with pride and a sense of superiority. While she chatted away, Lin Qian rested her head on her husband¡¯s shoulder, presenting a picture of spousal love. It looked as if she was putting on a performance for Qiu Mu-Cheng. And in the next moment, Lin Qian let out a scream. ¡°Ah, darling! I dirtied the half-million diamond ring you just bought me~¡± As she was talking, Lin Qian deliberately stretched out her hand. And a diamond weighing several dozen carats sparkled dazzlingly under the lights in the hall. Wang Yu kissed Lin Qian¡¯s hand lightly and said, ¡°Darling, don¡¯t worry. If it¡¯s dirty, I will just buy you a bigger one.¡± ¡°Wah, darling, you are so nice to me. Kiss kiss~¡± As the husband-and-wife pair indulged in their public disy of affection, they ignored Qiu Mu-Cheng, whose face was turning pale. At that moment, Qiu Mu-Cheng was hugging herself and keeping her ring finger out of view. The ring she had on was only worth two thousand and looked dull,pared to Lin Qian¡¯s diamond ring. ¡°Mm? Mu-Cheng, you haven¡¯t answered me yet. Where¡¯s your husband. He didn¡¯te with you?¡± After showing off her diamond ring, Lin Qian deliberately returned the topic to Mu-Cheng¡¯s husband. Qiu Mu-Cheng replied embarrassedly, and her voicecked confidence. ¡°Mm, he didn¡¯te. He had something on at home.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Mu-Cheng, this is uneptable. If a man wants to seed, he has to go out and see the world. Broaden his knowledge.¡± ¡°In our elite circle, there¡¯s a saying. The more knowledgeable you are, the more capable you will be.¡± ¡°Look at me. Last year, I took Qian-Qian to fifteen countries and spent close to a million. But that¡¯s just petty cash. If it¡¯s gone, then it¡¯s gone. The important thing is this. We broadened our experiences.¡± ¡°A person like your husband who spends all his time at home, like a frog in a well, is just useless. What can he do in the future?¡± Wang Yu said lightly, with the showy air of a maestro of sess. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Do Not Touch Me Christopher ignored Yuliana¡¯s words and saw the clothes next to him from the corner of his eyes He picked up two items and looked at Yuliana with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re about to take a shower? I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Livingstone to be so brazen at lying.¡± The items hanging on his index finger were the clean tank top and underwear Yuliana prepared for the shower. When she heard the knock on the door just now, she simply put them on the couch.. Yuliana¡¯s face darkened. She rushed forward to take them from him, but he quickly hid it behind himself. Following after, he leaned back, and Yuliana almost fell on him. Fortunately, she held the backrest of the couch in time. However, in the next second, Christopher tripped her with his long legs. She lost her center of gravity and fell on top of Christopher. ¡°Mmph!¡± The bridge of her nose hit Christopher¡¯s chin. Yuliana held her nose and suppressed her gasp. Out of reflex, tears instantly blurred her sight. Hearing Yuliana¡¯s cry of pain, Christopher quickly held Yuliana¡¯s waist and helped her up. He asked anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana¡¯s mind went nk from the pain. She could not hear what he said at all and only covered her nose with her head lowered. Her palm-sized face almost scrunched uppletely. Only after the pain subsided did Yuliana¡¯s body rx. Christopher pulled her hand away and wanted to see her nose, ¡°Let me see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Yuliana pushed his hand away and said coldly. Christopher¡¯s hand froze midair, and he looked at her with a darkened face without any hint of his emotions. After a while, heughed and sat next to her with his legs crossed. Then, he took the clothes hidden behind him and yed with them casually. Yuliana tilted her head and nced at him. She coincidentally made eye contact with Christopher¡¯s dark eyes. She was expressionless and simply withdrew her gaze after that nce. Then, she stared at the mug on the coffee table. It was unclear what she was thinking. The small living room was so quiet that they could even hear the sound of each other¡¯s breath. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. After a long time, Yuliana finally moved slightly. She asked in a low voice, ¡°Christopher, what do you really want to do?¡± Christopher¡¯s fingers paused abruptly, and the thin cloth slipped from his fingers. He spread out his palm and steadily caught it. ¡°Nothing.¡± He paused and said, ¡°I came to get my clothes.¡± Yuliana was stunned and then frowned, ¡°Clothes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Christopher leaned his body to the armrest of the couch and saidzily, ¡°Didn¡¯t I leave my clothes herest time? I came to get it today.¡± Yuliana thought, Besides, how much could those clothes be worth to Mr. Sce?> Yuliana said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you needed those clothes, so I¡¯ve already thrown them away.¡± ¡°You threw them away?¡± Christopher¡¯s reaction was intense. ¡°Do you know how much they cost?¡± Yuliana looked at him and said, ¡°Tell me the price. I¡¯ll pay them back to you.¡± Christopher¡¯s expression turned stiff, and he was speechless. Seeing that he did not speak, Yuliana picked up her phone from the coffee table and said, ¡°Are 7,500 dors. enough?¡± ¡°Yuliana, are you kidding me?¡± Christopher sneered. Yuliana said, ¡°15 thousand dors then?¡± Christopher had a sullen face and did not answer. Yuliana said, ¡°Okay, 15 thousand dors it is. Do you want me to transfer the money through WhatsApp Pay or will you give me a bank ount number?¡± Christopher¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m short of that 15 thousand dors?¡± He smiled and said, ¡°Yuliana, you are so ungrateful!¡± After saying that, he stood up and strode toward the door. ¡°Christopher.¡± Yuliana looked at his back and stopped him. Christopher stopped but did not turn around. Yuliana said, ¡°You are the one who doesn¡¯t want the money for your clothes, so I don¡¯t owe you anything. As for what happened recently, whether you approached me because of Annabelle, Harry, or something else, I hope this is the end. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with any of you anymore. Please don¡¯t disturb my life in the future.¡± After hearing this, Christopher stood still with his back to Yuliana for a moment. Then, he suddenly turned around with cold eyes and a smile on his face. ¡°Approach you? Aren¡¯t you quite narcissistic, Yuliana?¡± After saying that, the door opened and then closed with a loud bang. Yuliana¡¯s eyshes trembled. She sat quietly for a moment, then picked up the clothes on the couch, threw them into the dirty clothes basket, and went back to her room to take another set of clean clothes for a shower. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chris¡¯ Feelings For You During the evening in the Sce residence, Winnie yed in the yard with her grandson, Alex. ¡®Mrs. Sce, Ms. Johnson is here.¡± A maid came over and informed. Hearing this, Winnie turned her head and saw Annabelle, in a green satin dress, jogging over while smiling. ¡°Aunt Winnie, I miss you so much!¡± Annabelle stepped forward and hugged Winnie. Winnie pretended to be angry and snorted. She patted Annabelle on the back. ¡°You¡¯re such a slick talker. If you really missed me, why didn¡¯t youe to see me? I even had to make a call to invite you over.¡± Annabelle let go of Winnie and sat down in the chair next to her. ¡°I¡¯m busy recently.¡± Winnie said, ¡°How can you get busy with your work? Isn¡¯t your working time flexible?¡± Annabelle poured herself a cup of coffee and said, ¡°I have a part-time job recently.¡± Winnie asked, ¡°Why do you still work part-time? Do you not have enough money?¡± Annabelle replied, ¡°No. I¡¯m doing a friend a favor. Something happened to her family, so she asked me to help her for a while.¡± Winnie said, ¡°I see. If you don¡¯t have enough money, tell me. Don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± Annabelle smiled yfully and said, ¡°I know you care for me the most, Aunt Winnie.¡± ¡°Aunt Annabelle!¡± Alex rushed over in a flushed and sweaty state. Annabelle caught him, who ran into her arms, and pretended to be angry. ¡°Alex, you stained my dress. You have to buy me a new one!¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Alex giggled and deliberately rubbed his sweat on Annabelle¡¯s body. Annabelle pinched his nose and said, ¡°Our Alex is getting naughtier, just like your Uncle Chris!¡± Winnie smiled, ¡°That is so true. Alex is as mischievous as Chris was when he was a child. Luckily, there was Ken to keep him in check.¡± After chatting about Alex for a while, Winnie suddenly changed the topic and said, ¡°Annabelle, you¡¯re 26 this year, right?¡± Annabelle poked Alex¡¯s face and said casually, ¡°Aunt Winnie, you can¡¯t ask about a woman¡¯s age casually. However, my birthday is indeed soon. Are you going to prepare a birthday gift for me, Aunt Winnie?¡± Winnie said, ¡°How can I miss your gift?¡± She paused and took a sip of her coffee. ncing at Annabelle, she continued, ¡°You and Chris are both 26 years old this year. You¡¯re both getting old. Shouldn¡¯t you consider settling down?¡± Annabelle was silent for a while. Then, she curled her lips and said with a smile, ¡°Aunt Winnie, how is 26 years old considered old? I¡¯m still a beautiful young girl now!¡± Winnie said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. You also know that my health has not been very good in the past two years. If you and Chris don¡¯t settle down, how can I be at ease?¡± Annabelle smiled and did not answer. Winnie observed her expression and continued, ¡°All of us can see Chris¡¯ feelings for you. I¡¯m his mother, and I know that he is umitted and had done a lot of bad things. However, his feelings for you are wless. Annabelle, if you marry Chris, you¡¯ll be putting one of my worries to rest.¡± Alex was delighted. ¡°Aunt Annabelle, are you going to marry Uncle Chris?¡± Winnie smiled at Alex and said, ¡°Will Alex be happy if Aunt Annabelle marries Uncle Chris?¡± Alex jumped up happily. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy! Then I can often see Aunt Annabelle.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Winnie looked at Annabelle and thetter sported a faint smile on her face. Annabelle neither deflected nor agreed with Alex¡¯s words. After a while, Annabelle said, ¡°Aunt Winnie, I¡¯ll think about it before answering you.¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Go To See A Gynecologist As the new semester began, Yuliana resumed her busy schedule where her life was simply between school and home. At lunchtime that day, Yuliana had lunch with Fiona rk. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, do you know how weird my mom is? I think as long as I¡¯m willing to marry, she won¡¯t mind even if it¡¯s to a pig. Right. By the way, it has to be a boar,¡± Fionained to Yuliana while enjoying her meal. Fiona was not born in Juxshire. Instead, she was from Yannopolis. She joined Juxshire Primary School the same year as Yuliana. Both of them taught the same grade and subjects, and they got along quite well. Thus, they often had dinner together. It was not the first time Fionained to Yuliana about being urged by her parents into a marriage. Yuliana married Harry shortly after she graduated from university. In fact, she didn¡¯t quite understand why parents would urge their children to get married, nor did she ever experience the feeling of being urged to get married. However, every time Fiona mentioned it, she seemed to be quite distressed. Fiona suddenly felt embarrassed when she noticed herself talking a lot. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I¡¯m sorry for spreading negativity.¡± Yuliana smiled at her. ¡°I kind of enjoy listening to you.¡± Fiona said, ¡°I¡¯ve been talking about my stuff. What about you? Where have you been with your husband during the summer vacation?¡± Yuliana stopped eating for a moment, and then she seemed to be momentarily entranced. After a while, she responded, ¡°I¡¯m divorced.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fiona looked at Yuliana in shock. She couldn¡¯t believe it at all, but seeing Yuliana¡¯s expression, she realized that her colleague wasn¡¯t joking. She took a while to process Yuliana¡¯s words, and finally, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why?¡± Fiona had seen Harry several times. That was when he came to school to pick up and drop off Yuliana. To be frank, among all the people she knew, Yuliana¡¯s husband was the only one who was extremely outstanding in all aspects, and a huge gap existed between him and other men. Yuliana didn¡¯t intend to hide the divorce. Even if she wanted to hide it, people would find out about it sooner orter. She might as well make it public. Yuliana said, ¡°We don¡¯t get along with each other.¡± This answer was somewhat perfunctory. Fiona knew it wouldn¡¯t be that simple, but Yuliana obviously didn¡¯t want to tell her. As a colleague, Fiona knew her boundaries well. She didn¡¯t ask any more questions and quickly turned to other topics like teaching in the new semester. While they were eating and discussing, Yuliana suddenly paused in her words. Fiona looked at her in confusion. Yuliana frowned as she pursed her lips, and her face turned grim. Fiona asked hurriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t answer her question. Instead, she just waved her hand, quickly stood up, and walked toward the restroom. Seeing that, Fiona was worried about her colleague, and she followed quickly after her. As soon as Yuliana entered the restroom, she pushed the door of the cubicle and began to retch. Her chest was feeling ufortable, and her stomach turned upside down. She only felt better after she threw up everything she ate. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Did you eat something bad?¡± Flona patted her on the back and asked anxiously. Yuliana¡¯s face went as white as a sheet. Feeling unwell, she rested her hand on her chest and stood up. It was a long time before she replied weakly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sorry to interrupt your lunch.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. Are you sure you¡¯re all right? Why don¡¯t you take leave and go for a checkup in the afternoon? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been in a good condition recently,¡± Fiona said worriedly. Hearing that, Yuliana was stunned. As Fiona had said, she was not in a good state recently. She felt exhausted when she returned home every night, and she didn¡¯t feel like doing anything at all. She thought it was because she didn¡¯t handle herself very well. She had been a teacher for three years, and she had never experienced such a situation before. In the next two days, Yuliana still didn¡¯t have the appetite to eat. She felt like throwing up whenever she smelled food with a slightly heavy odor. Also, not only was there no sign of improvement, but her condition also got worse. It was the weekend. Yuliana went to see a doctor in the gastroenterology department. After hearing what Yuliana said, the doctor frowned and asked her, ¡°Have you ever had an upset stomach before?¡± Yuliana shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Her digestive system had been functioning well without any difort all the while. The doctor fell into silence for two seconds before he asked again, ¡°Are you married or do you have al boyfriend?¡± Yuliana was stunned. She pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything. The doctor nced at her. ¡°I personally suggest you go to see a gynecologist and check if you¡¯re pregnant or not. If you¡¯re not pregnant, I¡¯ll refer you to an endoscopy. ¡°Pregnant? How is that possible? Didn¡¯t Christopher take safety measures that night?¡± She thought to herself. Two hourster, Yuliana came out of the gynecologist¡¯s office with the examination results. There was a buzz in her mind, and she fell into a daze. She sat down on the bench outside, and she read the examination results carefully as she recalled the doctor¡¯s words. She was eight weeks pregnant. Herst menstruation was in early July. She thought that her divorce from Harry had caused a dy in her menstruation due to endocrine disruption. As she used to have irregr menstruation, it wasmon for her menstruation toe earlier or later than usual. When she was in her senior year, she hadn¡¯t had menstruation for nearly half a year. That was why she didn¡¯t think about getting pregnant at all. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. There were so many people in the hospital. Yuliana felt lost for the first time and didn¡¯t know what to do. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 A Legal Identity At first, Yuliana chose to be a teacher not because she liked children, but because she felt that the work environment of this profession was rtively simple and suitable for her personality. Children aged six or seven werepletely different from adults in their ways of thinking. They would fight. with each other for a tissue or an eraser, and they would break off a friendship because of an unintentional action. They would also cry because of a pencil or a workbook, which waspletely beyond Yuliana¡¯s imagination and understanding before she became an elementary school teacher. However, when those children encountered such issues, they would always seek help from the teacher immediately. In the first year of work, Yuliana was often overwhelmed by these things. After some time, she realized that there would always be conflicts wherever there were people. On the contrary, children were the simplest people in the world. After getting along with them for a long time, one would find that manyplicated things became simpler. After marrying Harry, she was ready to be a mother. She even wanted to have a child with Harry. She thought that if they had a child, her rtionship with Harry would be different. Her desire to have a child was once very strong. However, they hadn¡¯t consummated their marriage even until she divorced Harry. Surprisingly, she got pregnant after spending a wild night with Christopher. ¡°God must be ying a trick on me. But what can I do?¡± Yuliana eximed inwardly. Even if it was a trick, she would ept it. She wanted to give birth to this child. Yuliana sat on a woven mat by the window. As she looked at the lights in the living room of the opposite building, she fell into a daze. When Yuliana was a teenager, her father, Damian Livingstone, and her mother, Callie Xenos, divorced and married someone else. Later on, both of them also had children of their own. Even if they said they loved her a lot, she still felt that she was superfluous. She really wanted to have her own family. Therefore, when Harry proposed to get married, she agreed without hesitation. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. In fact, both Damian and Callie were against it at that time. Yuliana knew that Harry didn¡¯t marry her because he loved her, but she still married him. Apart from her love for Harry, she also hoped that she could own a family and not just someone redundant. Now that she bore a child, she was no longer alone. However, it was hard to get pregnant, but it was even harder to raise a child. Neither her personal situation nor her financial conditions were suitable for giving birth to a child. Furthermore, children with unknown fathers always aroused suspicion, and people treated them differently. If she wanted to give birth to this child, she must first give the child a legal identity. Yuliana scratched the woven mat with her fingertips and stared out of the window nkly for a long time. After retracting her gaze, she picked up her phone, pressed her thumb on the screen for a long time, and unlocked it to check the call record. She had no idea how long it took, and she finally stopped. She hesitated for two seconds before she made a phone call. The phone rang for a long while. When Yuliana was about to dial the second time, it suddenly connected. ¡°Hello?¡± The man¡¯s cold and unruly voice sounded on the other end of the phone. Yuliana took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m Yuliana.¡± The person on the other end was silent for a moment and let out a sarcastic chuckle. ¡°Who is Yuliana? I have no idea who that is.¡± Yuliana curled her hands unconsciously. She then pursed her lips and answered, ¡°Christopher, I want to talk to you about something. Can I meet you tomorrow afternoon?¡± ¡°Why should I do as you said?¡± Christopher repliedzily. ¡°3 p.m. tomorrow. I¡¯ll send the address to you,¡± After saying that, Yuliana hung up the phone without giving Christopher a chance to reject her. Yuliana sent the address of a coffee shop to Christopher. That was also the one which she and Xandria often went to. After sending the message, she waited for more than half an hour, but Christopher didn¡¯t reply to it at all. She was not sure whether he would go or not. That night, Yuliana had insomnia. She tossed and turned and could not fall asleep. Her mind was full of all kinds of things rted to pregnancy and children. When darkness fell, her joy, fear, anxiety, and other emotions would be magnified infinitely. The next afternoon, Yuliana arrived at the coffee shop at 2:50 p.m. and ordered a cup oftte. Pursing her lips, she suddenly thought of something and put down the cup. She nced at the time and found that it was already 3:05 p.m., yet Christopher hadn¡¯t gotten there yet. In fact, Christopher made it pretty clearst night. That night, she said those things to him. Given Christopher¡¯s arrogant personality, he would certainly nevere to meet her. However, Yuliana didn¡¯t leave. She didn¡¯t give up waiting for Christopher until thette waspletely cold and the sky had turned dark. Christopher didn¡¯te. She thought she would be disappointed and sad. However, at this point, she realized it was all right and she felt even more relieved. Yuliana got up and was about to leave, but she suddenly caught sight of a figure. It was then followed by a loud thud from a chair. She looked up and saw Christopher sitting opposite her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to tell me something? What? Are you leaving now?¡± Christopher leaned back lazily against the chair. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 I Do Not Like Them Yuliana stopped and thought her eyes were ying tricks on her. She stared at Christopher for two seconds before she was able to confirm that it was really him who sat in front of her. ¡°But why is he even here? Why did hee here?¡± she wondered. The two looked at each other for a while. Yuliana acted indifferently, but the slight frown of her eyebrows conveyed a different message. It seemed like she was not very happy to see Christopher. Christopher was quick to notice her attitude, and his eyes suddenly became colder. He smirked and said, ¡°I thought that you didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with me, and you even told me not to disturb your life. What are you doing now, Ms. Livingstone? Are you ying hard to get?¡± Yuliana ignored his sarcastic remark and lowered her eyelids. No one knew what was going on in her mind. After a while, she pulled out the chair and sat down again. Looking at Christopher opposite her, she asked, ¡°What would you like to drink?* Christopher fixed his gaze on her. After a short silence, he gestured with his hand. The next moment, the waiter came over. Christopher then said, ¡°Iced long ck, please. Thank you.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. They did not speak for those few minutes when his drink was being prepared. Yuliana put her hands under the table and looked out of the window. At that time, two children aged around three or four were chasing and ying with each other not far from them. From the expressions on their faces, it was obvious that the children were having a good time. Even though the distance was far, she was able to see their faces were flushed with excitement. After staring at Yuliana for a while, Christopher followed her gaze and looked out of the window. He sneered, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, haven¡¯t you seen enough kids at school?¡± Yuliana came back to her senses and looked at Christopher. Just then, the waiter brought his drink over. Christopher took the ss and bit the straw before drinking the drink expressionlessly. Then, he lifted his gaze and looked at Yuliana, who happened to stare at him. That was the time when he noticed that she was different from before. There seemed to be an emotion in her eyes, but it was very vague. Christopher frowned. Before he could figure out what it was, he heard Yuliana asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you like children?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like them,¡± Christopher blurted out without thinking. When she mentioned children, Christopher immediately thought of Alex. The child was troublesome, naughty, talked too much, and was noisy. He always dared to oppose Christopher. Previously, Christopher used to hear that boys were naughty and girls were very obedient. However, after Zofia was born, he realized that she was an annoying kid as well. When the two children got together, the only thing that Christopher wanted to do was to pack them up and send them to outer space. Upon hearing Christopher¡¯s reply, Yuliana was quiet again. Then, Christopher put down his ss and leaned back against his chair. He stared at Yuliana for a moment and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, did you ask me out merely to ask me whether I like children?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Her mind was a mess. Yuliana picked up the coffee in front of her and wanted to take a sip, but she came back to her senses immediately. She hesitated for half a second before cing it back on the table. As he looked at her action, Christopher narrowed his eyes. ¡°Christopher¡­¡± Yuliana pinched the back of her hand hard and looked up to meet his gaze. ¡°You don¡¯t like other people¡¯s children. What about your own children?¡± Christopher was stunned for a moment, and a thought shed in his mind quickly. Before he could think of what it was, it had disappeared. ¡°My own children?¡± Yuliana responded, ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t like children. When you have your own children, will you continue not to like them?¡± Christopher frowned. He was not dinky, and therefore, he never opposed the idea of having children. However, the idea of having a child was too far-fetched for him. At the very least, he still did not have any ns of having children at the moment. Christopher shrugged. ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t have any children. I¡¯ll only know once I have one.¡± Then, he paused before looking at Yuliana with a half-smile. He raised his eyebrows, and said slowly, ¡°Are you thinking of having a child with me, Ms. Livingstone?¡± Yuliana met Christopher¡¯s gaze for a moment and pursed her lips slightly. When she was about to tell him about the pregnancy, they heard the sound of a ringtone rang out. It came from Christopher¡¯s pocket. Yuliana had prepared herself mentally, but she was interrupted by the sudden sound of the ringtone. Thus, she immediately swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Looking at her reaction, a trace of suspicion shed in Christopher¡¯s eyes. However, he merely took out his phone and looked at it. He stared at the caller ID for a while before answering the call. Yuliana did not know what the person on the other end of the phone had said. Nevertheless, she was able to hear Christopher asking the person coldly, ¡°Where is it?¡± Then, he added, ¡°Keep an eye on them. I¡¯ll be right there! Christopher was already standing up as he spoke. Having said that, Christopher ended the call. He was about to leave when he suddenly remembered that someone was sitting opposite him. Christopher paused. When he was about to speak, Yuliana said, ¡°If you have something urgent to do, you can leave first.¡± Yuliana¡¯s attitude was very cold and indifferent. It was as if she was not the one who asked him to meet her. Christopher then said, ¡°You asked me to meet you. What exactly do you want?¡± Yuliana said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡± Upon hearing her answer, Christopher nced at her before walking out of the coffee shop quickly. Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief and was d that she did not say anything. Although she did not know the person who had called him and what was said over the phone, she could not think of anyone except Annabelle who could make Christopher react that much. If she were to tell him about the pregnancy, she would have to get involved with Christopher and Annabelle for the rest of her life, even after the child was born. Christopher arrived at the ce in a hurry. He saw Harrying out of a private room while carrying Annabelle in his arms. She was wrapped in Harry¡¯s coat. Judging from the messy hair and ruined makeup. one could imagine what had happened before. When she saw Christopher, Annabelle¡¯s eyes turned red, and tears rolled down her face instantly. ¡°Chris.¡± Christopher approached them and caressed her hair. ¡°Hush, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll cut him up for you, okay?¡± ¡°Do you want to make me feel nauseous?¡± Annabelle pursed her lips. Christopher looked at her once before turning to look at Harry. Then, he said to Harry, ¡°Get her out of here first. I¡¯ll deal with everything in here.¡± Upon hearing his words, Annabelle struggled to get down. ¡°No!¡± As soon as her feet were on the ground, Harry pped her buttocks. Then, he said coldly, ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ll break your legs.¡± Annabelle was furious and stared at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°Harry, what is wrong with you?¡± After ncing at them, Christopher walked into the private room and closed the door. Shortly afterward, a series of miserable shrieks were hearding from the private room. Annabelle wrapped the coat tightly around her and looked at the closed door of the private room with a gloomy expression. Harry said coldly, ¡°Annabelle, is this what you want to see?¡± Annabelle looked at Harry and gave a faint smile. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Harry merely nced at her calmly, bent down, scooped her up, and left the club. It was already past midnight when Christopher returned to Oceanview Apartment. When he entered the room, he saw the lights were on. He looked up and saw a petite figure curled up on the couch in the distance. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 We Will Get Married The person moved slightly after hearing the sound of the door being opened. Then, a woman¡¯s soft, groggy voice was heard. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± It looked as if she had just woken up. Without any expression, Christopher hummed in response. Then, he said, ¡°When did you arrive?¡± Annabelle sat up from the couch and held a pillow in her arms. As she looked at Christopher changing his shoes at the door, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while. I thought you wouldn¡¯te back here tonight.¡± Christopher nced at her and noticed that she was wearing his ck T-shirt. Then, he said, ¡°If you are sleepy, you can go to the room. I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Annabelle asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡± Having said that, Christopher went straight to the walk-in closet. ¡°Christopher.¡± Annabelle looked at his side profile and asked, ¡°About what you¡¯ve said three years ago, does it still count?¡± Christopher stopped in his tracks and was silent for a moment. Then, he turned to Annabelle and smiledzily. ¡°What did I say?¡± ¡°You said before that if I¡¯m willing to do it, you will marry me,¡± Annabelle replied. Having heard her remarks, Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened. He walked to the couch and sat down. Then, he took out his cigarette box, lit a cigarette, and smoked slowly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting along well with that illegitimate child of the Ziegler family? What¡¯s the matter? Did Harry dump you?¡± Annabelle moved closer to Christopher and held his arm. After that, she leaned on his shoulder and smiled. ¡°Are you jealous, Chris?¡± Christopher tilted his head to nce at Annabelle. She smiled and added, ¡°Harry and I are just trying to pass the time. You know very well that he won¡¯t marry me, and it¡¯s impossible for me to marry him.¡± Christopher exhaled a puff of smoke and stared at it. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. If you had agreed to marry him three years ago, he would definitely marry you without saying another word.¡± Annabelle took the cigarette from Christopher and put it in her mouth. ¡°What would happen to you if I were to marry him? Chris, you and I are the ones who belong in the same world. Isn¡¯t it true?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call my name with that longing tone. I¡¯m getting goosebumps from it.¡± Christopher snatched the cigarette back and put it out in the ashtray. Annabelle looked at the cigarette and noticed that half of it still remained. Then, she nced around before saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t I call you ¡®kiddo¡¯? Speaking of which, you are indeed ten days younger than me. It¡¯s quite a suitable name to call you with.¡± After that, she continued, ¡°Kiddo, kiddo¡­¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened, and he gave her a side-long nce. ¡°Annabelle!¡± Unabashed, Annabelle continued to shout loudly with a smile, ¡°Kiddo, kiddo!¡± Christopher looked at Annabelle for a short while before raising his arm and pushing her hand away. Then, he stood up and turned to grab his outfit before taking a shower. Before he could take a few steps forward, he heard Annabelle saying, ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking just now, Christopher. It wasn¡¯t a test either. I¡¯m being serious.¡± Afterward, she paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Aunt Winnie also hopes that we can get married as soon as possible.¡± Christopher stood silently for a while with his back to Annabelle. Then, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll get married after you have thought it through.¡± Two dayster, Yuliana applied for a leave of absence to go to the hospital for aprehensive medical checkup. It was because she did not have any morning sses on Wednesdays. Yuliana had caught a cold before and had taken some cold medicine. Thus, she brought the medicines to the doctor as well. The doctor informed her that all the cold medicines that she had taken were herbal medicines. The medicines had little impact on the fetus. Moreover, he also informed her that she could do specific medical testster if she was still worried. In addition, Yuliana was in good health, and the fetus was currently very healthy. However, she was still required to be more careful during the first three months. Yuliana asked about all the precautions that she needed to take and jotted down the doctor¡¯s suggestions one by one. Aftering out of the hospital, Yuliana went back to school. She had two sses in the afternoon and had to go to the washroom several times to vomit during the sses. The doctor had mentioned that the morning sickness would usuallyst for twelve weeks, but there were still exceptions. A more severe morning sickness wouldst until the baby was born. Currently, Yuliana was not worried about other things. However, she felt terrible because of the morning sickness. Moreover, it started to affect her teaching her students. If she had morning sickness until the baby was born, she did not know if she was able to hold on any longer. When school was over in the afternoon, Yuliana returned to the office after sending the students was still marking the homework in the office. away. Fiona Upon seeing Yuliana, Fiona said with concern, ¡°I heard that you vomited several times in ss this afternoon. Didn¡¯t you go to the hospital for a checkupst weekend? What did the doctor say? Did you eat something bad, or was it something else?¡± Yuliana still did not know how to exin the pregnancy to Fiona. After all, the former had told Fiona that she was already divorced. Therefore, she answered casually, ¡°Maybe I ate something bad.¡± ¡°Then, you should pay more attention to what you eat for these few days. Try to eat something light or liquid food. Don¡¯t eat any spicy or cold food,¡± Fiona reminded. Someone chimed in, ¡°By the looks of it, I don¡¯t think Ms. Livingstone ate bad food. It looks like she¡¯s pregnant!¡± The one who spoke was Lexie Anderson, a teacher who had just entered the office with several textbooks in her arms. She nced at Yuliana and said, ¡°I had the same symptom when I was pregnant with my son.¡± Lexie was three years older than Yuliana. The former started to work at Juxshire Primary School a year before. Upon hearing her remarks, Fiona looked at Yuliana subconsciously. However, she noticed Yuliana was looking indifferent. It was as if Yuliana did not take Lexie¡¯s words seriously at all. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. After getting a cup of water, Lexie stood with her hip pressing against the corner of the table. She smiled and asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I heard that you and your husband have been married for three years. Why don¡¯t you have a child?¡± Yuliana did not answer her question. The former merely packed her things up and prepared to go home. Meanwhile, Fiona knew about Yuliana¡¯s divorce. The former noticed that Lexie was asking the question on purpose. Therefore, she said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone is still young and isn¡¯t in a hurry. Just look at me. I¡¯m one year older than Ms. Livingstone, but I¡¯m still single.¡± Lexie smiled. ¡°Ms. rk, you¡¯re not married. There are some things that you don¡¯t understand. If you don¡¯t have a child after getting married for a long time, your husband will start to distance himself from you sooner orter.¡± Having said that, Lexie changed the topic and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I haven¡¯t seen your driver picking you up recently. You look unwell. Why are you still taking a taxi by yourself?¡± Yuliana packed up her things, carried her bag, and stood up. She smiled at Lexie before saying, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Ms. Anderson. It¡¯s more convenient to take a taxi. By the way, was it your father who sent you to schoolst time? I didn¡¯t have time to greet him that day. Please say hello to your father for me.¡± Before she could finish her words, Lexie¡¯s face turned grim before turning pale. Lexie did not say anything for a long time. Then, Yuliana-looked at Fiona and said, ¡°Ms. rk, Ms. Anderson, I¡¯ll take my leave. See you tomorrow.¡± Fiona tried to suppress herughter and said, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± As soon as Yuliana left, Lexie put the ss back on the table heavily, which made a loud noise. Meanwhile, Fiona lifted her eyes and nced at her. Then, the former pretended to focus on marking the homework, but she was trying very hard to suppress herughter. After leaving school, Yuliana went to the supermarket first and bought some fresh vegetables and fruits. She was not good at cooking and did not like cooking. She always had takeouts after Harry and she had a divorce. Nevertheless, now that she was pregnant, Yuliana was being mindful. She was worried that the takeouts. were unhealthy and that eating them would affect the fetus. She came out of the elevator while carrying a lot of things in her hand. Then, she raised a hand to take out the key from her bag to open the door. However, when she looked up, she saw Christopher standing by the door with his back against the wall. He had his head down as he yed with his phone. Yuliana paused. Christopher raised his head to nce in her direction as he heard the sound. When he saw that it was her, he stopped all of a sudden. He put away his phonezily and straightened up. Then, he looked at her and drawled, ¡®Ms. Livingstone, you really do have so much leisure time.¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 My Husband Is Harry Yuliana carried a lot of things in her hand, including arge bag of fresh vegetables and fruits, textbooks, and aptop. She now had to open the door with one hand, while the other was holding all the stuff together. She had no energy to deal with Christopher, so she ignored his words and opened the door before going in with all the stuff in her hands. Christopher, on the other hand, had no qualms about following social etiquette. Yuliana opened the door and had already gone inside, so he followed her in. Yuliana put the messenger bag containing the textbooks andptop on the couch, carried the vegetables and fruits into the kitchen, and put them in the refrigerator one by one. Only then did she begin to think about going out and dealing with Christopher. However, she saw Christopher leaning against the entrance of the kitchen with his arms crossed in front of his chest as soon as she turned around. Yuliana did not know how long he had been watching her. Her gaze fell on Christopher¡¯s figure for a moment. After a short while, Yuliana walked out of the kitchen and poured two sses of water. She put one of the sses on the coffee table and drank from the one in her hand slowly. The most important thing to teachers was their throats. Yuliana¡¯s mouth was dry, and her throat was sore after teaching several sses a day. Only drinking plenty of water could relieve the pain. In recent years, Yuliana had developed the habit of holding a ss in her hand when idle. Yuliana took a sip from the ss and then looked at Christopher. ¡°Mr. Sce, what can I do for you?¡± Christopher walked over slowly and sat down on the couch beside Yuliana. He picked up the ss on the coffee table and held it in his hand. It was exactly the same as the ss in Yuliana¡¯s hand. It was a common transparent drinking ss. Christopher looked down for a while and did not drink. Instead, he said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I ask you that? What did you want from me the other day?¡± Yuliana lowered her eyelids and took another sip from her ss. Christopher saw her movements and frowned. ¡°Did you not have a drop of water for the past few days? Why are you so thirsty?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°I got two sses in the afternoon, so my throat is ufortable.¡± Christopher did not respond to that. Yuliana drank more than half a ss and felt her throat was no longer painfully dry. She put down the ss and answered Christopher¡¯s previous question, ¡°I actually wanted to ask you for help when I asked you to meet me the other day. Now that I have solved it, there is no need to trouble you anymore, Mr. Sce.¡± Christopher stared at her dull expression. He pondered for a few seconds before asking, ¡°What happened?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Nothing big.¡± Her perfunctory attitude made Christopher even more suspicious, but he could not think of any reasons for the time being. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t let me find out-¡± Yuliana suddenly stood up hurriedly before Christopher could finish talking. She covered her mouth and ran into the bathroom. Christopher was still figuring out what was happening when he heard the sound of retching in the bathroom. He got up and went over to the bathroom. The door of the bathroom was half-closed. He saw Yuliana kneeling on the ground and retching on the toilet when he opened the door. Yuliana was nearly 5.6 feet tall. She was not petite among girls, but she had a small frame. She looked so fragile and small when she curled in on herself. From the back, her trembling figure evoked a distressing feeling for anyone who saw her at the moment. Christopher pursed his lips tightly and watched her from the door for a while. He came forward when Yuliana stopped retching and took out several tissues from the tissue box. He then handed them over to her. A hand and a few tissues suddenly appeared in Yuliana¡¯s sight. She was stunned for a moment before reaching out to take them. After wiping her mouth with the tissues, she pressed the flush button and stood up from the ground after another half a minute. Yuliana pursed her lower lip slightly while looking at Christopher, who was standing beside her. She then weakly said, ¡°Thank you.¡± She walked to the sink and turned on the tap. The sound of sshing water echoed in the narrow bathroom. Yuliana concentrated on washing her hands, but she could clearly feel a pair of eyes staring at her at that moment. Yuliana always had her hair tied in a low ponytail at work. She also always kept her hair length below her shoulders and had just been to the barbershop to trim her hair before school started. Strands of short hair escaped her ponytail and covered the side of her face, probably because of her movement when she was retching just now. Christopher stared at the strands of hair that were covering Yuliana¡¯s profile and thought that they were an eyesore as moments passed. He couldn¡¯t help but reach out to tuck the hair away. Yuliana noticed his movements before his hand could touch her hair while she was washing her hands. She avoided Christopher¡¯s hand in a very noticeable manner. Christopher¡¯s hand touched nothing, and it froze in midair. The two stared at each other. Yuliana had a guarded look in her eyes, along with a trace of disgust that was not so noticeable. The obscure look in Christopher¡¯s eyes instantly faded, and his thin lips curled up into a sneer. He could not stop himself from saying, ¡°Ms. Livingstone seems to hate me very much, but what can you do? You¡¯re still mine no matter how much you hate me, no?¡± Yuliana¡¯s chest heaved violently upon hearing that. She stared at Christopher for a while and finally could not control herself when she saw the frivolous and joking look in his eyes. She raised her hand and flung it toward Christopher¡¯s face. Christopher grabbed her wrist easily and looked at Yuliana¡¯s now reddened face from her fury. ¡°Are you so ashamed to the point of anger?¡± He paused, stared at Yuliana¡¯s eyes, and smiled evilly before pointing his finger at Yuliana¡¯s chest. ¡°Yuliana, I always thought you were innocent and pure. However, in bed, you are not-¡± ¡°Shut up, Christopher!¡± Yuliana gritted her teeth. Yuliana¡¯s eyes were red, and her hair was in a disarray and stered on her face. Her corbone and chest were heaving up and down, giving her an indescribable sense of shattered beauty. Christopher¡¯s eyes became darker, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down. ¡°Am I wrong? You kept calling me ¡®honey¡¯ that night. Begging me-¡± ¡°You think I was calling you ¡®honey?¡± Yuliana looked at him coldly. ¡°His name is Harry, and he is the one I¡¯m calling ¡®honey.¡¯ He is my husband, not you. I just thought you were him at that time. If I knew it was you, vomiting would be the first thing I¡¯d do!¡± ¡°Yuliana!¡± Christopher shoved Yuliana to the wall behind her and pinned her wrists on the wall. ¡°I dare you to say that again!¡± Yuliana chuckled faintly. ¡°What are you going to do? Are you going to hurt a woman, Mr. Sce? You asked me if I am so ashamed to the point of anger just now, right? Who¡¯s angry now?¡± Christopher pursed his lips and stared at Yuliana for a while. The fury in his eyes gradually faded as he calmed down. He then sneered, ¡°Yuliana, Harry is not your husband. He is your ex-husband. You¡¯re just an abandoned woman who was kicked out of the house by him! However, you are so desperate and dumb enough to still love him!¡± After a slight pause, Christopher added, ¡°Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t hear what you just said. Otherwise, he may be moved by your words and change his mind!¡± Christopher let go of Yuliana¡¯s wrist after saying that and left the bathroom. Yuliana heard the sound of the door opening and closing outside after a few moments. Her heart was pounding so hard to the point that she felt it was unbearable. She slid down the wall before crouching. Yuliana did not want to have a meaningless argument with Christopher, but she did not know why she would act like this every time she faced the man. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Pregnancy The silvery-gray sports car left Maple Garden, the residential area where Yuliana lived. The car maintained a high speed on the road before a screeching sound was heard, and the car stopped at the roadside. The street light above shone on the man¡¯s deep and distinct profile through the car window. His pale gray eyes stared at the front quietly for a moment before he reached out his hand to touch the cigarette pack in the storage nook next to him. He then lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth before lowering the window. Christopher appeared calm as he leaned back in the chair and smoked. However, his thoughts were not visible on his face. He suddenly lifted his eyelids when his cigarette was about to burn out. He clicked on the address book on his phone, flipped through it, and dialed a number. The call was connected. Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Mrs. Ford, it¡¯s me, Christopher.¡± ¡°Hey, Chris!¡± the middle-aged woman on the other side of the phone greeted Christopher with a familiar tone. ¡°Are you looking for Leonard? He¡¯s not at home. He¡¯s probably hanging out with Raymond. Why are you not with them?¡± The woman on the other end of the call was Rosalyn Ford, Leonard¡¯s mother. Christopher replied in a jokingly flippant tone, ¡°Mrs. Ford, don¡¯t call it hanging out. We call it emotional contact nowadays.¡± Rosalyn was amused by his words. ¡°Yeah, right. Emotional contact, is it? Whatever. What are you calling me for?¡± Christopher said, ¡°Because I miss you!¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Like I don¡¯t know you.¡± Rosalyn then asked again, ¡°Well? Tell me why you¡¯re calling.¡± Christopher was silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ A friend of mine seems to be in poor health recently. They are always retching and vomiting. What do you think is the problem?¡± Rosalyn asked, ¡°Are they a man or a woman?¡± Christopher answered hesitatingly, ¡°A woman¡­¡± ¡°A woman?¡± Rosalyn was shocked and said, ¡°Chris, did you get someone pregnant?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Christopher could not help himself from denying it. However, Christopher froze immediately after denying it. Some memories shed in his mind quickly, and those memories connected before forming a bigger picture after hearing Rosalyn¡¯s words. It was the memories of Yuliana suddenly asking to meet him, her asking whether he liked children or not, and her retching and vomiting that night. ¡°That¡¯s good. Don¡¯t y around willy-nilly. I heard from your mother that you and Annabelle are getting married. If something like that happens at this time, your mother will suffer!¡± Rosalyn paused and said, ¡°How long has your friend¡¯s conditionsted? If it¡¯s just today, then it may be a cold or a stomach problem. Just tell her to take some medicine. If itsts for a longer period of time, then tell her to go to the hospital for a checkup.¡± Christopher returned to his senses and hurriedly said, ¡°Okay, Mrs. Ford. I have something else to do, so I will hang up now. I¡¯ll see you another day.¡± After saying that, he immediately closed the window back up before turning the car around and heading back. toward Maple Garden. Yuliana stayed in the bathroom for a while after Christopher left beforeing out. She had not eaten anything at night. Originally, she nned to order some takeouts. After hesitating for a while, Yuliana decided to cook a bowl of spaghetti herself. She stared at the slowly boiling water in the pot a little absent-mindedly. Yuliana did not understand why she could not control her emotions every time she met Christopher. She thought she had cultivated her demeanor well in the past few years as a teacher. In any case, Christopher would be the child¡¯s father after the child was born. Therefore, Yuliana did not want to put Christopher in a tough position. Yuliana threw a small handful of spaghetti into the pot and stirred it with adle while deep in thought. She heard a knock on the door when she was about to pour tomato puree into the pot. Yuliana was a little flustered, so she simply dumped the tomato puree into the pot before rushing to open the door. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. She was stunned for a moment when she saw Christopher back at her door. Yuliana opened her mouth, wanting to ask him why he returned to her house. She then saw the deep and searching look in his eyes and closed her mouth shut. Then, she closed the door without even thinking. Precisely at this moment, Christopher stretched out one foot and squeezed his body in effortlessly. Yuliana stared at him with veins popping on her forehead. ¡°What else do you want?¡± She thought, ¡°Have you not humiliated me enough? Are you back to humiliate me again?¡± Christopher did not speak. His thin lips were pursed tightly, and his gray eyes suddenly turned darker and more terrifying as he stared at Yuliana for a moment. After a long while, he opened his mouth. His voice was lowered as he asked tautly, ¡°Yuliana, are you pregnant?¡± Yuliana¡¯s mind instantly froze when she heard the question. Her gaze turned to Christopher, and her mouth opened before closing twice. She then quickly avoided the man¡¯s stare. She pinched the center of her palm with her fingertips before frowning and asking confusedly, ¡°Pregnant?¡± Christopher¡¯s expression was tight as he said, ¡°Are you?¡± Yuliana chuckled. ¡°Christopher, what makes you think I¡¯m pregnant? Besides, even if I am, what does that have anything to do with you?¡± Christopher said, ¡°You vomited just now.¡± ¡°And you have never vomited before?¡± Yuliana sneered. ¡°You must have, right? So, are you pregnant?¡± Christopher frowned and said, ¡°Why did you ask me to meet you the other day? Why did you ask me if I like children?¡± Yuliana lowered her gaze and said, ¡°I already told you. I wanted to ask you for help at that time. As for asking whether you like children or not, I just happened to see some kids and wanted to make small talk.¡± After a pause, she looked at the man in front of her with a sarcastic look and said, ¡°Christopher, even if I am really pregnant and the baby is yours, do you think I will have your baby?¡± Christopher naturally knew the answer to that question when he saw the faintly disgusted look in her eyes. Yuliana would not give birth to his child. Yuliana nced at him, turned back to her room, and take out a piece of paper. She handed it to Christopher and said, ¡°This is my checkup registration form fromst Saturday.¡± After a slight pause, she said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s just an upset stomach.¡± Christopher did not answer and only nced at the registration form. The words ¡°the gastroenterology department¡± were there for anyone to see. He was stunned for a moment before coldly saying, ¡°That¡¯s for the best. Saves me a lot of trouble!¡± ¡°Trouble?¡± Yuliana repeated mentally. Yuliana did not know whether Christopher meant the trouble was getting an abortion or the baby itself. Either way, it proved that Christopher did not want a child. Therefore, it was a wise decision to not tell Christopher about her pregnancy. The child would have nothing to do with Christopher in the future. Yuliana only remembered the spaghetti in the pot after Christopher left. She went into the kitchen and found that the spaghetti was almost burnt. The spaghetti and tomato puree had now turned into an almost mushy paste. After taking a look, Yuliana had the urge to vomit again. She did not dare to continue to look at the content of the pot and immediately left the kitchen. In the end, she ordered a takeout. She lost her appetite after a few bites and vomited again soon after. She stood by the sink and washed her face. Yuliana looked in the mirror and saw her unsightly complexion. as a result of the pregnancy. Her eyes suddenly reddened as tears pooled in them. Deciding to have a baby was too naive of her¡­ In the blink of an eye, it was already the weekend. Yuliana finally had a good rest, but she was awakened by a phone call from Xandria in the morning. ¡°Yuliana, help!¡± Xandria shouted on the phone. Yuliana was very sleepy, so she was notpletely awake yet. Hearing Xandria¡¯s voice, she blearily asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 I Will Be Nice To Her Xandria exined the whole story to Yuliana. Ever since Pauline fell sick and was hospitalized, her personality had somewhat changed. During that time, Pauline arranged several blind dates for Xandria. However, thetter was a stubborn person. The more Xandria was asked to do something, the more she would not do it. Thus, Xandria did not go on any of the blind dates, and in the end, this angered Pauline. Pauline had already warned Xandria. If thetter dared not to show up again on the blind date that afternoon, Pauline would cancel Xandria¡¯s cards and would forbid her to go out. Since she was a child, Pauline and Tyson doted on Xandria very much. They never rejected any request of Xandria¡¯s. Even if she wanted the moon, Pauline and Tyson would think of ways to get it for her. This was the first time Xandria was forced to do something she did not want to do, regardless of her wishes. From the time Xandria graduated, she had never worked a proper job. Once Pauline canceled her cards, it would be worse than ending Xandria¡¯s life. Therefore, Xandria had to go on the blind date in the afternoon, even if she did not want to. Most importantly, Xandria¡¯s blind date was one of the people she hated a lot. Xandria said angrily, ¡°What do you think of my mother¡¯s taste? Even if she wanted me to get married, she doesn¡¯t have to look for someone like Raymond, right?¡± Indeed, Xandria¡¯s blind date was none other than Raymond, one of Christopher¡¯s rowdy friends. Yulianaforted Xandria and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try talking to Mrs. Yeager?¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless. I think she is determined this time,¡± Xandria answered with dismay. Yuliana did not expect another one of her friends to be bothered by their families urging them into a marriage. ¡°What are you going to do then?¡± she asked Xandria. Xandria responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for your help.¡± Yuliana was rendered speechless. No one had urged her to get married before, let alone go on a blind date. So how could Yuliana help Xandria? Yuliana thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°Otherwise, why don¡¯t you meet Raymond first and scout the situation?¡± ¡°Meet Raymond first?¡± Xandria could feel her blood surge. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we will fight when we meet.¡± The grudge between Raymond and Xandria could be traced back to high school. During that time, Xandria wrote Christopher a love letter, which Annabelle read out loud to the whole school at the school¡¯s broadcasting station. At that time, Raymond and Annabelle were together, and after reading the letter, the two also discussed andmented on it. Since then, Xandria became aughing matter in the school because of this. Back then, Xandria still had some baby fat, and Christopher had casually called her ¡°chubby girl.¡± After that, the nickname followed Xandria until she graduated from high school. Moreover, the friends surrounding Christopher would call Xandria ¡°chubby girl¡± every time they saw her at school. Even teachers who loved to joke would call her that. The name ¡°chubby girl¡± had be a nightmare for Xandria. Among them, Raymond was the worst. His mindless mouth provoked Xandria several times to the point where she chased after him with a mop to hit his buttocks. Yuliana had no choice. Yuliana and Xandria looked at each other without saying a word. After a while, Xandria suddenly said, ¡°Yuliana, why don¡¯t you apany me?¡± Yuliana was stumped for words. Xandria and Raymond set up the meeting at a caf¨¦. Xandria wanted to wrap things up quickly and leave after discussing matters with Raymond. Xandria and Yuliana arrived first. They waited for nearly half an hour before Raymond rushed over sleepily with messy hair. When Raymond saw Yuliana, his gaze fixed on her momentarily. He then sneered sinisterly before sitting on the chair. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, you¡¯re a divorcee. Are you not afraid you¡¯ll bring bad luck by apanying someone else on a blind date?¡± Raymond said. Yuliana only frowned and said nothing. After hearing what Raymond said, Xandria wanted to blow his head off. ¡°Hey, jerk, what are you talking about?¡± As soon as Raymond heard Xandria calling him a ¡°jerk,¡± his expression darkened. ¡°You¡¯re still a little cute when you¡¯re rough and savage in your teenage years. But, chubby girl, you¡¯re already in your twenties. If you¡¯re still the same as before, then I can only call you a shrew.¡± ¡°Who are you calling a chubby girl and a shrew?¡± Both nicknames were Xandria¡¯s limit. She mmed the table with both hands and rose to her feet from the chair. However, at that moment, Xandria identally knocked over the coffee cup in front of her and spilled all the coffee. ¡°Xani!¡± After Yuliana eximed, Xandria came back to her senses. Thetter hurriedly avoided the spilled coffee, but much of it still stained her dress. Xandria was so angry that her blood pressure soared, and her eyes reddened. Yuliana hurriedly took a tissue from her bag and wiped it for Xandria. After that, Yuliana said to her, ¡°You should go to the restroom to clean up first. I¡¯ll talk to Mr. Quinn.¡± Hearing that, Xandria looked at Yuliana worriedly. Yuliana¡¯s lips curved into a smile tofort the former. Xandria then went to the restroom to clean the coffee stain on her dress. As soon as Xandria left, the atmosphere¡¯s tension eased instantly. Raymond stared at Yuliana for a while, curled the corners of his mouth, and casuallymented, ¡°If I remember correctly, I¡¯m here on a blind date with Xandria today, not you, Ms. Livingstone.¡± ¡°You saw it too. You and Xani can¡¯t talk properly. In that case, why don¡¯t I talk to you on her behalf?¡± Yuliana replied. Raymond snickered and responded, ¡°Then, do I have to find someone to rece me, so I won¡¯t be at a disadvantage? Ms. Livingstone, how about I call Chris and ask him toe over to talk to you for me?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips slightly and looked at him with a darkened gaze. Raymond shrugged, curled his lips into a smirk, and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a joke. You don¡¯t have to take it seriously, Ms. Livingstone. But it seems like you care a lot about Chris.¡± Yuliana did not want to talk about Christopher. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you and Xani,¡± she responded. At the Sce residence, Kendrick, Joyce, La, and Jared were there on a Saturday. Christopher and Annabelle had also arrived home early in the morning. With the grandson, Alex, and granddaughter, Zofia, the whole family was gathered together. Winnie and Zachary had gathered everyone to discuss Christopher and Annabelle¡¯s marriage. Annabelle replied to Winnie two days ago and agreed to marry Christopher. Winnie was so happy, but she feared the two would cause trouble again. Hence, on Friday, Winnie informed everyone in the Sce family to go back home on Saturday so that they could discuss matters rted to the wedding preparation. Winnie and Zachary gathered together and flipped through the calendar, looking for a good date for the wedding. On the other hand, Joyce and La were talking excitedly about the wedding dress, wedding photos, and wedding-rted matters with Annabelle. Both Joyce and La had experience with weddings because they were married. Christopher was the only one sitting on the couch at the side and ying games on his phone as if the wedding had nothing to do with him. Jared, as his brother-inw, stared at Christopher and whispered, ¡°Since you decided to get married to Annabelle, you should not fool around anymore. Annabelle is a great girl. Don¡¯t let her down.¡± Christopher was silent for a while before answering, ¡°I will be nice to her.¡± He would treat her as well as he did in the past two decades. Christopher looked up and nced at Annabelle not far away. She smiled faintly and listened quietly to everything Joyce said with a calm face. It looked like there was nothing wrong with getting married. ¡°Christopher.¡± Hearing his name being called, Christopher¡¯s attention shifted back. He tilted his head and found that Kendrick hade downstairs. Thetter looked serious. Christopher raised his eyebrows. Before he could say a word, he heard Kendrick say, ¡°Come to the study.¡± After saying that, Kendrick turned around and went upstairs. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Christopher put away his phone and rose to his feet. Just as he was about to follow Kendrick upstairs, hist phone vibrated suddenly. He looked at the text as he walked. It was a picture from Raymond on WhatsApp. He clicked on it and saw a slender, fair hand holding a coffee cup. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 I Have No Opinion Without a doubt, the hand in the picture belonged to a woman. Christopher stopped in his tracks, and his gray eyes suddenly darkened. He stared at the picture for a few seconds. After that, he put away his phone and went upstairs. However, when he was about to open the door to the study, Christopher suddenly took out his phone and looked at the picture again. After pausing for a second, Christopher typed a question mark and sent the message. Soon, Raymond replied. He wrote: [Ms. Livingstone came for a blind date. It¡¯s a coincidence that we met, so we¡¯re having a cup of coffee together.] Christopher stared at the message sent by Raymond for a while, especially at the keyword for a bit longer. Christopher gritted his teeth and snorted coldly. ¡°Why are you standing by the door and snorting?¡± Kendrick was standing behind Christopher in a set of dark-colored loungewear. The former¡¯s face was as stern as ever. Christopher put away his phone and did not say anything. He then opened the door of the study, waited for Kendrick to enter, and followed suit. Christopher sat downzily on the chair, took out his phone, and looked at the message from Raymond again. Without lifting his head, he asked, ¡°Ken, what can I do for you?¡± Kendrick sat on the chair behind the desk and did not look at Christopher as he stared at theputer screen with his sses on. ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Annabelle?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®what¡¯s going on? You see it, too, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m preparing to get married to Annabelle,¡± Christopher answered nonchntly. Kendrick nced at Christopher coldly and asked, ¡°Do you think getting married is a joke?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you get married to Joyce when the two of you only met once? Isn¡¯t that more like a joke?¡± Christopher responded while looking at Kendrick. Kendrick replied, ¡°Joyce and I are different from you guys.¡± ¡°How different are you guys?¡± Christopher shed an evil smile and continued, ¡°If Joyce wasn¡¯t pregnant, would you have married her?¡± As soon as Christopher finished speaking, he heard the sound of porcin shattering outside the door. Christopher was stunned. He stood up and walked to the door to have a look. He saw a figure hurrying downstairs and a broken coffee pot on the ground by the study¡¯s door. Christopher then turned around, looked at Kendrick, and gloatinglymented, ¡°You¡¯re screwed, Ken!¡± Kendrick nced at him coldly. Before running away, Christopher said, ¡°Ken, you¡¯d better take care of your own business first. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± After going downstairs, Christopher picked up his coat that was on the couch as if he was about to leave. Seeing that, Winnie hurriedly asked, ¡°Chris, where are you going?¡± After hearing what Winnie said, everyone else in the living room turned to look at Christopher, including Annabelle. Christopher looked at the others. Finally, he looked Annabelle in the eyes and said, ¡°Ray has something, and he needs me. I¡¯m going out now. Don¡¯t wait for me for dinner.¡± Zachary nced at Annabelle and said with a bit of dissatisfaction, ¡°I specifically asked all of you to come back today to discuss your marriage with Annabelle. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate for you to leave like this?¡± Christopher put on his coat and answered casually, ¡°You guys discussing it will do. I have no opinion.¡± He paused and looked at Annabelle again but did not say anything. After that, Christopher took his car keys and strode away. Annabelle looked at Christopher¡¯s back as he left and did not say anything in response. Instead, La carefully observed Annabelle¡¯s expression. Annabelle smiled at them and said, ¡°La, don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m fine. Raymond and Christopher are close friends. Something urgent must havee up. That¡¯s why he needed Christopher. By the way, what were you saying? Let¡¯s continue.¡± La sighed. Could she not know what her younger brother, Christopher, was like? In fact, La was not optimistic about Christopher and Annabelle¡¯s marriage. It was not that Annabelle was not good. It was because La felt Annabelle was a great girl, so she was worried that Christopher would hurt Annabelle in the end. However, there were some things that La could not change. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Since it was Christopher¡¯s choice and Annabelle was willing to do it, Winnie and Zachary were happy about it too. Hence, it seemed like there were no problems with it. Raymond fiddled with his phone and asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, what do you want to talk to me about?¡± ¡°Mr. Quinn, as of now, Xani has no ns to get married. She came to meet you today because Mr. and Mrs. Yeager forced her to,¡± Yuliana answered. Raymond replied faintly with an ¡°oh.¡± He then continued, ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. I¡¯m not interested in Ms. Yeager either.¡± Yuliana was not surprised after hearing Raymond¡¯s answer. She picked up the coffee cup and took a sip. The content of the cup was not coffee but simply warm water. ¡°However, Xani wants to make a deal with you,¡± Yuliana said. Raymond was stunned and suddenly looked up at Yuliana. ¡°A deal.¡± Yuliana nodded in response. ¡°Xani hopes that you can y along with her for a while so that she can deal with her family.¡± Pauline was still sick. Hence, Xandria did not want to have a head-on conflict with her. However, if the blind date with Raymond did not go well today, there would be many blind dates waiting for her after this, and Xandria would be annoyed. Therefore, Xandria discussed the idea with Yuliana while on their way to the caf¨¦. Xandria and Raymond were longtime enemies. It was natural that they did not see eye to eye. Moreover, Raymond was not a well-behaved man, and his family probably forced him to meet Xandria too. Since both Xandria and Raymond were in the same situation, they could actually work together. They could y along with each other and act when needed. They could continue with their respective lives whenever they did not need each other. Yuliana saw Raymond frown and hurriedly said, ¡°Of course, Mr. Quinn, Xani will try her best to cooperate, too, if you ever need her.¡± Raymond understood what she meant. Xandria was also forced by her family. That was why she wanted to make a deal and work together with Raymond. Suddenly, Raymond smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to think about?¡± After cleaning up, Xandria still looked like an angry lion. ¡°As a man, you¡¯re not losing anything. I¡¯m the one who will be at a disadvantage. My reputation will be ruined if I have something to do with you.¡± Raymond sneered, ¡°Then, don¡¯t look for me. Go find someone else!¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± Just then, Raymond¡¯s phone rang. He picked it up and looked at it. He then clicked on the screen a few times. Suddenly, Raymond looked at Yuliana and said, ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. Otherwise, shall we grab something to eat first and chat while eating?¡± ¡°Who wants to have dinner with you?¡± Xandria retorted. ¡°Okay then!¡± Raymond rose to his feet and continued, ¡°When I go backter, I¡¯ll tell Mrs. Yeager that we¡¯ve liked each other for a long time and want to get married immediately. I¡¯ll ask her to prepare for our wedding immediately!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Xandria¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Raymond as if he was a psycho. Yuliana pulled Xandria and said, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s almost time for dinner anyway. I¡¯m a little hungry too.¡± After hearing what Yuliana said, Xandria could only tolerate Raymond for now. Raymond smiled, turned around, and walked out of the caf¨¦ first. Xandria red at his back for a few seconds and said to Yuliana, ¡°Yuliana, why did you agree to have dinner. with him? If you are hungry, we can eat by ourselves.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to work with him? Won¡¯t you need to eat with him often in the future in order to deal with your family? I think you should change this bad temper of yours. Otherwise, you will be at a disadvantage,¡± Yuliana replied. Raymond found a Clusian restaurant nearby and asked for a private room. After the three of them sat down and finished ordering, the private room door was pushed open from outside. Yuliana¡¯s vision was a blur. Suddenly, her gaze was fixated on someone. Yuliana then saw Christopher enter the private room with a young girl. Looking at the two who had just arrived, Raymond leaned against the chair, smiled, and said, ¡°You came just in time. We just ordered the dishes.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Is It That Funny? Christopher gave him a nonchnt look and sat down with the young woman he came with. And of course, they had to be seated directly opposite Yuliana ¨C the ce that would immediately enter her field of vision every time she looked up. Raymond let out a light chuckle before turning to Yuliana and Xandria. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, Ms. Yeager, do you mind two more people joining us here?¡± Xandria¡¯s appetite was long gone, as the two people she hated the most were right in front of her. Just as she was about to speak, Yuliana subtly pressed down on her hand under the table. Confused, Xandria cast a nce at her friend. All Yuliana said to Raymond was, ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± She didn¡¯t say that just for Xandria¡¯s sake, but also because she remembered the unpleasant times she had with Christopher. It would be troublesome if they angered Christopher and made a scene in the restaurant. Christopher gave Yuliana a sideway nce after hearing her words and then looked away. ¡°d you don¡¯t mind.¡± Raymond grinned and shifted his focus to the young woman beside Christopher. ¡°And what, pray tell, is the name of this gorgeous youngdy?¡± The girl smiled sweetly. ¡°Just call me Izzy.¡± Raymond took a sip of tea and continued asked, ¡°So how exactly did Chris meet you, Izzy Sweetie?¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°We met at a bar just a few days ago,¡± replied Izzy. Xandria clicked her tongue as soon as she heard that. The sound was just loud enough to attract everyone¡¯s attention. As Christopher fiddled with his phone, he gave Xandria a nd look. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Xandria gave him a razor-sharp smile and said, ¡°Oh, so now I can¡¯t even use my own mouth as I please? Mr. Sce is just way too nice!¡± Christopher lifted the corners of his lips, giving the impression that he was smiling. Yet, his eyes were cold and hard, giving a sense of oppression to the one he was staring at. It was Christopher who started the drama regarding the love letter in the first ce. But Xandria only dared to battle him with her words, not her fists. She dared to fight Raymond, but not the evil-looking Christopher. Under Christopher¡¯s stare, Xandria felt her throat constrict unwillingly. She swallowed hard, and the rest of her provocative words went back down her throat. Raymond could see that Xandria was afraid of Christopher and couldn¡¯t stop himself from chuckling. Thinking back to Xandria¡¯s overbearing attitude toward him in the coffee shop, he enjoyed the sharp change in her attitude. ¡°Afraid of something, chubby girl?¡± Xandria red at him coldly. ¡°Who¡¯s afraid now?¡± Raymond merely shrugged and said under his breath, ¡°Well, I know I¡¯m not. Not so sure about you, though.¡± That managed to set Xandria off. ¡°You wanna fight here, jerk?¡± Hearing the childish exchange of curses between the two, Izzy, who was beside Christopher, couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Izzy¡¯sughter made the others in the private room turn toward her simultaneously. In an instant, her smile froze on her face. Christopher¡¯s tone was ice cold as he asked, ¡°Is it that funny?¡± ¡°Um..¡± Izzy looked at the four before her and shook her head immediately. ¡°No. Not funny.¡± At the very least, this minor interlude managed to ease the tension between Raymond and Xandria. Izzy, however, began to feel ufortable. It was as if the four others were in a group, while she was the redundant one. ¡°But I was the one who came with Christopher in the first ce, though,¡± she grumbled to herself silently. ¡°Chris Izzy called out in a pitiful voice, her eyes even starting to turn red. Christopher merely shot her a cold nce and uttered, ¡°How about you go out and cry your eyes out beforeing back in?¡± It took all Izzy had to hold back her tears and force a smile at Christopher instead. ¡°Chris, you have to be gentle to beautifuldies. Or else you¡¯ll seem like a clown in front of Ms. Livingstone and Ms. Yeager.¡± Raymond kicked Christopher¡¯s chair, then tried to smooth the situation over. ¡°Izzy Sweetie, please don¡¯t hold a grudge against Chris. He¡¯s just a little bad-tempered.¡± Hearing Raymond¡¯s words, Christopher casually swept his gaze over Yuliana and happened to meet her eyes. But thetter broke their eye contact almost immediately. Then, the door to the private room was pushed open by a few waiters, who served them one dish after another. Christopher gazed upon the tes of tasty looking food and nced at Raymond. ¡°You ordered all of these?¡± Raymond seemed startled by the question. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± he asked his friend back. He was pretty sure that several dishes were Christopher¡¯s favorites. Other than that, he also ordered the restaurant¡¯s signature dishes. After a few seconds of silence, Christopher spat out a ¡°No problem,¡± and that was that. During the meal, an awfully silent atmosphere hung over the private room. Yuliana didn¡¯t have much to say; Xandria was afraid that the table would be flipped over if she spoke a single word, so she chose to shut up; Christopher was not a talkative person in the first ce, while Izzy was sulky thanks to the previous incident. Even Raymond had a hard time swallowing his food in this atmosphere. He scanned the room with his eyes, Finally, he fixed his gaze on Izzy. ¡°Izzy Sweetie, you must still be studying, right?¡± Izzy stared for a bit before answering. ¡°Uh, yeah. Senior year.¡± Raymond kept the conversation going. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re about to graduate then. Which university are you in?¡± ¡°Juxshire University,¡± Izzy replied. A smile bloomed across Raymond¡¯s face at that. ¡°Hey; that makes you my junior!¡± Hearing that, a smile finally started to form on Izzy¡¯s face. ¡°Raymond, you also went to Juxshire University?¡± Raymond nced at the others and said, ¡°Not just me. All of them also went to Juxshire University.¡± Xandria wanted to roll her eyes as soon as she heard Raymond¡¯s words. With how poor Raymond¡¯s and Christopher¡¯s grades were in high school, it was a miracle that they managed to enter Juxshire University. And now, he was shamelessly saying that he belonged to Juxshire University. Raymond suddenly switched targets to look at Yuliana and Xandria, grinning as he did. ¡°That said, I¡¯ve known Chris, Ms. Livingstone, and Ms. Yeager since elementary school. I remember that Chris was even in the same ss as those two back then. Yet, this is the first time we sat down and had a meal together.¡± Yuliana was stunned hearing Raymond¡¯s words. Just as he said, she, Xandria, and Christopher had been ssmates since elementary school. However, she didn¡¯t know Raymond until she was in middle school. She had no memory of meeting him in elementary school at all. On the other hand, Yuliana and Xandria had known each other since kindergarten and had always shared the same ss after that. Christopher probably transferred to their ss at one point, maybe in the second or third grade. Yuliana didn¡¯t remember too many details other than that. However, she did vaguely remember the day when Christopher transferred over and the teacher brought him into the ssroom. With his slightly curled hair and pale skin, he stared coldly at his new ssmates from his spot on the podium. Although the teacher asked him to introduce himself, he strode right over to thest row of the ssroom with his bag and sat down, not saying a single word the entire time. Xandria frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°Really? Why do I have no memory of this? Yuliana, was Christopher really in the same ss as us in elementary school?¡± Yuliana poked at the food in her bowl as she said lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± As soon as Yuliana said those words, a loud noise nged through the room. Xandria raised her eyes, realizing Christopher had dropped a porcin spoon into his bowl. His face was incredibly dark as if someone there owed him a few hundred thousand dors. Xandria immediately thought to herself, ¡°Honestly, did a nerve ending of mine have fried in high school? How did I think that Christopher was handsome?¡± After a brief session of internal debate, she concluded that she was too naive in high school. She loved watching animation and idol groups back then So when she saw that Christopher had dyed his hair blonde, along with him being tall, thin, and somewhat good-looking, she couldn¡¯t help but fall in love. Now, the heap of golden fur draped over Christopher¡¯s head was a ridiculous sight to behold for her. Raymond stole a nce at Christopher¡¯s sour face and clicked his tongue. But he didn¡¯t say anything else and drank a mouthful of soup instead. With an icy stare, Christopher shot back at him, ¡°So full of nonsense today, huh? Even all this good food can¡¯t keep you from running your damn mouth!¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Just Throw It Away Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Seeing that Yuliana didn¡¯t eat much, Xandria remembered that her friend didn¡¯t have a good appetite during lunch as well. So, she put a tender piece of beef brisket into Yuliana¡¯s bowl and said, ¡°It tastes good ¨C pretty rich and tender.¡± As soon as Yuliana saw the beef being plopped down into her bowl, she felt her stomach tighten, and an unpleasant look crept onto her face. She forced her lips close, barely suppressing the wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm her. Immediately, she got up and announced, ¡°I need to use the restroom. You guys can eat first.¡± With that, she exited the private room in a hurry. Xandria was taken aback and worried by her friend¡¯s sudden departure. She was about to leave her seat and chase after Yuliana when Raymond suddenly asked, ¡°Ms, Yeager, what¡¯s wrong with Ms. Livingstone?¡± Distracted by Raymond, the thought of chasing after Yuliana vanished from Xandria¡¯s mind. She gave Raymond a dark look, feeling many vicious words bubbling their way up her throat again. Yet, she did feel that something was off when she met Yuliana just now. Yuliana seemed to have lost a lot of weight, and her face was slightly pale. Usually, Yuliana would put on some makeup when they met. Yet, today was an exception. Today, she wore no makeup at all, and the circles around her eyes seemed darker than usual. She knew that her friend was different from her. Yuliana was not a night owl; she maintained a regr sleep schedule and had healthy skin as a result. And Xandria had always envied that wlessly smooth and white skin of Yuliana¡¯s. The more Xandria thought about it, the more she felt that something was off. Still concerned, she was about to go to the restroom and take a look. But suddenly, Christopher got up swiftly and exited the private room before she did. Xandria hesitated and thought for a bit. Ultimately, she decided against going out to avoid running into Christopher. It had been a while since Yuliana went out, so she should be back soon anyway. As Yuliana didn¡¯t eat much, nothing woulde out, even though she kept retching and gagging. Yet, her nausea wouldn¡¯t subside. Wave after wave it came, to the point that she wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if her guts found their way out of her throat. ¡°Are you okay?¡± There was a knock on the cubicle door, and a woman¡¯s voice sounded outside. Yuliana couldn¡¯t respond immediately. But after the wave of nausea passed, she managed to squeeze out a reply. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The sound of footsteps outside faded away, and Yuliana thought that the woman had left. She took some more time to steady herself, remembering to flush the toilet before she exited the cubicle. Then, she went to a sink, rinsed her mouth, washed her face, and tidied up her hair. When the restroom door was opened again, a waitress walked in. She smiled politely at Yuliana and said, ¡°Is your stomach all right, Miss? I just went to the reception desk to get some medicine. Maybe you should take some.¡± Yuliana stared nkly at her for a moment before asking. ¡°Were you the one who talked to me a while back?¡± The waitress nodded. ¡°Yes, I was using the restroom just now when I heard you retching. Is your stomach upset?¡± ¡°Thank you. But I don¡¯t need the medicine.¡± Yuliana gave the waitress a nod and a weak smile. Passing the waitress, she pulled the door open and walked out of the restroom. The waitress stared at the medicine in her hand, not knowing how to deal with it. After a while, she exited the restroom and was startled to see the gentleman before waiting outside. ¡°Sir, this medicine¡­¡± *Just throw it away.¡± When Yuliana returned to the private room, Christopher was absent, and there were some iner- tasting dishes on the table. The steamed pumpkin seemed nice, so she stabbed a piece with her fork and tasted it. It had just the right amount of sweetness, and the piece seemingly melted in her mouth with how soft it was. She couldn¡¯t help but stab another piece of it. Xandria couldn¡¯t help but notice her friend¡¯s still-pale face and asked worriedly, ¡°Are you okay, Yuliana?¡± Yuliana gave her a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Xandria put down her fork. ¡°But you don¡¯t look good to me.¡± Yuliana lowered her eyelids and was about to say, ¡°Tell youter.¡± However, then she heard the door open, and Christopher came into the private room. She swallowed those words at once, instead opting to say, ¡°My stomach¡¯s not been doing well recently.¡± Xandria frowned. ¡°Seen a doctor yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Xandria nodded lightly. Then, you should be more careful. Remember to tell me if anything happens.¡± Yuliana hummed lightly. When the meal was about to end, Raymond suddenly piped up, ¡°Hey, chubby girl. After thinking it through, I¡¯ve decided to cooperate with you.¡± Hearing that, Xandria didn¡¯t feel all that happy at first, believing that Raymond had set up an borate trap for her. She took a moment to scan Raymond¡¯s face. When she realized that he was being frank, Xandria hesitantly asked, ¡°Really?¡± Raymond sounded surprisingly sincere when he said, ¡°Really. I promise!¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t seem to be lying, Xandria was somewhat relieved. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss itter.¡± Raymond responded with an ¡°okay¡± gesture. With the annoying issues now dealt with, Xandria¡¯s uneasiness was gone with the wind. She hadn¡¯t had nearly enough fun yet, so how could she bind herself to the shackles of marriage so early? Now that Raymond agreed to cooperate with her, her parents should give her more breathing space regarding the matter. After dinner, the group stepped out of the restaurant together. Out of the corner of his eyes, Raymond scanned Christopher, Yuliana, and then Xandria. He eventually cleared his throat and said, ¡°So I¡¯ll send you home, chubby girl?¡± As Raymond agreed to cooperate with her, Xandria¡¯s gaze at him was slightly more pleasant than before. ¡°No need. I drove here earlier, so I¡¯ll just go back on my own.¡± Raymond replied, ¡°If you wanna act out a y, you gotta do it properly. Or do you think Mr. and Mrs. Yeager would believe in our lies that easily?¡± Xandria contemted that for a while and realized that he was right. Her parents were very sharp-eyed indeed. Nevertheless, Xandria looked over at Yuliana. Her friend immediately saw through her thoughts and smiled assuredly. ¡°It¡¯s still quite early. I¡¯ll take a taxi back.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± Raymond frowned in displeasure at the thought. Suddenly, he turned to Christopher and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you send Ms. Livingstone home, Chris? You have nothing much to do, right? And I don¡¯t think Izzy Sweetie would mind it anyway.¡± Although Christopher was swiping idly at his phone, once he heard Raymond¡¯s words, his eyes shot up immediately to give his friend an icy re. Izzy¡¯s eyes flicked to Christopher, and she gave Raymond a smile that slightly resembled a grimace. Reluctantly, she said, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t mind it.¡± As soon as she squeezed those words out, her phone suddenly rang. She took a look at it, and her face darkened almost immediately. After a while, she pursed her lips and told the others, ¡°Sorry, my friend¡¯s in trouble. I have to go away.¡± there right ¡°Huh?¡± Raymond let out a surprised sound, his eyes darting toward Christopher subconsciously. Christopher looked calm, seerning to not have much care for the sudden news. Turning to Izzy with unfazed eyes, he said, ¡°Go then. Be carefu! on your way there.¡± Izzy glowered at him and snorted lightly. Swiveling on her heels, she left and never turned back. Raymond rubbed the tip of his nose and chuckled. ¡°Since Izzy Sweetie had to go, do make sure he gets home. safely, Ms. Livingstone!¡± Before Christopher could agree to that arrangement, Yuliana hurriedly interjected, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to bother Mr. Sce. It¡¯s very convenient to get a taxi anyway.¡± Raymond countered her proposal instantly, ¡°Nah, how is that bothering him? Besides, aren¡¯t you feeling unwell, Ms. Livingstone? Ms. Yeager would worry even more if something happened to you during your taxi ride.¡± For the first time in forever, Xandria agreed that Raymond¡¯s words made sense. With furrowed brows, she hurriedly took Yuliana¡¯s hand. ¡°That jerk¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe for you to ride a taxi home by yourself. Why not¡­¡± Yuliana took a sideway nce at Christopher. Although Christopher¡¯s a piece of shit, she knew that at the very least, he wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to Yuliana. Before Yuliana could say anything, Christopher curled his lips and snapped at her, ¡°Are we leaving or not? Stop wasting my time!¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Stop Crying ¡°I shouldn¡¯t trouble you, Mr. Sce. I¡¯ll hail a taxl myself,¡± said Yuliana indifferently yet resolutely. Christopher shot Yuliana a cold gaze upon hearing that. He pursed his thin lips and curled them into a sneer. He turned and left without saying anything. ¡°Chris!¡± Raymond shouted. Christopher ignored him, walking away without looking back. After Christopher walked far enough, Raymond shook his head and clicked his tongue annoyingly. He nced at Yuliana before speaking to Xandria. ¡°Hey, chubby girl, I have something to do tonight. I¡¯ll visit Mr. and Mrs. Yeager at the Yeager residence some other day!¡± As soon as Raymond finished his sentence, he followed Christopher right away. Xandria let out a snort. ¡°What the hell?¡± Raymond had offered to send Xandria back a minute ago. In the end, he excused himself and ran off first. ¡°Who cares if you don¡¯t give me a lift?¡± After saying that, Xandria turned to Yuliana and dered, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Yuliana. I¡¯ll send you back!¡± It was gettingte, and the sky was turning darker. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. On the way back, Xandria told Yuliana that Christopher would marry Annabelle. Suddenly hearing that news, Yuliana took quite a moment to process the information. ¡°What would Harry be once Annabelle marries Christopher?¡± she mused. That was the first thought that came to her mind upon returning to her senses. When Yuliana was in a daze, Xandria said sarcastically. ¡°This is what we called retribution! Harry is but a disgraceful, illegitimate child. Back then, he did everything he could to climb the socialdder. He thought attaining status while dressing up in a ssy tuxedo would make him a man from the upper echelon, didn¡¯t he? In Annabelle¡¯s eyes, he¡¯s nothing more than apdog. Annabelle still dumped him like three years ago and chose to be with a nobleman, Mr. Sce¡­¡± ¡°Stop it, Xani!¡± Yuliana interrupted, hushing her friend altogether. Xandria was unhappy to hear that. ¡°You¡¯re still defending him!¡± Xandria could not figure out the reason. ¡°What charm does Harry have to make Yuliana devote to him for the past decade? That jerk even divorced Yuliana to be with Annabelle, but Yuliana¡¯s still defending him,¡± she pondered. ¡°I¡¯m not defending him¡­¡± Yuliana wanted to exin, but she felt that Xandria might not understand her. Back when Yuliana chose to marry Harry, they both knew that Harry had agreed to the marriage only because Yuliana was Damian¡¯s daughter, not because of love. It was just Yuliana¡¯s wishful thinking that Harry would one day fall for her. In the past three years of their marriage, although Harry had not fulfilled his obligation as a husband, he had not mistreated her. The only downside of their marriage was the somewhat displeasing scene during their divorce. Xandria did not believe Yuliana¡¯s words at all. She only thought that Yuliana was still not over Harry. ¡°I¡¯m so mad at you, Yuliana!¡± she fumed. In Xandria¡¯s opinion, Harry was a heartless ugly duckling through and through. During their senior year in university, Harry had been dumped by Annabelle before he went to woo Yuliana. Harry had somehow managed to sweet-talk Yuliana and bewitched her. After graduation, Yuliana married Harry. Immediately afterward, Harry returned to the Ziegler family as Damian¡¯s son-inw. Over the past three years, Harry had been ruthless and had done whatever it took to be the second-inmand of the Ziegler Group. After gaining fame and fortune, he, however, turned his back on Yuliana and got a divorce, leaving her side with no strings attached. When Yuliana had just gotten divorced, Xandria held back the urge to say anything for fear that Yuliana would be upset. After several months, Xandria thought that Yuliana would have more or less let go of what had happened. She never expected Yuliana to defend Harry right after she dropped some remarks about that man. Of course, Yuliana knew that Xandria was only worried about her and was just standing up for her. ¡°Xani, I¡¯m not trying to defend him at all.¡± Xandria gestured for Yuliana to stop talking. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You don¡¯t have to exin anymore. You¡¯d onlye off as if you¡¯re hiding something. I get what you mean, and I don¡¯t want to end up giving you the silent treatment again for months just because of Harry!¡± When Yuliana decided to marry Harry, Xandria had been very opposed to that decision and even fought with Yuliana, giving thetter the silent treatment for quite some time. Yuliana knew that Xandria was angry, so she did not want to argue with Xandria. She would wait for Xandria to simmer down before talking to Xandria again. The two of them did not utter another word after that. After dropping Yuliana off at the residential area entrance, Xandria left. When Yuliana reached home, she rested for a bit. It was barely after 9 pm. when she finished her shower. She turned on theputer to prepare for her uing lessons. Sometimeter, the room suddenly went dark as all the lights went out. Yuliana was dumbfounded. It had been two months since she moved to Maple Garden, but it was the first time she had encountered such a situation. Yuliana looked out of the window, only to see a power supply for the rest of themunity in the residential area Her home was the only household to experience a power outage. Yuliana¡¯s mind was in a mess. She did not know what to do. After thinking for a while, she fumbled to find her phone and called thendlord. Thendlord suggested, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time for you to pay the electricity bill. Why don¡¯t you swipe the electricity card at the meter first? It shouldst you for a couple of days. You should settle the electricity bill as soon as possible.¡± Yuliana did what thendlord told her to do. After she swiped the electricity card at the meter, her home was still pitch ck. Since thendlord lived quite far from Yuliana, thendlord was helpless just as well and suggested Yuliana seek help from the management office. Yuliana then dialed the management office¡¯s number. The staff of the management office on duty arranged for an electrician toe over for inspection, but the electrician was busy at that moment and could onlye over after half an hour. All Yuliana could do was wait. As time passed, Yuliana sat on the couch in the living room and looked at her phone. The entire space was dark with only a glimmer of light from her phone screen. She checked the time and found that half an hour had passed, yet the electrician had yet to arrive. When Yuliana wanted to call the management office again to ask, she heard a knock on the door. She thought it was the electrician, so she hurriedly got up from the couch to answer the door. However, as soon as the door was opened, a tall, shadowy figure approached and tried to press Yuliana down. before she could even see the face of the person. Yuliana could not bear the heavy weight of that person and subconsciously took a few steps backward. At that moment, the shadowy figure pressed against Yuliana¡¯s body and pushed her into the house. That person then closed the door behind him and pressed Yuliana against the door instead. The process was so fast that Yuliana had no time to react. She could only feel a sharp pain on her lips. Only then did she realize what situation she was in. A sudden burst of fear assailed her heart. Yuliana struggled hard to resist. The person clenched her wrist with one hand and gripped her chin with the other, forcing her to raise her head. Yuliana could not get a clear view of the person¡¯s face in the dark. All she had was a blur vision of that person¡¯s features. She was so scared that tears began to gush out of her eyes and stream down her cheeks. Suddenly, the person paused momentarily before gently kissing her cheeks covered with tears. A hoarse male voice then rang out. ¡°Stop crying¡­¡± Upon hearing that voice, Yuliana was stunned for a moment, but her body was still trembling uncontrobly. and she shed even more tears. As Yuliana trembled in fear, she clenched her teeth, forcing herself to call out, ¡°Christopher!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Christopher grunted a faint reply as he continued to kiss her face, the tip of her nose, and her lips. Yuliana¡¯s chest was inundated with mixed emotions. She felt bitter and ufortable, yet there was no way for her to vent. Her tears continuously flowed out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She could not stop herself from crying, so even her body began to spasm. ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Christopher said impatiently. He let go of Yuliana¡¯s hand and chin as he listened to her sobbing. Yuliana¡¯s cries were like a chanting spell, which made Christopher feel a bit of a headache. He did not know how to stop the woman from crying. After a while, Christopher clumsily wiped away Yuliana¡¯s tears and threatened, ¡°If you cry again, I¡¯ll take off your clothes.¡± When Yuliana heard that threat, she gradually stopped dropping tears. It was not that she was afraid of the threat, but she felt ashamed to cry like a fool in front of Christopher. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 It Is Only A Marriage Yuliana shoved away Christopher¡¯s hands, wiped off the trace of tears on her face, and ordered in a tense voice, ¡°Get out of the way.¡± The shadowy figure in front of Yuliana remained motionless. Yuliana could not help but push the man in front of her. Unexpectedly, the shadowy figure in front of her stumbled back a couple of steps even though she did not exert much force. Then, a muffled sound was heard, like something huge had hit the floor. ¡°Yuliana!¡± There came the voice of that man who was gritting his teeth. Yuliana¡¯s eyebrows twitched. She thought Christopher would leap up from the floor and get even with her. Be that as it might, after Yuliana waited for a few seconds, the man on the floor did not budge at all. She was a little worried, so she quickly searched for her phone and turned on the shlight, shining the light toward the floor. Christopher was already dizzy and had a headache at that point. As the bright light shone on his face, he felt even more ufortable. He frowned and instinctively raised his hand to block the light from reaching his eyes. ¡°Turn it off!¡± hemanded. ¡°Oh? So, he¡¯s not injured, huh,¡± Yuliana thought. Yuliana was relieved. She stepped forward to kick Christopher on his somewhat bent leg. ¡°Get up.¡± Christopher slightly opened his eyes. ¡°I dare you to kick me again.¡± Yuliana fell silent for a brief moment before deciding to try it. Raising her foot, she kicked the man a couple of times. ¡°There! I kicked you again. What about it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret it!¡± Christopher suddenly turned over and stood up from the floor. Seeing that something was wrong, Yuliana tried to escape, but Christopher had already grabbed her from behind by the waist before she could do that. Panicked, Yuliana screamed, and her phone slipped from her hand and fell onto the floor. When Yuliana regainedposure, she was already pressed on the couch by Christopher. The house went dark once again with the shlight gone. Only the dim light from outside could be seen coming through the window. Yuliana looked up, only to see the man¡¯s face hanging above hers. She could not get a good look but only a blurry outline of the man¡¯s face. Yet, for some reason, she suddenly felt that Christopher¡¯s dark eyes were extraordinarily bright even in the dark, which was completely different from the emotionless eyes she usually saw. She pressed her hand against Christopher¡¯s chest, and her face flushed with anger. ¡°Get off me.¡± Christopher grabbed Yuliana¡¯s wrist and pinned her hand above her head. sping her waist, the man said harshly, ¡°I won¡¯t. I warned you. You insisted on kicking me.¡± Yuliana bellowed angrily, ¡°This is my home!¡± ¡°He came to my house thiste at night after getting himself drunk. What¡¯s wrong with me giving him a few kicks?¡± she yelled. ¡°So what?¡± A chuckle escaped from Christopher¡¯s lips. He caressed Yuliana¡¯s soft waist with his palm as if he could never get enough of the wornan. Gradually, the man¡¯s breath became heavier. Christopher lowered his head and kissed Yuliana¡¯s ear. With a hoarse, deep voice, he coaxed, ¡°Yuliana, let¡¯s do it again!¡± ¡°No!¡± Yuliana avoided Christopher¡¯s mouth and refused without hesitation. Christopher raised his head slightly and stared at Yuliana for a while. He, for one, had excellent eyesight. Even in a highly dark environment like that, he could read Yuliana¡¯s expression. The woman was so disgusted that she did not even bother to pretend. Christopher curled his lips into a mocking smirk. He burrowed his head into Yuliana¡¯s neck and took a deep breath. Then he said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll shut my eyes for a bit. Don¡¯t move. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee what I¡¯ll do to youter.¡± After Christopher dropped that remark, his breathing slowed, and the hot air he exhaled was all over Yuliana¡¯s skin. That made Yuliana feel a burning sensation on the spot. Ufortable, she moved a little, only to feel a stinging pain in her neck. Christopher bit her. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± he said with a muffled voice. He then pecked lightly at the position where he bit. A short whileter, his breathing became steady once again. Yuliana listened to Christopher¡¯s breathing and dared not move anymore. A momentter, Yuliana could feel that the man¡¯s grip on her wrist finally loosened. She carefully broke free and tried to push that man off her body Unfortunately, she failed to get him to budge even slightly. One¡¯s vision would be weak in the dark. Even so, other senses would be acute, including hearing, touch, and smell. That was especially true when it came to the sense of smell. Perhaps because the two of them were too close to each other, the smell of alcohol on the man¡¯s body was pronounced and detectable to Yuliana. Moreover, some fragrance was covered by the pungent smell of alcohol. It seemed to be the scent of sandalwood, and it was so faint that it could have gone unnoticed if Yuliana had not paid much attention to discern it. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The scent of sandalwood did not seem toe from perfumes or sandalwood bracelets but more likely from incense. Yuliana opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, slowly breathing out the stagnant air caught up in her chest. She was thinking about kicking Christopher to the floor after the man fell into a deep sleep. Yuliana could not concentrate at all because of the man¡¯s shallow breathing. On the other night, when Yuliana was with Christopher, she had been drunk. Although she could roughly remember what had happened after she became sober, she still felt that some sensations were missing. However, it was the first time Yuliana slept with a man so intimately when she was wide awake. She tried hard to let her thoughts wander about something else, such as the lesson she would give next week and the students in the ss. Suddenly, Yuliana remembered the electrician. ¡°Isn¡¯t the electrician supposed to be here by now? More than half an hour had passed, so why hasn¡¯t he arrived yet?¡± she wondered. Yuliana nced at the phone on the floor from the corner of her eyes. The shlight was still on, but it was facing the floor. ¡°My phone didn¡¯t have much battery left before. If things continue to be like this, it¡¯ll probably go t very soon!¡± she muttered to herself. At that moment, sudden vibrationsing from a phone could be heard. Yuliana¡¯s phone screen was still dark, so it had to be Christopher¡¯s phone. Yuliana tried to nudge Christopher as hard as she could, telling him, ¡°Your phone¡¯s ringing.¡± Christopher frowned and did not open his eyes. He soon went back to sleep, seeming to have no intention of answering the phone. The phone suddenly stopped vibrating. After a short while, it vibrated again. Yuliana was annoyed by the noise, so she patted Christopher and voiced, ¡°Answer the phone.¡± Christopher opened his eyes and shot Yuliana a calm gaze. Soon after, he closed his eyes again and commented in a low voice, ¡°Answer it if you want to. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡± Yuliana was rendered speechless. The caller on the other end of the line seemed to be relentless as the person kept calling nonstop. Yuliana could not stand it anymore. She fumbled around Christopher¡¯s body as she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your phone?¡± Christopher ignored her. Yuliana put in a lot of effort before finally locating the man¡¯s phone in his left pocket. Just when she was about to answer the phone, she caught a glimpse of the caller ID ¡°Anna¡± on the screen. Undoubtedly, that was Annabelle¡¯s nickname. After deliberating for a second, Yuliana still hit the answer key. ¡°Chris, where are you?¡± The woman¡¯s sweet, casual voice rang in Yuliana¡¯s ear. Yuliana kept mum for a couple of seconds before uttering. ¡°I¡¯m not Christopher.¡± Upon hearing that voice, Annabelle also fell silent for a while. ¡°Why is his phone with you?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips lightly and revealed, ¡°He¡¯s drunk, If it¡¯s convenient for you, pleasee and pick him up.¡± ¡°Give me the address,¡± prompted Annabelle. ¡°0604, Unit 3, Building 3, Maple Garden.¡± Yuliana hung up the phone right after saying that. ¡°Christopher, Annabelle will be here soon. If you don¡¯t want her to see something she shouldn¡¯t be seeing. you¡¯d better let me get up.¡± Yuliana knew that Christopher was already awake when she was on the phone with Annabelle. Christopher chuckled at that. He still pressed his lips against Yuliana¡¯s neck. ¡°What do you mean by something she shouldn¡¯t be seeing?¡± Yuliana did not know if the man was ignorant or purely ying dumb. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get married to Annabelle? Do you think she¡¯d be happy seeing us like this?¡± ¡°How do you know we¡¯re getting married, huh?¡± Christopher nuzzled Yuliana¡¯s ear with his mouth as he spoke. taking it a little too far. Yuliana frowned and pushed away the man¡¯s head. ¡°Xani told me that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a marriage. Haven¡¯t you also been married before? That didn¡¯t stop Harry from having an affair outside, did it?¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Harry Is Not Shameless Like You Yuliana blurted out without hesitation, ¡°Harry is not as shameless as you!¡± The air instantly froze. After a while, Yuliana realized that she had angered Christopher again. ording to her previous experience, thetter would explode as if he had eaten gunpowder every time she spoke about Harry. In fact, she could understand the reason behind his anger. After all,pared with Christopher, Harry was not inferior in all aspects except for his innate superiority in his background since birth. Yuliana eximed inwardly, Although Harry is an illegitimate child, he at least earned a ce in the family for himself with his ability. On the other hand, Christopher is totally the opposite. He is just an ignorant yboy. Despite being in his twenties, he still acts childishly as though he¡¯s a junior high school student. Even Annabelle has tried to win over Harry¡¯s heart once back then. I think that is probably the reason why Christopher hates Harry. Harry outshines him in every aspect. Even the woman he liked has fallen in love with Harry.> Yuliana thought that her words would irritate Christopher just like before. To her surprise, Christopher did not quarrel with her as before. After a long silence, he said in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me being shameless? Believe it or not. I can be more shameless!¡± Yuliana froze. She then hurriedly pressed Christopher¡¯s hands and said in a solemn voice, ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher humphed. ¡°Are you scared? Don¡¯t mess with me then!¡± Yuliana was stumped for words. She thought, ¡°He¡¯s such a shameless guy! Now, it looks as though he has provoked me instead!¡± However, as Yuliana had learned from her previous experience, she did not continue provoking Christopher. She thought, ¡°Based on the situation, I¡¯d be the one who suffers the loss if I continue to argue against him.¡± After a moment of silence, she reached out her hands and pushed him. ¡°Get up. Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re heavy?¡± Christopher replied unhappily, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m heavy at all.¡± Yuliana whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how many pounds you have?¡± Christopher stared at her for a while without saying anything. After a while, he moved himself away from Yuliana. Thetter immediately sat up from the couch and fixed her clothes. As she was waiting for the electrician toe over, she only wore a sling vest after taking her shower in the first ce. After that, she put on a loose shirt. Unknowingly, as the buttons of her shirt were unbuttoned, the shirt slipped from her shoulder, revealing one side of her shoulder. From Christopher¡¯s point of view, he could see Yuliana¡¯s slender and straight back and right shoulder. Under the dim moonlight, seeing her slightly exposed skin made his imagination go wild. As Yuliana pulled on her shirt and buttoned it, only then did Christopher avert his gaze. As he felt tightness in his throat, he gulped and stared at the ceiling for a while. As though he realized something, he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn on the lights?¡± Yuliana ignored him, stood up, and picked up her phone to look at the time. It was almost 12 o¡¯clock. Furthermore, the battery indication of her phone had turned red as it had less than 20% power left. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°It¡¯ste now. The electrician probably won¡¯t be here tonight,¡± Yuliana thought. Recalling the bad things that happened consecutively over the night, Yuliana was inexplicably annoyed. Seeing that Yuliana ignored him, Christopher added, ¡°Yuliana, you can¡¯t be so poor that you can¡¯t afford the electricity bill, right?¡± Yuliana continued to ignore him. She went into the drawer and rummaged it up. Finally, she found a power bank. However, as it had not been used for a long time, she was uncertain whether it still had power. She tried to connect her phone, but it was not charging. Yuliana was a little frustrated and stood there for a long time without moving. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Upon hearing Christopher¡¯s nonchnt voice, Yuliana came back to her senses and turned around subconsciously to look at him. A tall ck figure was standing at the door of her room. ¡°It has nothing to do with you,¡± Yuliana said coldly. After that, she sat at the dressing table, opened the laptop, and looked at it. She thought, ¡°It has enough battery. I should be able to finish my preparation for next week¡¯s ss.¡± Pretending that Christopher did not exist, she put all her attention into her work. Christopher leaned against the door frame of the room and looked at her silently. The light from the laptop screen shone on her, coating her with ayer of silver light. She was as though the only light in the darkness. About half an hourter, sudden vibrations came from Yuliana¡¯s phone again. Christopher retracted his gaze and turned around to get the phone on the couch. After he looked at the caller ID, he answered the call. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m downstairs. Please tell him toe down. ¡°All right, hold on a second.¡± Upon hearing Christopher¡¯s voice, the person at the other end of the call paused for a moment and then sneered, ¡°It seems that you aren¡¯t so drunk since you didn¡¯t lose consciousness!¡± The phone was hung up before Christopher could reply. Christopher nced in the direction of the room again and left without saying goodbye to Yuliana. Having heard the sound of opening and closing the door, Yuliana stopped clicking on her mouse for a while. The room had turnedpletely quiet. It was so silent that she could hear her heartbeat. She used to think that her house, which was around 400 square feet, was small. However, the thought of her house being spacious suddenly struck her mind. She tossed the weird thought that suddenly appeared in her mind aside and nned to focus on the lesson preparation. However, for some reason, she could not concentrate and could only stare at the screen. After spacing out for a while, she came back to her senses, saved the files, and turned off her laptop. The next morning, the electrician came to check and repair the cabling. The weekends passed by. Soon, it was Monday. Yuliana woke up a littlete in the morning. When she arrived at the office, Lexie was talking to Ariel Tyler seated in front of her. Meanwhile, Fiona pursed his lips with a sullen face and did not join the two¡¯s conversation. Instead, she was preparing the study materials and relevant information needed for her uing ss. Upon seeing Yuliana¡¯s arrival, Lexie immediately shut up. She and the teacher opposite her then stared at Yuliana and sized her up. Yuliana ignored their gaze. When she was about to go to the ssroom to have a look after putting down her stuff, her phone rang up. She then took out her phone to look at it. It was a WhatsApp message from Fiona. Just when Yuliana nced at Fiona, thetter was looking at her. Fiona then winked at Yuliana, signaling her to look at her phone. Yuliana opened WhatsApp to read the message sent by Fiona. It wrote: [Ms. Livingstone, Ms. Anderson somehow knew about your divorce. It has probably spread all over the school now] Yuliana thought, ¡°I knew that it would be impossible to hide my divorce. On the surface, in ces like schools, teachers only have to deal with the students. In fact, in addition to dealing with students, they also need to interact with the students¡¯ parents. Juxshire Primary School is one of the top elernentary schools in Juxshire. Hence, many students have rich and influential backgrounds. If any of them wishes to know about something, they¡¯ll find out about it in no time.¡± She replied to Fiona¡¯s message, [It¡¯s fine.] Yuliana did not take the spread of the news about her divorce to heart. She knew well that some people liked to regard others¡¯ embarrassment and destion as the spice of their lives. The more miserable a person around them became, the happier they would be. Lexie had been staring at Yuliana from the corner of her eyes. She still felt ufortable as she recalled her defeat to thetterst Friday. When Lexie saw Yuliana getting up and preparing to leave with her textbook, she hurriedly called out to thetter, ¡°Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana stopped. ¡®Ms. Anderson, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Lexie exchanged nces with Ariel, who was sitting opposite her, and smiled. She then asked pretentiously as though she was being careful, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I heard that you had a divorce. Is it true?¡± Yuliana replied calmly, ¡°Yes. I had a divorce. Is there any problem?¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 What Are You Staring At? Lexie didn¡¯t expect Yuliana to admit it frankly with a faint smile on her face, keeping her cool while being polite toward Lexie. This reminded Lexie of the first time she met Yuliana. A few days before school reopenedst year, the school had started preparations for the new semester, and it was in the same office that Yuliana also greeted her in the same manner. The first impression Yuliana gave Lexie was different from other teachers in the school. She was not like a teacher in the school, yet she seemed to be like a teacher more than anyone else. She didn¡¯t know how to describe it. In her opinion, Yuliana was the most special among the school¡¯s teachers. Lexie couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to Yuliana, and she somehow felt jealous and envious of thetter. When she first came to Juxshire Primary School, Lexie also wanted to have a good rtionship with Yuliana, but Yuliana had a better rtionship with Fiona. Hence, she wasn¡¯t able to fit into their clique. Since Fiona was a country bumpkin, Lexie thought she wasn¡¯t half as bad as Fiona, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what Yuliana liked about thetter. Once, she made a joke about Fiona, which made Yuliana unhappy. Consequently, Yuliana chastised Lexie in front of the other teachers, humiliating her. Since then, Lexie had always considered Yuliana to be an eyesore to her.. However, the students in Yuliana¡¯s ss had better grades than her students. Yuliana was younger and even more beautiful than her. Even though she was already married, Yuliana was still more popr at school with the opposite sex than Lexie. Most importantly, Yuliana had married a young, handsome, and rich husband. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh resentfully. ¡°How could Yuliana get all the nice things?¡± Nevertheless, after learning about Yuliana¡¯s divorce, Lexie was so happy that she couldn¡¯t sleep well at night, fantasizing about how she would trample and humiliate Yuliana under her feet. But now, seeing how calm and collected Yuliana was and how unbothered she was about the divorce, Lexie¡¯s excitement dropped drastically. After a while, she smiled stiffly and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was just concerned about you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯ll head to the ssroom first, Ms. Anderson.¡± Yuliana nodded slightly and left the office with her textbooks. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, wait for me!¡± Fiona shouted behind Yuliana and chased after her with a stack of workbooks. Yuliana stopped in her tracks and waited for Fiona toe out. Then they walked together toward the school building. She looked at the workbooks in Fiona¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Did you work overtime again on the weekends?¡± Fiona replied helplessly, ¡°I have no choice.¡± She and Yuliana joined Juxshire Primary School in the same year, and they both taught first-year students from the beginning. However, after three years, the grades of the two sses were miles apart. ¡°By the way, how did Ms. Anderson know about your divorce?¡± Fiona suddenly asked. Yuliana pondered for a while and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s not a secret anyway. It¡¯s fine if they know about it.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m sure you had no idea how horrible Ms. Anderson and Ms. Tyler were when talking about you before you came into the office.¡± Fiona was enraged at the thought of Lexie and Ariel¡¯s remarks. All of them had been working together in the same office for several years. They clearly knew what kind of person Yuliana really was. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°How can they simply specte and spread rumors at their own will? Fiona fumed inwardly. Yulianaforted her instead. ¡°Let them talk about it. In any case, they weren¡¯t saying it in front of me. When they¡¯re done talking, there won¡¯t be anything more to gossip about me.¡± Fiona didn¡¯t expect Yuliana to be so open-minded. ¡°You really don¡¯t care about their opinions?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care.¡± Yuliana smiled before she continued, ¡°But even if I care about them, they¡¯re not going to stop gossiping about me anyway.¡± Fiona thought what Yuliana said made sense, yet she still felt angry. Yuliana¡¯s divorce was discussed privately within the school for a few days. Harsh and disrespectful statements were also heard. In spite of that, Yuliana didn¡¯t respond to those remarks at all, and those who were waiting to enjoy the drama gradually lost interest after they realized there was nothing else to see anymore. Nheless, their gazes were somehow different when they saw Yuliana in school. Ever since their meeting ended in discordst Saturday, Yuliana and Xandria had not contacted each other for several days. On Thursday, Yuliana sent a message to Xandria, inviting thetter to have dinner together on the weekend, hoping to ease the tension between them. However, Xandria did not respond after the message was sent, even after Yuliana had gotten off work. When she got home, Yuliana called Xandria directly. The phone continued to ring, but no one answered it until it hung up on its own. Yuliana stopped calling after that. Once she had made some seafood pasta and finished her dinner, Yuliana began to mark the students¡¯ homework she had brought back from school. After that, she read some lesson ns for a while. When she was about to go to bed at around ten at night, Yuliana hesitated for a moment before deciding to give Xandria another call. She didn¡¯t think she and Xandria should keep ignoring each other because of Harry. He was not worth it. The call was answered quickly this time.. ¡°Xani.¡± ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s Larry.¡± Besides Larry¡¯s voice, noisy and harsh music could be heard over the phone. It was obvious that they were in a bar or a nightclub. Yuliana asked, ¡°Where is Xani?¡± Larry replied, ¡°Xani is drunk, and now she¡¯s going berserk over here, Yuliana! Could youe over? I¡¯m worried that she¡¯s going to cause troubleter!¡± Yuliana frowned upon hearing his reply. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Before Larry could respond further, Yuliana heard a scream from the other end of the line. Her heart sank. Immediately, Yuliana lifted her nket, got out of bed, and said, ¡°Send me the address. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± The bar was already in disarray when Yuliana arrived. Xandria and Kathryn were both ring murderously at the people across them while some of their friends managed to restrain them. On the other side, Annabelle and herpanions stood opposite them, neither side benefiting from the scuffle. Yuliana hurried to Larry, who was grabbing Xandria¡¯s arm, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Larry seemed hesitant at first but eventually remained silent. Yuliana looked at Xandria and noticed that her hair was messy and there were several blood marks on her face. It was obvious they were caused by nail scratches. She couldn¡¯t help but frown deeply at the sight of that ¡°Xani!¡± Hearing Yuliana¡¯s voice, Xandria Yuliana. She snorted. ¡°What are med down a little, but it was apparent that she was still quite mad at you doing here?¡± A cold expression appeared on Xandria¡¯s face as she looked away from Yuliana and red angrily at Annabelle, who stood not far away from her. Annabelle sneered, ¡°What are you staring at? Xandria, I¡¯m not done with you tonight!¡± There was a sudden sound of a patrol car outside. The authorities eventually took away both parties involved in the bar brawl. Yuliana had also followed them to the police station. It was only after Larry told her the entire story that she understood what Annabelle meant by ¡°not done¡± with Xandria. Initially, Xandria, Larry, and their friends were in the bar enjoying themselves when Annabelle and her friends arrivedter. That night, Xandria had drunk too much since she had been in a bad mood recently. On the other hand, Kathryn despised Annabelle terribly. Due to their intoxication, both parties started to cause a scene at the bar. A few words were being exchanged between them at first, but eventually, a fight broke out between them. Most importantly, Xandria and Kathryn were the ones who started the fight. Both parties who were involved in the fight made their statements and were reprimanded by the police while Yuliana waited outside the station. She knew very well that Annabelle¡¯s refusal to let it go would make resolving this matter difficult. Suddenly there was a sound of footsteps approaching from far away. Upon regaining her senses, Yuliana tilted her head and saw Harry walking over to her. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Is Mr. Sce Jealous? Upon seeing Yuliana, Harry paused for a moment, nced at her in silence, and then hurried into the room. However, the person who came with Harry nodded gently at Yuliana. Yuliana remembered that he was Harry¡¯swyer, Yancey. He was thewyer who handled the divorce between Harry and her. After the two entered, Yuliana massaged her temples as the lights in the police station were a little too bright. After a while, she heard Kathryn and Xandria¡¯s loud voices that sounded from inside. Yuliana got up and quickly walked in. Xandria¡¯s eyes reddened as she was obviously a little scared of breaking thew. Meanwhile, Kathryn was staring at Annabelle, as if wanting to kill her with eyes. Annabelle sat in a chair with a ck suit draped over her body. It was clear that the coat belonged to Harry. She looked leisurely as though she was in a coffee shop, not in the police station. Yuliana observed the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces and knew what was going on. She walked to Harry and asked, ¡°Can I talk to you alone?¡± Her voice broke the silence in the inquiry room. Everyone could not help but turn their eyes on her. Annabelle sneered and said nothing. Xandria did not want Yuliana to plead with Harry for her, so she said angrily, ¡°What is there to talk about with him?¡± Yuliana looked at Xandria and pursed her lips. Then she said to Harry, ¡°It won¡¯t be long. Just a few minutes.¡± Harry nced at her and walked out of the room. When Yuliana got out, Harry was lighting a cigarette outside the police station. He was wearing a ck shirt and ck trousers, so it was as if he had integrated with the dark night. Harry had raised brow bones, a tall nose bridge, and deep-set eyes. Although his features were not as well-defined as Christopher¡¯s, no one would be able to ignore his cold and powerful aura. Yuliana could not remember how she fell in love with Harry. While recalling the past, it seemed that she could no longer find the joy of love that she once had. Ten years passed just like that. It waste at night, and silence enveloped the empty yard outside the police station. Yuliana twirled the hair around her ear and said faintly, ¡°Harry, can you please let Xani off the hook this time?¡± Harry flicked the ash from his cigarette and looked up at the night sky. He replied, ¡°Yuliana, you should know very well that everyone needs to take responsibility for what they did.¡± Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Everyone should take responsibility for what they did, but you should know why Xani did this. She¡¯s just standing up for me. Besides, Annabelle isn¡¯t substantially hurt, right?¡± She paused, looked sideways at Harry, and continued, ¡°Harry, do you not even feel an ounce of guilt toward me?¡± Harry was silent for a moment, looked at Yuliana, and said nothing. A car drove in, and the headlights were shining right at Yuliana and Harry in the yard. Yuliana shifted her gaze from Harry, raised her hand to block the light, and squinted in the direction of the headlights. Christopher stared at the two in the distance for a moment before shutting down the engine and getting off the car. He walked up to them and smilingly said, ¡°Mr. Ziegler, what a good moment you¡¯re having here, and what a unique habit you have, meeting up with your ex-wife at a police station.¡± Harry looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Are you jealous, Mr. Sce?¡± Christopher smiled, ¡°Jealous of what? Mr. Ziegler, you are not the only one with a beauty in your arms. Annabelle will marry me next month. You¡¯re more than wee to attend the wedding!¡± Christopher smiled and looked into Harry¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be heading in now, so you two carry on.¡± After saying that, he turned around and went inside. Yuliana could sense the tension between Christopher and Harry, but it had nothing to do with her. She said to Harry, ¡°I only want Xani to be safe.¡± With that said, Yuliana turned around and entered the police station. The situation in the police station became more chaotic with Christopher¡¯s arrival. Kathryn was infuriated when she saw him protecting Annabelle Several police officers tried their best to calm her down. Kathryn cursed, ¡°Annabelle, you pretentious bitch! What a shameless vixen you are! You not only hooked up with someone else¡¯s husband, but you¡¯re also a bitch who messes around with multiple men!¡± Last time, Christopher embarrassed Kathryn in their social circle because of Annabelle, so she was laughed. at by many people. Kathryn had been annoyed since then for this reason. Hence, she fought against Annabelle with Xandria at the bar. She could not figure out why so many men were obsessed with a bitch like Annabelle. ¡°Are they all blind? Are they all easily hooked as long as the woman looks pretty and is skillful in bed? In what aspect am I not better than Annabelle?¡± she wondered. Annabelle listened to Kathryn¡¯s words, twirled her hair, and smiled alluringly. She said, ¡°Why are you so sour, Ms. Smith? Are you jealous of my beauty? Are you jealous because I have men who like me?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± Kathryn¡¯s chest was thumping with anger. Annabelle snorted and ignored Kathryn. She stood up, yawned, and said, ¡°Chris, I¡¯m sleepy. I want to go back to rest first. Please help me deal with the rest.¡± After a pause, she smiled at Christopher again. ¡°I have suffered a lot tonight. You have to help me get justice.¡± After saying that, Annabelle walked out of the inquiry room while still wearing the coat. Christopher stood quietly for a while. He yed with the lighter in his hand. The me repeatedly lit up and extinguished. After repeating it several times, he suddenly shifted his gaze to Yuliana¡¯s face before ncing over at Xandria and Kathryn. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve investigated everything tonight. Please set a heavier punishment for those who deliberately pick quarrels and hurt others. Otherwise, they will not be able to learn their lesson.¡± Upon hearing this, Xandria panicked and looked at Yuliana with red eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going to jail, am I?¡± she anxiously pondered. Kathryn questioned angrily, ¡°Christopher, what do you mean?¡± Christopher ignored her question and turned around to walk out. Xandria hurriedly walked to Yuliana, grabbed thetter¡¯s hand, and asked, ¡°Yuliana, what should I do? Will I be sent to jail?¡± Yulianaforted her, ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. Stay here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Xandria nodded. While looking at Xandria, Yuliana thought, ¡°Although what happened tonight is not bad enough to send Xani to jail, she¡¯ll still be detained for about ten days to half a month, judging from Annabelle and Christopher¡¯s unwillingness topromise. Xani¡¯s been spoiled since she was young. How is she going to bear being detained for that long?¡± Yuliana chased after Christopher and finally caught up with him when he was about to reach the entrance. ¡°Christopher!¡± She grabbed Christopher¡¯s arm. As she was rushing to chase him, she was still panting when she stopped the pursuit. While still out of breath, she asked, ¡°Can we settle what happened tonight in private?¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 I Will Return What I Owe Yuliana¡¯s fingers were pale and slender, and her nails were glossy as she had trimmed them neatly. Her fingertips were cold, so when they touched the man¡¯s warm forearm, both of them were stunned for a moment. Christopher looked down. His skin was considered rather fair, butpared with Yuliana¡¯s hand, there was still a stark contrast. Yuliana suddenly came back to her senses and immediately let go of his arm. ¡°Sorry.¡± She pursed her lips, paused for two seconds, and then repeated, ¡°Mr. Sce, what happened tonight was indeed instigated by Xani and Kathryn, but Ms. Johnson and her friend retaliated as well. Xani and Kathryn were not fighting a winning battle.¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows and replied, ¡°So?¡± Yuliana could sense how unbothered he was through his eyes and said, ¡°Can we settle this privately? Ms. Johnson could request anything aspensation for her emotional damage. Xani can apologize to her in person. Could you please tell this to the police?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Yuliana, are you begging me?¡± Christopherughed softly after hearing what she said. Yuliana remained silent for a while and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m begging you. Mr. Sce, can we please settle this privately?¡± ¡°Yuliana, this is not how you beg someone.¡± Christopher narrowed his eyes and looked at her calmly. ¡°How do you want me to beg?¡± asked Yuliana. Christopher looked at her for a while without saying anything. He shifted his sight toward the open space outside the police station, where his silver car was parked. Annabelle was sitting in the car, looking at the two figures at the entrance indifferently. Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re quite theedian! Now, are you begging me, or am I begging you? Are you seriously asking me how you should beg?¡± Something seemed toe across his mind then, so he said coldly, ¡°I think you¡¯d be better off begging your ex-husband. He seems to have lingering feelings for you. Maybe if you please him well enough, he will help you.¡± After giving his words some thought, Yuliana frowned and said, ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to settle this with Xani privately because of what I said to you previously, I can apologize to you.¡± ¡°Yuliana Livingstone, you really can¡¯t change how presumptuous you are! How much is your apology worth?¡± Christopher asked with a gloomy face. Honk! A short car horn sounded. Christopher stared at Yuliana for two seconds and then strode in the direction of the silver sports car. The strong night wind ruffled through his dark gray shirt and blonde hair, but it was still captivating under the night sky. Yuliana watched him leave in quick steps. She stood quietly at the entrance for a while and then turned around to walk in. Inside the car, Christopher looked at the deserted entrance and was about to leave. Suddenly, Annabelle said with a faint smile, ¡°Christopher, your heart aches for her, right? But no matter how distressed you are, she will never know. Even if she knows, she will not care at all.¡± ¡°Annabelle, don¡¯t you start with your shenanigans again,¡± Christopher warned her coldly. Annabelle looked sideways at him, smiled, and pointed at his chest. She reminded him, ¡°Who do you think is the reason why I¡¯m acting this way? Christopher, this is what you owe me. I¡¯m having a hard time, so why do you deserve to be happy?¡± While looking into the distance, Christopher¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed twice. He picked up a cigarette box and shook a cigarette out of it. When he was about to light it, he suddenly looked at Annabelle and said, ¡°I will pay you back for what I owe you.¡± Annabelle took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Chris, I¡¯m tired. Send me home.¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Promise Me One Thing When Yuliana returned to the inquiry room, Kathryn and Xandria had finally calmed down. Kathryn was sleepily sprawling on the table, and Xandria was sitting in a chair, looking listless. After the wholemotion this whole night, they were probably drained. Upon hearing some sound, Xandria¡¯s dull eyes slowly focused on Yuliana. Xandria seemed like she had something to say, but she held it back in the end. Yuliana walked over and said lightly, ¡°Xani, I¡¯m sorry. ¡­ Xandria interrupted her coldly, ¡°I was the one in a fight. It has nothing to do with you.¡± But Yuliana knew that Xandria fought with Annabelle because of her. Xandria nced at Yuliana and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Just now, Sir told us that we would only be locked up for about ten days or so. It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± Yuliana knew that Xandria was only saying this to prevent her from feeling sad. ¡°Don¡¯t you have sses tomorrow? It¡¯s already one in the morning. Go home now!¡± Xandria looked at Larry, who was sitting in the corner, and asked, ¡°Larry, could you please help me send Yuliana back home?¡± Larry paused and looked at Yuliana subconsciously. Something seemed to have shed across his eyes. After a while, he nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana knew that there was nothing she could do by staying, and she still had work tomorrow. She would just have to think of other ways to help Xandria. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Xandria hummed in acknowledgment. On the way back, Yuliana remained silent and kept looking out of the window. Larry looked in the rearview mirror and hesitated for a moment beforeforting her. ¡°Yuliana, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. They¡¯re just being detained. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± He had been there before. Except for theck of freedom, everything else was fine. All he did was sleep and eat. When he came out, he even gained a few pounds. Yuliana regained her senses and said, ¡°Thank you for tonight.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re being way too polite by thanking me.¡± Larry smiled brightly, paused, and then said, ¡°Yuliana, can i ask you a question?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Larry hesitated for a while before asking, ¡°You and Christopher¡­ Are you two close?¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Larry replied, ¡°Yuliana,st time when I sent you back, I met him at the entrance of your residential area, so I thought¡­¡± Yuliana knew what he meant. ¡°I have nothing to do with him.¡± Hearing this, Larry breathed a sigh of relief and smilingly said, ¡°Okay.¡± Half an hourter, they reached the entrance of Maple Garden. ¡°Yuliana, I happen to have a friend in the detention center. I¡¯ll ask him to help take care of Xani, so don¡¯t worry. Xani will not suffer in there.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Yuliana thanked him again. Larry smiled, ¡°Yuliana, if you really want to thank me, how about buying me dinner this weekend?¡± It was not a big deal to have a meal, so Yuliana nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Larry grinned and said, ¡°That¡¯s a deal then. What about Saturday night? I¡¯lle to pick you up.¡± While holding her arms across her chest, Yuliana said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going in now, so you should leave soon!¡± Seeing her movements, Larry immediately took off his coat and said, ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s cold at night. Put this on!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine I¡¯ll be home in a few minutes,¡± Yuliana refused hurriedly. She came out in a hurry tonight and only wore a long-sleeved shirt. During the day, she could not feel the cold, but the temperature dropped at night, especially when she had just gotten out of the car. The cold was slightly unbearable. Larry forced his coat on her shoulder. ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t refuse it. You¡¯re a teacher, and you have to be in close contact with students every day. If you catch a cold, how are you going to teach? If your cold infects the students, things will be even worse.¡± Hearing what he said, Yuliana could not refuse anymore. When she was at the police station, she had already felt a little chilly. After a gust of wind blew through her now, her body could not help but tremble a little. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Besides, she was in a particr situation now, so she really could not catch a cold. ¡°I¡¯ll return the coat to you on Saturday!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a coat. Take it easy.¡± Larry urged, ¡°Now go inside, Yuliana. I¡¯ll see you on Saturday.¡± Yuliana nodded and covered up tightly with her clothes before turning around to enter her residential area. Seeing her back disappear into the darkness, Larry returned to the car with a grin and drove away. A silver sports car parked quietly at the corner of a dark street in the distance. The car window slowly lowered, and flickering sparks could be seen. It was already two in the morning when Yuliana got home. After washing up, Yuliana was about to go to bed, but her phone suddenly rang. She picked up the phone and looked at it. Her eyes darkened slightly. Two secondster, she answered the phone. She ced the phone next to her ear and heard the sound of a man in a cold voice. ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s not impossible for me to let Xandria go. Promise me one thing.¡± Yuliana frowned slightly. By intuition, she felt that this would not be a simple promise. Anyhow, she asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 You Are Pregnant? ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet. I¡¯ll tell you when I think about it.¡± The man paused and then added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ask you to marry me, nor would I ask you to hurt or kill others or break thew.¡± Yuliana thought for a while and didn¡¯t agree immediately. She asked, ¡°When can Xanie out of the police station?¡± ¡°Xandria has to learn a lesson.¡± There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before the man said, ¡°Tomorrow. She will stay at the police station for one night.¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Okay, I promise you.¡± The line went quiet again. Yuliana looked at the phone and didn¡¯t hang up. ¡°Anything else?¡± The man didn¡¯t answer. After a few seconds, only mechanical beeps were heard. Yuliana stared at her phone for a moment and couldn¡¯t figure out why Christopher had called at such a late hour. She couldn¡¯t guess why he suddenly agreed to let Xandria go too. The so-called conditions were just made-up on a whim. Yuliana sat quietly on the bed for a moment before she put down her phone and turned off the lights to sleep However, when she closed her eyes, the scene of Xandria at the police station appeared in front of her. Xandria had never suffered like this before. Yuliana was in a half-asleep state all night. At dawn, she was woken by some subtle noises from upstairs. It was already past six o¡¯clock when she checked the time. Since she couldn¡¯t sleep, she just got up and went out to take a taxi to the police station. It was still early when she arrived at the police station. Yuliana waited in the hall until eight in the morning when Xandria and Kathryn finally left the detention room. ¡°Xani.¡± Yuliana suddenly stood up and felt dizzy. She hurriedly held the backrest behind her. Seeing this, Xandria hurriedly trotted over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana paused for a while and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Maybe I didn¡¯t have a good restst night.¡± Xandria went silent for a while and said, ¡°Yuliana, did you go to Christopher or Harry to plea for mercy for me?¡± Otherwise, how could she and Kathryn be released so early? Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ording to what the police saidst night, Kathryn and her would be locked up for at least half a month if Christopher and Harry didn¡¯t spare them. Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine.¡± Xandria lowered her eyes and kept silent. After a while, she said, ¡°Sorry for causing you trouble.¡± She had been upset these days since she argued with Yuliana because of Harry. She drank a little morest night, and with Kathryn adding fuel to the fire at the side, she lost her cool and started a fight with Annabelle. It seemed like she was standing up for Yuliana, but in reality, Xandria knew that she was acting on her emotions. Her reckless act even fed to Yuliana begging Harry and Christopher for her sake. ¡°Xani, I know you want to stand up for me, but don¡¯t be so impulsive in the future. Otherwise, it will go ill for you.¡± Yuliana knew that Xandria meant well, but she didn¡¯t want to see Xandria suffering because of her. Xandria nodded. After the three came out of the police station, Yuliana took Xandria and Kathryn to the car and said, ¡°Go back and have a good rest ¡°What about you?¡± Xandria could tell that Yuliana probably didn¡¯t have a good restst night. ¡°I have two sses in the morning, so I¡¯m going straight to school.¡± Xandria remembered that Yuliana almost fainted and wanted to persuade her to take a leave and rest at home. However, she swallowed her words when she thought that Yuliana probably wouldn¡¯t agree with her suggestion. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back with Kathryn first!¡± ¡°All right.¡± After sending Xandria and Kathryn away, Yuliana took a taxi directly to the school. She arrived right on time for her first ss. Probably because she didn¡¯t sleep wellst night and didn¡¯t have breakfast in the morning, Yuliana felt a little. ufortable after the first ss. During the break, shey down and rested for a while before she felt a little relieved. The second ss was right next. In the middle of the second ss, Yuliana couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. She ended the ss early and assigned some homework to the students. She nned to ask Fiona to come over and act as a substitute teacher. The moment Yuliana walked to the door of the ssroom, her vision suddenly darkened, and she fell down against the door frame. In a daze, she heard the students shouting ¡°Ms. Livingstorie¡± anxiously. She wanted to respond, but she just didn¡¯t have the strength to open her lips. Soon, shepletely lost consciousness. Yuliana had been walking in a dark ce for quite a while, but she couldn¡¯t find a way out. No matter how loud she shouted, no one answered her. It was as if she was the only one in the world. After a long time, she heard an ear-splitting sounding from nowhere. It sounded like rolling omnidirectional wheels. Yuliana ran after the sound, and her vision suddenly lit up. ¡°The patient is awake!¡± Yuliana opened her eyes and saw a nurse standing beside her. Thetter was skillfully pulling out the needle on the back of her hand. Yuliana frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± The nurse replied, ¡°You are just too tired, and you fainted due to hypoglycemia.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana suddenly thought of something and put her hand on her abdomen. She asked anxiously. ¡°Nurse, i-is my baby okay?¡± The nurse¡¯s expression suddenly became serious upon hearing that. ¡°So you know you are pregnant? Since you know, why don¡¯t you take a good rest? There is no big problem this time, but we can¡¯t guarantee you will be fine if you don¡¯t take care of yourself again.¡± Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I will pay attention next time.¡± The nurse gave her a few more reminders before she left with the trolley. As soon as the nurse left, the door of the ward was pushed open again. Yuliana instinctively looked at the door and suddenly paused. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked in a hoarse voice. Harry closed the door, walked to the bed, and asked, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Yuliana nodded hesitantly. ¡°The school called me and told me that you fainted,¡± Harry exined. Yuliana was stunned and suddenly remembered that Harry was her emergency contact in the school. Although they had divorced, the emergency contact in the school had not changed. This was why the school contacted Harry when she fainted. The school could not contact her other family members, So they had no choice but to contact her ex-husband. Yuliana licked her dry lips and said politely. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m fine now. You can leave first if you have other stuff to do.¡± But Harry didn¡¯t move. He merely stared at Yuliana for a while before he suddenly asked, ¡°Are you pregnant?¡± Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Raise The Baby Myself Yuliana¡¯s face stiffened for a moment after she heard that. After a few seconds, her expression returned to normal again. She didn¡¯t answer Harry¡¯s question. She had no obligation to answer him, anyway. Harry didn¡¯t care about Yuliana¡¯s response to his question. He was more concerned about the answer to the second question that came next. ¡°Is Christopher the father of the baby?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Yuliana suddenly looked at him and said firmly. ¡°The baby is mine.¡± Harry¡¯s expression was still as calm as ever. It was hard to guess what he was thinking. Yuliana knew very well that Harry didn¡¯t care whether she was pregnant or who fathered the baby. He asked those questions because he could gain something from them. It was just like when he chose to marry herst time. He knew that she liked him very much, but he didn¡¯t choose her because of her feelings toward him. He chose her because her love could help him achieve his goal. She was just too naive and stupid. She thought that since they were married, things would change gradually over time. She was not bad. There was no reason Harry wouldn¡¯t like her. But now that she thought about it, Harry was a sober and restrained man, and he never did things recklessly, let alone emotionally. He would never like her the moment he made the decision to marry her so that he could go back to the Ziegler family. Therefore, divorce was just a matter of time. After Yuliana had realized this clearly, her feelings toward Harry slowly changed. She used to have such strong feelings for Harry, but now she couldn¡¯t feel any of them anymore. Her heart used to race whenever she saw him, but now she just thought that his face looked boring. Harry didn¡¯t probe further. He was silent for a while and said, ¡°Are you going to give birth and raise the baby yourself?¡± Yuliana said indifferently, ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± She paused and said, ¡°You should go. I want to rest.¡± A few months ago, Yuliana would never have thought that she would one day get tired of seeing Harry¡¯s face. Harry stared at her for a while and said, ¡°Take a good rest.¡± After saying that, he turned around and walked toward the door. Right then, the door of the ward was opened. Fiona hurriedly walked in and almost ran into Harry. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Fiona hurriedly apologized before she could see what the man in front of her looked like. She was stunned for a few seconds when she recognized Harry. After she came back to her senses, she instinctively looked at Yuliana on the hospital bed and then moved aside to make way for Harry. Fiona recognized that the man in front of her was Yuliana¡¯s husband. When Yuliana hadn¡¯t divorced before, Fiona sometimes saw Harry drive her to and back from work. He didn¡¯t do it very often. Most of the time, the driver was the one who drove Yuliana to and from work. Fiona happened to see Yuliana¡¯s husband at the school gate several times, but every time, he just sat in the car and didn¡¯t get off. She saw his face from a distance, and the man left quite an impression on her. This was the first time that Fiona saw Yuliana¡¯s husband at close range. She corrected herself in her mind. ¡°No, he should be Yuliana¡¯s ex-husband now.¡± When Harry was about to leave, Yuliana suddenly said, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Harry stopped and turned to look at Yuliana Yuliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°You used to take advantage of me. I allowed it because I liked you, so I was willing to be used by you. But now, I don¡¯t like you anymore. If you think of using my child or me again, I will make you suffer.¡± Fiona didn¡¯t dare to say anything when she heard Yuliana¡¯s words. She seemed to havee at a bad time. She nced at the man beside her secretly but failed to discern any emotions from his face. Harry nced at Yuliana for a while and left the ward without saying anything. It was quiet in the room, and Flona felt a little uneasy. Yuliana calmed down and said to Fiona, ¡°Ms. rk, why are you here?¡± Fiona walked to the bedside with a smile and said, ¡°I heard that you fainted and were sent to the hospital, so I¡¯vee to pay you a visit after ss. Are you feeling better now?¡± Yuliana smiled and replied, ¡°Much better.¡± Fiona hummed in response and looked at Yuliana awkwardly. After a while, she hesitated and said, ¡°Just now¡­¡± Yuliana knew what Fiona wanted to ask and said bluntly, ¡°He is my ex-husband. I¡¯m sorry to let you witness that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Fiona paused and then asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, you mentioned a child just now. Are She subconsciously nced at Yuliana¡¯s abdomen. Yuliana nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pregnant.¡± you. Fiona¡¯s expression becameplicated. ¡°What are you going to do? Do you want to raise the child with him?¡± Yuliana was stunned. She realized that Fiona must have misunderstood something. She wanted to exin to Fiona that the child had nothing to do with Harry, but thinking of the rumor about her divorce in school, she swallowed her words. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll raise the baby myself.¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Why Are You Smiling? Yuliana stayed in the hospital for observation overnight and was discharged the next morning. Since it happened to be Saturday. Yuliana didn¡¯t have to go to work. When she got home, she followed the doctor¡¯s advice andy down on the bed to rest. Soon, she fell asleep until she was woken up by the ringtone of her phone. Groggily, Yuliana picked up her phone and looked at the screen. It was a message from Larry asking her what she wanted to eat tonight. When Yuliana first read the message, she thought that Larry had wrongly sent the message to her. Hence, she put down her phone and continued to sleep. After a few seconds, a thought shed through her mind, and she immediately opened her eyes. She remembered that she had agreed with Larry that she would treat him to dinner on Saturday night. She suddenly realized something. ¡°Isn¡¯t it Saturday today?¡± Yuliana immediately jolted awake. She picked up her phone and checked the time. It was already 5 p.m. She hurriedly replied to Larry, [I¡¯m okay with anything.] Larry asked, [How about we get some steaks?] Yuliana replied. [Okay.] Larry wrote, [I¡¯ll book a seat first. I¡¯ll pick you up at Maple Garden in an hour.] Yuliana replied yes and put down her phone. After lying on the bed for a while, she got up and started to prepare herself for the dinner. An hourter, when Yuliana arrived at the gate of the residential area, Larry¡¯s car had already parked on the roadside. Seeing Yulianaing out, he immediately drove the car over. ¡°Yuliana!¡± Larry got out of the car and opened the door for Yuliana. Yuliana said thank you. After Larry got in the car, she said, ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t had time to wash your clothes yet. I will return them to you after the washing.¡± Larry was about to tell her that she didn¡¯t need to return the clothes to him before he changed his mind. He suddenly smiled brightly and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana nced at him inexplicably and then looked out of the window. The restaurant Larry chose had an excellent environment and was located at a strategic location. The table was right beside the window, and if one looked out, they could have a panoramic view of the night scene in the most prosperous area of Juxshire. However, Yuliana was not in the mood to appreciate the scene. ¡°Yuliana, your work should be very interesting. After all, you¡¯re facing so many children every day. Isn¡¯t it so?¡± Larry cut the steak, looked up at Yuliana opposite him, and spoke with a smile. Yuliana held her breath and said, ¡°Most of the time, it¡¯s interesting, but asionally¡­ Halfway through the words, she stopped abruptly. Seeing that her expression was off, Larry quickly put down the cutlery and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Yuliana?¡± Yuliana covered her mouth and ¡°Sorry, I need to use these with one of her hands and waved the other while saying in a hurry, first.¡± She hurriedly got up and walked toward the restroom. In fact, the food she just ordered was very light, but Larry ordered a medium-rare steak. Yuliana began to feel sick when the smell hit her. When she saw Larry cut the steak open and reveal the scarlet flesh inside, she just couldn¡¯t fight her nausea anymore. A few minutester, Yuliana finally came out of the restroom, wasted. She didn¡¯t pay attention to the side and went straight to the basin. Then, she twisted the faucet and rinsed her mouth with a few handfuls of water When she was about to get some tissues from the dispenser on the wall, she heard the sound of the tissues being drawn. Right then, someore handed over two tissues to her. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She turned around and saw Annabelle standing next to her in a red skirt. The tissue was handed over by her. A few secondster, she took the tissue from Annabelle and said in a low voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± Annabelle didn¡¯t reply. She turned to the mirror on the wall and took out a piece of lipstick from her bag to fix her makeup. She skillfully applied the lipstick on her lips and smudged it with her fingertips. After the final examination, she said faintly, ¡°Does Harry know you are pregnant?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Yuliana was stunned again. She didn¡¯t know why Annabelle was sure that she was pregnant. Was it because she vomited? She didn¡¯t know why Annabelle thought that Harry must be the father of the child. Thinking of this, she felt ridiculous again. If Annabelle hadn¡¯t suddenly appeared, her marriage with Harry wouldn¡¯t havee to an end so soon. Now, the baby she was pregnant with was Christopher¡¯s, and he was about to marry Annabelle. Thinking of this, Yuliana smiled. Annabelle¡¯s eyes caught that faint smile. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Yuliana stopped smiling and said nonchntly, ¡°Nothing¡± Then, she ignored Annabelle, threw the tissue into the trash can, and left the restroom. Annabelle looked at herself in the mirror expressionlessly. She stood there motionlessly for a moment before her phone rang. Then, she suddenly came back to her senses. ¡°I¡¯m here. Have you finished your meal?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be right down.¡± Annabelle hung up the phone, smiled in the mirror, and then walked out of the bathroom in high heels. Seeing that Yuliana was unwell, Larry didn¡¯t intend to continue eating, so he offered to send her back to rest first. Although Yuliana felt a little sorry, the smell in the restaurant really made her feel ufortable, so she agreed. When she went to check out, she found that Larry had already paid the bill. While the duo was waiting for the elevator, Yuliana said, ¡°We agreed that I was treating you to dinner. Why did you pay the bill?¡± Larry grinned and said, ¡°Yes, Yuliana, you did ask me out for dinner, but there is no way a gentleman would let a woman pay for his dinner.¡± While he was talking, a crisp and rhythmic sound of high heels came from behind. Larry turned his head to have a look. His expression froze when he saw the person. He greeted, ¡°Annabelle.¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 I Do Not Need It The corner of Annabelle¡¯s lips lifted into a smile. ¡°Your name is Holmes¡­¡± ¡°Larry Holmes,¡± Larry replied. It dawned on her when Annabelle recognized him. ¡°Yes, Larry. You were one year our junior in high school. I must have seen you two days ago. You were in the bar with Ms. Yeager and Ms. Smith.¡± Larry was a little embarrassed at the mention of the incident between Xandria and Kathryn. He smiled faintly and said nothing. During high school, Annabelle had a close rtionship with Christopher, who was one of the delinquents in school. Larry was also rebellious at that time. He often followed Christopher¡¯s group until thetter graduated from high school. Eventually, it was only when Larry entered the critical period of his senior year that he slowly changed for the better. In college, he happened to be in the same school as Xandria. By some chance, Larry became friends with Xandria. Therefore, he was caught in a difficult position when Xandria and Annabelle fought a few days ago. Larry felt flustered to have bumped into Annabelle after the incident. With a ding, the elevator arrived. The three of them entered the elevator one after another. A strange kind of tenseness filled the air as the three remained silent. Larry cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Annabelle, are you here with your friends for dinner?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m here with my business partner,¡± Annabelle replied. Larry nodded. After all, he had never crossed paths with Annabelle since high school. From that point onward, Larry was unsure as to what Annabelle was up to these days. However, in his impression, Annabelle was beautiful and good at dressing up in high school. Many boys in school liked her, and she had ambiguous rtionships with many boys. That had, in turn, affected her reputation. Therefore, hearing Annabelle¡¯s words, Larry thought she had an improper rtionship with her business partner. Nheless, there was still gentlemanliness in him. He was careful not to show his thoughts on his face. Soon after, the elevator reached the first floor. Rain began to drizzle outside. Larry hurriedly took off his coat and put it on Yuliana. Before Yuliana could speak, he quickly said, ¡°Yuliana, you are not feeling well. You can¡¯t go out in the rain. You will catch a cold.¡± Larry forbade Yuliana to say otherwise, not giving thetter a chance to refuse at all. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Annabelle looked at the two andughed in a low voice. ¡°Larry is right, given your situation now. Don¡¯t turn down his kindness, Yuliana.¡± After saying that, she shifted her gaze to the front. Larry followed her gaze to see Christopher walking over with his hands holding an umbre. Larry¡¯s eyes darkened. All of a sudden, his hand on Yuliana¡¯s shoulder felt heavier. Yuliana frowned and looked up at Christopher. Christopher saw the three of theming out together from a distance. Naturally, he caught sight of Larry taking off his coat and putting it on Yuliana. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the two of them. The corner of his lips twisted into a mocking sneer, not uttering a word. After a few seconds, Christopher turned to Annabelle and said, ¡°Do you want me to take off my coat and put it over you?¡± Annabelle walked down the stairs and took Christopher¡¯s arm. She looked up at him and smiled faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Then, she said to Yuliana and Larry, ¡°Yuliana, Larry, we are leaving now.¡± ¡°Annabelle¡­¡± Larry muttered and looked toward Christopher, the smile on his face disappearing. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Annabelle grinned and looked at the man beside her. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes flickered past Yuliana. He thought that the coat was a bit of an eyesore, but he did not proceed to do anything. He held an umbre and walked Annabelle to the car. Larry did not loosen up until Christopher and Annabelle walked away. He said to Yuliana, ¡°Yuliana, wait here. I¡¯ll go and drive the car over.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Larry trotted into the rain. Yuliana stared at his back in a daze. In the car, Christopher did not drive away immediately. He stared at Yuliana from a distance for a short while. and did not withdraw his gaze until Annabelle leaned over. ¡°What?¡± Annabelle also looked at Yuliana. After a long while, she closed her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Christopher shook his arms and said, ¡°Sit tight if you¡¯re tired. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Annabelle held onto Christopher¡¯s arms tightly and murmured to herself, ¡°Chris, how wonderful it would be if there were only the two of us in this world!¡± Christopher nced at her. Before he could see the expression on her face clearly, Annabelle curled her lips. let go of his arm, and sat back in the passenger seat. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Give Me A Cigarette The car had been parked outside Grand Ind Mansion for a while. Annabelle had a dream. In the dream, there was an ocean where the waters were blood red. The tides of the ocean violently surged into torrents but never receded. She ran desperately to escape but was eventually engulfed in the bloody ocean. The thick, sticky blood made her unable to open her eyes, and she was nauseous from the sickening smell of blood. When Annabelle was about to suffocate, she suddenly woke up. She breathed heavily while looking out of the window in a daze. Her heart was beating so fast, as if it was about to jump out of her chest. Hearing the strange noises from the person beside him, Christopher slowly shifted his gaze away from the window toward Annabelle and caught thetter in a terrified state. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Having a nightmare?¡± Annabelle gave no response, still looking out of the window in a trance. After a while, she slowly focused her eyes on the surroundings outside the car and said, ¡°Give me a cigarette.¡± Christopher was about to put the cigarette into his mouth. Hearing that, he stopped and looked at Annabelle again. Seeing that her lips were tightly pursed and her hands were slightly trembling, he opened the cigarette box and took a cigarette, then handed it to her without saying anything. Annabelle epted the cigarette with trembling fingertips. She then took the lighter from Christopher¡¯s hand. Unexpectedly, the lighter failed to light up even after a few flicks. She became impatient and scolded, ¡°What a shitty lighter!¡± Christopher did not respond. He took back the lighter from her hand, and with a flick, a fire was lit up. He handed the fire to Annabelle. Annabelle lit the cigarette and smoked silently for a while. The troubled look on her face gradually softened. As she watched the smoke rings, Annabelle asked, ¡°How long has it been? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Christopher rested his hand on the car window and flicked the cigarette ash with his fingers. ¡°I did. You slept like a dead pig. There was no way to wake you up!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Annabelle frowned. She stared at him, displeased, and said angrily, ¡°Have you ever seen a pig as pretty as me?¡± Christopherughed and said, ¡°No matter how pretty you look, you are still a pig.¡± There was a brief silence between them. Annabelle was so angry that she did not want to talk to him. She unfastened her seat belt, pushed open the door, and got out of the car. The car door mmed shut with a bang, and the whole car wobbled. The smile on Christopher¡¯s face vanished. His gaze was cold and hazy as he watched Annabelle walk off. It wasn¡¯t until Annabelle entered the mansion that Christopher started the car and left Grand Ind Mansion. When Annabelle was about to open the door, she heard the screeching sounds of friction between the tires and the ground. She turned around and saw only the light trails of two red taillights over the wall of the mansion. She stood quietly at the door for a moment before opening the door to enter. After entering the room, Annabelle did not turn on the light. With the lights that shone through the window, she went straight to the sofa to lie down. After a long while, Annabelle was half-awake when she vaguely heard sounds at the door. She opened her eyes and was blinded by the light that suddenly lit up. Subconsciously, she closed her eyes, her breath slowing for a bit. After a while, she heard the faint sounds of footsteps. When she opened her eyes, she saw Harry standing before her. On the way back to Maple Garden, Larry tilted his head to look at Yuliana while driving. Yuliana had been silent from the moment she got into the car. Larry couldn¡¯t tell if it was due to her sickness or the fact that she bumped into Annabelle and Christopher in the restaurant. Larry was aware of the divorce between Yuliana and Harry. He also knew that it had something to do with. Annabelle. During high school, Annabelle tried to pursue Harry with great fanfare. However, it was over before it started when she was turned down by Harry. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Later, Larry heard Annabelle was in a rtionship with Harry in college. In the end, Annabelle dumped Harry, and Yuliana got together with thetter. ¡°Yuliana,¡± Larry suddenly called out to her. Yuliana turned to look at him. Seeing the conflicted expression on Larry¡¯s face, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Larry paused and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know we would bump into Annabelle tonight.¡± Yuliana stared at him for two seconds, the corners of her mouth raised almost imperceptibly. ¡°There is nothing to be sorry about.¡± Larry asked cautiously, ¡°Yuliana, are you upset?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Yuliana responded. Yuliana turned away and looked out of the window, refusing to continue talking with Larry. Larry stared at Yuliana from time to time, studying the emotions on her face. He was unsure if he was right to think that Yuliana was acting colder to him than before, The car quickly stopped outside Maple Garden. ¡°Yuliana, go back and have a good rest. Call me if you need anything,¡± Larry said earnestly. Yuliana did not respond. She took off the coat and returned it to Larry. ¡°Your coat.¡± Larry said hurriedly, ¡°You can wear it. There is still a long way to go before you get in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Yuliana insisted, so Larry had no choice but to take the coat. Yuliana unfastened her seat belt and said, ¡°Thank you for sending me home. The clothes from before will be washed in a few days. I¡¯ll return them to you by then.¡± With that, Yuliana opened the door, got off the car, and strode toward the residential area, paying no mind to Larry. Larry stared at her slender back as thetter turned to leave. He held the coat tightly in his hands, his eyes darkening. The following morning, Yuliana sent Larry¡¯s coat to the dry cleaner. On the way home, her phone rang. Yuliana stopped in her tracks when she saw the name that appeared on the shing phone screen. It took half a minute before she answered the call. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about your divorce from Harry?¡± the person on the other end of the phone questioned. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Resentment A middle-aged woman¡¯s sharp, questioning voice was heard from the other end of the phone. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Yuliana replied calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t youe to know about it, even when I haven¡¯t told you? Isn¡¯t it the same either way?¡± ¡°Yuliana, is this how you talk to me?¡± The person raised their voice. Yuliana walked slowly along the street. ¡°Yes, I divorced Harry¡± There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. ¡°What did I tell you at the beginning? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to marry Larry? What had gotten into you when you decided to marry him? Look at what it had transpired into now. He relied on your father to return to the Ziegler family, became the next in line to lead Ziegler Group, and gained wealth and fame. He turned his back on you when you were of no use to him. What is it that you see in Harry?¡± Out of exasperation, Yuliana slowly let out a sigh. In fact, she had recently decided to let go of resentments. Yuliana no longer felt unbnced from the incident. However, listening to those words on the phone, the painful wounds of her divorce had been reopened. She pursed her lips and felt tightness in her throat. ¡°Did you call me just to lecture me?¡± The person on the other end of the phone was not just anyone. It was Yuliana¡¯s mother. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t any mother who is remotely normalfort their daughter at such a time?¡± Yuliana wondered to herself ¡°Do you think what I said was harsh?¡± Callie sneered. ¡°Had you listened to me from the start and refrained from marrying Harry in haste, you wouldn¡¯t have to listen to my scolding now.¡± Yuliana did not speak. She looked up at the sky and slowly breathed out the vexation in her chest. It was also quiet on the other end of the phone. After a while, Callie asked, ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡± Yuliana replied faintly, ¡°I¡¯m doing great now.¡± Callie sneered again and said, ¡°Doing great? How? Do you mean you¡¯re doing great working as an elementary school teacher or living by yourself pitifully in a rented ce? Yuliana, how have I taught you since you were a child? How did my daughter be like this?¡± The irony in Callie¡¯s words made Yuliana smirk. ¡°What should I do, then? When you chose to divorce my father and gave up on me, the way I led my life was no longer under your scrutiny. It is none of your concern whether I am doing well in life or whether I am getting married or going through a divorce.¡± Yuliana had never spoken to Callie in that tone of voice. Even if Callie divorced Damian, Yuliana would only watch as her mother left her with Damian and walked away without looking back. Not a tear was shed. In the past, Yuliana believed everyone should have their own life and that no one should be fettered by anyone or anything. Therefore, although she was sad that her parents were divorced, she chose to respect them. She would not let her sadness show. Thest thing she wanted was to be a burden to her parents. It was not until this moment that she realized that apart from being sad, she also had resentment. Initially, Callie¡¯s and Damian¡¯s disapproval of their marriage yed a big part in Yuliana¡¯s unfaltering decision to marry Harry. ¡°If I am not to be bothered with your matter, who do you expect to care about you?¡± Callie¡¯s tone became even harsher. ¡°Do you expect your father, who is in jail, to care?¡± ¡°Mom,¡± Yuliana yelled at Callie. The person on the other end of the phone fell silent in an instant. Yuliana did not want to quarrel with Callie. ¡°No matter what you think of Dad, he never gave up on me.¡± With that, she hung up the phone. Yuliana¡¯s head was a mess after talking to Callie on the phone. She could not think of anything. Absent-mindedly, she made her way down the street. Her mind was empty, yet her thoughts were like countless tangled threads, interweaving and jumbling up as they pulled away from each other. When the phone rang again, Yuliana felt like she was being pulled back to reality. ¡°Xani.¡± ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m so bored. Can youe to my house and stay with me for a while? I¡¯m bored to death!¡± Since Xandria returned home from the police station on Friday morning, she had been grounded by Tyson and was not allowed to go out. However, Xandria loved to surround herself with lively, entertaining environments. She could never spend too much time alone. Xandria felt as if she was going insane from being stuck at home for days. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go find you right now.¡± When Yuliana arrived at the Yeager residence, Xandria was the only person around. Tyson made an appointment with someone to y golf, Pauline had asked a friend to y poker, and Xandria¡¯s brother, Desmond, went to the office to deal with matters of thepany. Seeing Yulianaing. Xandria was very happy. She ordered the maid to prepare refreshments and fruits and deliver them to the room. She then chatted with Yuliana while ying games. As she satzily on the couch in Xandria¡¯s room, Yuliana said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were bored?¡± Xandria did not raise her head. She looked serious while she kept swiping the phone screen with her fingers. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alone at home. How can I not be bored?¡± Yuliana felt that her understanding of boredom was different from that of Xandria. Seeing Xandria paying full attention to the game she was ying. Yuliana did not want to disturb her. She sat there quietly and was a little lost in her thoughts. It was only after Xandria finished ying the game that she noticed that Yuliana was not in a good mood. Then, Xandria remembered that since the Livingstone family had an ident, Yuliana rarely came to the Yeager residence. Even if Xandria invited her several times, Yuliana would always refuse. Today, however, as soon as she asked, Yuliana promised that she would drop by. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Not His Bastard Son Noticing something was wrong, Xandria immediately put down her phone. ¡°Yuliana, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Yuliana came back to her senses and looked at Xandria for a moment. She smiled and said, ¡°Callie called me today.¡± Xandria knew that Callie was Yuliana¡¯s mother, a beautiful woman who had little understanding of worldly affairs. Xandriast met Callie when she was in the seventh grade. When they were in ss that day, Callie came to the school suddenly to pick up Yuliana. That was the first time Callie picked up Yuliana from school. After Yuliana was taken home, she did note to school for nearly a week. Xandria called Yuliana and sent her a message, but Yuliana did not respond. At that time, she thought that when Yuliana came back, she would stop being friends with thetter. Who would have thought that things would turn out differently when Yuliana came back to ss? After asking around privately, Xandria learned about the divorce between Yuliana¡¯s parents. Over the past few years, Callie and Yuliana had actually been in contact, though not frequently. Callie would call her once every month or two. Callie would asionallye to Juxshire to see Yuliana on the former¡¯s business trips. However, Yuliana¡¯s insistence on marrying Harry strained her rtionship with Callie. Even more so after Yuliana¡¯s father was imprisoned. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± Xandria asked. ¡°She came to know about the divorce between Harry and me,¡± Yuliana said. Xandria knew in her heart that Callie had to have said nothing good. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Callie was incredibly assertive and self-centered. She knew exactly what she wanted and what she did not want. She knew what was important to her and what was so unimportant that she could easily discard it. To Callie, Yuliana was the one who was unimportant and could be abandoned. Of course, that did not mean that Callie did not love Yuliana. Sometimes, people hurt the ones they loved. Xandria was not very good atforting people, especially when Yuliana was sad. Most of the time, Yuliana would not show her sadness, and when she did, it meant that she was unable to hide it anymore. On the spur of the moment, Xandria had a suggestion. ¡°Yuliana, why don¡¯t we go to the club tonight? Every time I encounter something unhappy, I would tire myself out just so I could stop myself from thinking.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you grounded by your father?¡± Yuliana reminded. Xandria pouted. ¡°It is not like he locked me up with a chain. I was just afraid that he would freeze my card.¡± Yuliana sometimes envied Xandria. The worst thing that could worry thetter was getting her card frozen. Yuliana looked at her and said regretfully, ¡°But I can¡¯t go to the club now!¡± ¡°Are you having your period?¡± Yuliana shook her head. She hesitated for a moment before saying. ¡°Xani, I¡¯m pregnant.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xandria yelled Xandria¡¯s eyes visibly widened in shock. She stared at Yuliana for a while without saying anything. ¡°Wait, what were you saying? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly. Can you repeat that?¡± Yuliana was amused by Xandria¡¯s reaction. ¡°I said I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Xandria subconsciously looked at Yuliana¡¯s abdomen. She could not believe that Yuliana was bearing a child with that slender waist. ¡°It has been slightly more than two months now. If I hadn¡¯t told you, you would not be able to tell,¡± Yuliana exined. After taking in the news of Yuliana¡¯s pregnancy, Xandria was sure that she was not dreaming or hallucinating. Then, another question came to mind. She mmed her hand on the bed, her face full of resentment as she said, ¡°This cannot be Christopher¡¯s son. Am I right?¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 What Was Up? Xandria¡¯s reaction was beyond Yuliana¡¯s expectations. In fact, on the day Yuliana apanied Xandria and Raymond on a blind datest weekend, she nned to tell Xandria about her pregnancy. They had known each other since kindergarten. It had been more than 20 years, and they had nothing to hide from each other. Therefore, Yuliana did not intend to hide it from Xandria. It was just that she could not find the right time to deliver the news That day, she was relieved to have told Xandria about her pregnancy. Looking at Yuliana¡¯s expression, Xandria knew that her guess was correct. In an instant, a perplexed look shed across Xandria¡¯s face. Her eyes were sullen while looking at Yuliana¡¯s abdomen. She was bewildered by the revtion. The father of Yuliana¡¯s baby turned out to be Christopher, the person Xandria hated the most. Her best friend since childhood was pregnant with Christopher¡¯s baby! The pregnancy news hadpletely caught Xandria off guard. She felt like she was struck by lightning upon hearing that Xandria jumped off the bed, grabbed Yuliana¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°Yuliana, give me a pinch. I must be dreaming! Yuliana did not pinch her. ¡°Xani, you¡¯re not dreaming. I¡¯m pregnant,¡± Yuliana said seriously. After a moment of pause, she added, ¡°The father of this child is indeed Christopher.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I need to use the bathroom. I need to take a breather!¡± With that, Xandria rushed into the bathroom and came out nearly ten minutester. She moved a chair to sit facing Yuliana and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve finished digesting the news. You can continue with what you were going to say.¡± Yuliana could not help butugh at Xandria¡¯s seriousness. ¡°What was I going to say?¡± Xandria frowned and asked, ¡°What are you going to do? Are you really going to give birth to his child?¡± The smile on Yuliana¡¯s face froze. She was silent for a while before saying, ¡°Xani, I¡­ I have decided to bear the child.¡± Hearing that, Xandria became even more puzzled. ¡°But why? Didn¡¯t you know that Christopher and Annabelle are getting married? If you gave birth to it, you wouldn¡¯t be raising your child in aplete family. Also¡­ she would be an illegitimate child.¡± An illegitimate child would be more or less inferior to people in their circle. Harry, for instance, was shamed for his status as an illegitimate child, even when he was next to lead Ziegler Group. Besides, if Harry had not married Yuliana, there was not a chance the Ziegler family would give him recognition. How could Yuliana not figure that out? Yuliana understood that Xandria was worried. She said, ¡°The baby is mine. This has nothing to do with Christopher. As for a so-calledplete family, that is not necessary. I doubt it is rare to be raised by a widowed parent. Weren¡¯t they raised to develop healthy personalities? The role of a father is insignificant, even in those circumstances.¡± That said, Yuliana was still uneasy about the future of her child. Her words were to convince Xandria and herself that she could raise the child as a single parent.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Xandria frowned and looked at Yuliana. She was at a loss for words. Speaking of which, Yuliana looked like her mother, Callie, both in appearance and temperament. The difference was that Callie had ambitions and desires and was unwilling to lead an ordinary life, while Yuliana was not ambitious. Therefore, even though thetter was outstanding in all aspects when she was a child, she eventually chose to be an elementary school teacher. After graduating from university, Yuliana got married early and lived a safe life. Xandria thought that Yuliana and Callie were alike. That was because the two had always known what they wanted in life. Once they had made up their minds on something, they would not be hesitant to act on it, let alone be swayed by others. It was evident from Yuliana marrying Harry. Even if the whole world was against their marriage, she still married Harry even though she knew that Harry had never truly loved her. Just like now, despite knowing that keeping the child might not have been the best idea, Yuliana was unwavering in giving birth to the baby. Yuliana looked at Xandria and said, ¡°Xani, I really want the baby.¡± Because of the child, the two disagreed again. Yuliana knew that Xandria needed time to ept it, so she did not stay at the Yeager residence for long and returned home in the afternoon. There were barely any taxi services in that residential area. Xandria was worried, so she arranged a taxi to send Yuliana home. After Yuliana left, Xandria was in the mood to y games. Her mind was preupied with things that could happen if Yuliana gave birth to the baby. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. In the end, Xandria got annoyed and asked Kathryn out for a drink. ¡°Ms. Yeager, are you going out?¡± When Xandria was about to go out, the maid came forward to question her, looking vignt. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. I can go out if I want to!¡± Xandria told the maid off, annoyed that even a mere maid had a say in her freedom to go out. She could not watch her tone when she was already in a bad mood. The maid was cautious as she reminded Xandria in a low voice, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Mr. Yeager prohibited you from going out?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Xandria snorted. ¡°Do your own thing and leave me alone.¡± After saying that, Xandria took her bag to the garage and drove away from the Yeager residence. The following Monday, the news about Yuliana fainting spread like wildfire in the school. Everyone was talking about it behind her back. They guessed Yuliana was pregnant based on her frequent vomiting andck of energy. As soon as Yuliana arrived at the office in the morning, Ariel, the teacher who sat in the cubicle opposite Lexie¡¯s, was the only one in the office. Ariel stared at her belly and pretended to be concerned. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, are you feeling better?¡± Ariel had been teaching at Juxshire Primary School for a long time and was about to retire in a few years. One would not consider Ariel a bad person, but she had different beliefs from those of the younger generation. Besides, the teacher¡¯s profession could feel dull. So, to cope with that, Ariel would gossip about other people¡¯s affairs. Yuliana replied with a smile, ¡°I feel much better. Thank you for asking, Ms. Tyler.¡± Ariel nced at Yuliana¡¯s face again. Although she was curious, she was afraid to ask. However, one could not simply hide her pregnancy; it would be apparent in two months. Ariel began to wonder who the father of the child was. If Yuliana¡¯s ex-husband was not the father of the baby, Lexie¡¯s guess could be right. Last week, Yuliana fainted while teaching, which frightened the students in the ss. Today, as soon as she arrived at the ssroom, the students were asking about her baby bump. Even the naughty students behaved obediently during her ss. When school was dismissed in the afternoon, Yuliana nned to go to the supermarket. She needed to replenish some of her daily necessities that were used up. As soon as Yuliana and Fiona came out of school, a silver-gray sports car stopped in front of them. Seeing that, the two stopped in their tracks. Yuliana¡¯s expression froze, and Fiona was stunned when she saw the person getting out of the car. Before Fiona realized it, the person stopped in front of them. Christopher looked at Yuliana with an expressionless face and did not speak. Yuliana¡¯s fingers curled into a fist. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked in a low voice. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Are You Pregnant? Christopher¡¯s thin lips lifted into a sneer. ¡°Something¡¯s up.¡± Yuliana stared at him silently for a moment. Fiona looked back and forth between the two. The atmosphere felt abnormally tense. She sensed something was off, especially with the evil presence that the blond-haired man in front of her exuded. Fiona thought he was most likely born with a silver spoon in his mouth from the expensive car he was driving. The man was good-looking, but he did not seem like a good person. Fiona felt that she should get going, but out of worry for Yuliana¡¯s safety, she stood still aside. Yuliana looked away from Christopher, then looked at Fiona beside her and said, ¡°Ms. rk, why don¡¯t you go first?¡± Fiona was still worried. She took a nce at Christopher and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the supermarket? I happen to have something to buy. Should I wait for you there?¡± Yuliana knew that Fiona had good intentions, but she had a hunch that it would take a long time for Christopher and her to talk. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ms. rk. You can go first,¡± Yuliana insisted. Hearing Yuliana¡¯s words, Fiona could not say anything more. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m leaving now. Call me if you need anything.¡± Yuliana nodded and watched Fiona leave before she turned to look at Christopher. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk at the gate of the school where you work, get in the car,¡± Christopher said coldly. He turned around and got in the car. After a moment of hesitation, Yuliana opened the door and got in the car. She thought what was toe woulde. Even if she could hide for a while, she could not hide for a lifetime. The silver-gray sports car slowly drove away from Juxshire Primary School. When it arrived at the main road, the car elerated at the speed of an arrow. Forty minutester, the car stopped in the underground garage of Oceanview Apartment. On the way, neither of them spoke. At this moment, Christopher did not open the door. He stared at somewhere in front of him, his eyes darkening. His handsome face was tense, his body exuding a piercing coldness. Yuliana, on the other hand, looked rather calm. Her calm demeanor caused Christopher to feel annoyed. It was difficult for thetter to control his emotions, in contrast to Yuliana. He tilted his head and looked at the woman beside him. ¡°Yuliana, do you have anything to tell me?¡± ¡°No,¡± Yuliana replied calmly, looking ahead. Hearing that, Christopher smiled and did not speak for a long time, his eyes ncing sideways at Yuliana¡¯s face. The atmosphere in the car became suffocating. It was a little difficult for Yuliana to breathe. She turned to look at Christopher. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something to talk to me about?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The corner of Christopher¡¯s lips twitched. Before he could say anything, he saw Yuliana¡¯s eyes and held it in. After a few seconds of deliberation, he calmed down and asked, ¡°Yuliana, are you pregnant?¡± Two hours ago, he received a voice message that was a few seconds long. It was Kathryn and Xandria in the voice message. The two of them had probably drunk a lot. Xandria sounded especially drunk. In that voice message, Xandria revealed that Yuliana was pregnant. ¡°Chris,¡± blurted Xandria when Kathryn asked who the father of Yuliana¡¯s child was before the voice message was cut off abruptly. ¡°So what if that is true?¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Mr. Sce, what does this have to do with you?¡± The veins on Christopher¡¯s forehead throbbed at the sight of Yuliana¡¯s indifferent expression. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Yuliana, you asked me what it has to do with me. Would you dare to swear on the life of your child that it has nothing to do with me?¡± Christopher red at her with his bloodshot eyes, as if he was about to crush her into pieces. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 What Right Do You Have In Yuliana¡¯s opinion, Christopher was a yboy whozed around all day. Based on their previous disagreements, she presumed he was a childish scoundrel. This was the first time she had seen Christopher look at her with such a serious expression. Yuliana avoided his gaze guiltily. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t going to swear on her child. When she saw Christopher at the school gate, she had a rough idea of why he hade. Along the way, she thought of discussing the baby with Christopher in aposed manner. She contemted doing that but was unable to follow through with it. Christopher calmed down upon seeing that she wasn¡¯t saying anything. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Looking at Yuliana¡¯s side profile, various indescribable emotions surged within him. After a long time, he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Yuliana lowered her eyes and pursed her lips slightly. ¡°I wanted to tell you. I asked you to meet me at the caf¨¦ so that I could tell you that I was pregnant.¡± She paused and pursed her lips. ¡°But you said you didn¡¯t want a child for the time being. Also, didn¡¯t you have some urgent matter to attend to then?¡± Thinking of what happened that day, Christopher was silent for a few seconds before asking. ¡°What aboutter? I remember I asked you if you were pregnant, but you lied to me with a registration form from the gastroenterology department!¡± Yuliana raised her brows and turned to face Christopher. ¡°So what if you¡¯re aware of it? Will you let me get an abortion, or will you be responsible for this child?¡± She scoffed before continuing, ¡°Can you bear responsibility for the child?¡± Christopher¡¯s face stiffened. He replied with a darkened expression, ¡°Don¡¯t I have the right to know about my child?¡± Yuliana did not say anything, as she didn¡¯t understand why Christopher was so angry. She thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t it better if he doesn¡¯t know about it? Why does it seem as though I owe him now?¡± Christopher looked at her for a while before he averted his gaze. After a while, he picked up a pack of cigarettes and took one out. He ced it between his lips. Just as he was going to light it, he suddenly thought of something and paused momentarily. He cast a nce at Yuliana beside him. After a few seconds, he opened the door and got out of the car. Yuliana turned around and looked out the window from the driver¡¯s seat after hearing the sound of the door closing. Christopher stood in the vacant parking space next to the car as he lit the cigarette with the lighter. After lighting the cigarette, he took two deep breaths and exhaled a puff of smoke. The crease between his eyebrows rxed slightly. After a moment, he looked over to the car. His gaze remained on the car for a while. Yuliana couldn¡¯t see the emotions on his face, most likely because of the smoke. ¡°He¡¯s probably annoyed by the unexpected life that has entered his life. A stumbling block suddenly appeared as he was about to marry Annabelle. Nobody will be pleased if that happens to them,¡± she pondered. After smoking a cigarette, Christopher returned to the car. Yuliana stated, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be concerned about my pregnancy, Christopher. I didn¡¯t mean to hold you ountable for the baby or me. Even if the baby is born, you will have nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Christopher¡¯s actions paused, and he couldn¡¯t help but frown again. Yuliana looked at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s exactly what it sounds like.¡± Christopher¡¯s expression darkened. He sneered coldly. ¡°Yuliana, you sure are looking out for me! Since you¡¯re being so considerate of me, why don¡¯t you go to the hospital and get an abortion? Isn¡¯t that better?¡± Hearing this, Yuliana was no longer calm. She pursed her lips and frowned at him, ¡°The baby is mine, and I have the right to decide whether or not to have it!¡± ¡°You have the right. What about me? Yuliana, what right do you have to decide for me?¡± Christopher mocked. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 I Can Apologize To You The two of them seemed to be at an impasse, and the atmosphere in the car suddenly dropped to freezing point again. Yuliana used to believe that nothing in this world couldn¡¯t be solved. It was just a matter of time and method. She could even let go of her love for Harry, which hadsted ten years. What else couldn¡¯t be worked out? Nevertheless, she felt a deep sense of powerlessness and frustration facing Christopher. She felt helpless and uneasy when she first found out she was pregnant. However, when she decided to have the baby, her first thought was to tell the baby¡¯s father. She even thought that as long as Christopher was willing, they could agree to marry and be a couple before divorcing when the right opportunity arose. She quickly realized that she had thought wrongly. Even if she wanted to keep the child, it didn¡¯t mean Christopher would want to. Christopher would also not be willing to take responsibility for her decision and for a life he didn¡¯t want. Christopher had his own life and life path. She shouldn¡¯t ruin his ns with a baby. As a result, she made the decision unterally to give birth and not tell Christopher about her pregnancy. Was it wrong for her to do that? Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Christopher would always be the child¡¯s father as long as the child was born. Yuliana reasoned that she should have a good discussion with Christopher based on this understanding. She paused to consider what to say before uttering. ¡°I didn¡¯t handle it properly when I kept the pregnancy from you. I¡¯ll apologize to you. I also know that you are about to marry Ms. Johnson, so this child will only pose trouble for you. I understand that you don¡¯t want the child, but you don¡¯t have to worry. Even if I go ahead with the pregnancy, you don¡¯t have to take responsibility for the child. If you are still concerned, I can. sign an agreement with you that the child will never disrupt your and Annabelle¡¯s lives. Do you think this arrangement is fine with you?¡± Yuliana had uttered thest sentence cautiously. It was the first time Yuliana spoke so courteously in front of him. Christopher snorted coldly. ¡°What if I say it¡¯s not?¡± Yuliana¡¯s face stiffened. She frowned and pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°What do you want then?¡± Christopher pursed his thin lips and stared at her. He appeared to be thinking about Yuliana¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t respond to her because he clearly didn¡¯t have an answer for her. The phone rang suddenly and finally broke the silence in the car. Christopher looked at the caller ID. After a long time, he picked up his phone to answer it. ¡°Where have you been?¡± It was so quiet in the car that Yuliana could hear a familiar, soft feminine voice. Christopher asked casually, ¡°Are you done?¡± Annabelle washed the paint on her hands and replied sweetly, ¡°Chris, don¡¯t you even look at the time? It¡¯s already past seven o¡¯clock!¡± Christopher raised his wrist and looked at the time on his watch. It was indeed past seven o¡¯clock. Seeing that Christopher wasn¡¯t saying anything, Annabelle nced at the phone on the sink and said, ¡°If you can¡¯te here because you have something to do, I¡¯ll take a taxi to the Sce residence by myself. However, today is Mrs. Sce¡¯s birthday. You can¡¯t bete as her son.¡± It was Winnie¡¯s 67th birthday. They did not n a big celebration, so they were only having a family dinner. Christopher and Annabelle had agreed that he would go to the art studio to pick up Annabelle in the afternoon Since Christopher didn¡¯t appear at the art studio after seven o¡¯clock, she called him. Christopher leaned back on the seat and massaged his temples. He replied after a while, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll come and pick you up right now.¡± Annabelle remained silent for a moment before hanging up the phone. Christopher ced his phone back on the phone mount. Even though it was neither a soft nor heavy sound, Yuliana could feel his frustration at the moment. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. She said, ¡°If you have something to do tonight, we can talk about this another day.¡± Christopher looked at her and abruptly opened the car door without saying anything. He walked to the other side, opened the door, leaned in, and unbuckled Yuliana¡¯s seat belt. Then, he said, ¡°Get out of the car.¡± Yuliana looked at his darkened expression. She hesitated for a moment before getting out of the car. Christopher closed the car door, grabbed Yuliana¡¯s wrist, and walked towards the elevator. Yuliana didn¡¯t have time to react at all. She stumbled for a while before she managed to stabilize herself. She tried to break free from his grasp and said coldly, ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher ignored her struggles. The elevator door opened, and he pushed her into the elevator easily. He lowered his eyes and pursed his lips. He warned with a darkened expression, ¡°Yuliana, you better not mess with me this time. Otherwise, you will only be the one suffering!¡± Yuliana stared at him with reddened eyes. She finally calmed down after a long moment. The elevator stopped on the 29th floor. Christopher dragged Yuliana out of the elevator by her wrist and took her home. Yuliana had no idea what he wanted to do, but she didn¡¯t have any pleasant memories from herst visit here, so she subconsciously felt ufortable in this apartment. ¡°Can you let go of me now?¡± she said coldly, pulling at her sore wrist. Christopher nced at her wrist before looking at her face for a second. A strange feeling rose in Christopher¡¯s heart as he looked at her reddened eyes and nose. He released her wrist and averted his gaze. However, his voice was still cold. ¡°Stay here, and don¡¯t go anywhere!¡± Before Yuliana realized what he meant, Christopher turned around, opened the door, and left. When she heard the sound of the door being locked, she instantly hurried over to try to open the door. As expected, she couldn¡¯t unlock the door at all. ¡°Christopher!¡± Yuliana kept pounding on the door and calling out Christopher¡¯s name. However, no matter how loud she yelled, the only response she got was her echoes. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 The Wedding Date Is Near Outside the room, Christopher leaned against the wall and tilted his head to look at the door that was constantly being knocked on. Hearing Yuliana calling his name, he suddenly felt a slight itch in his throat. He subconsciously touched his pocket. Except for the car key, it was empty. After a while, it finally quieted down. Christopher heaved a sigh of relief before walking to the elevator and pressing the button to head down. Annabelle nced at the time and realized that it was almost 7:30 p.m. Christopher didn¡¯t even call her, let alone show up. Before this, Winnie and Joyce had called Annabelle several times, saying that Christopher hadn¡¯t answered any of their calls and asking how long it would take them to arrive. Annabelle snorted coldly and didn¡¯t call Christopher. Instead, she opened a taxi app and requested a ride. Soon, a driver epted her request. Annabelle walked out of the studio with her bag. As soon as she arrived at the side of the street outside the studio, she saw a silver-gray sports car parked there for who knows how long. Someone had half of their arm resting on the window and had a half-burnt cigarette between their fingers. She stopped in her tracks and stood quietly for a few seconds, but the silver-gray sports car didn¡¯t move. Then she walked over in her high heels and knocked on the door on the passenger¡¯s side. Hearing the noise, Christopher tilted his head to look at her and unlocked the door. Annabelle opened the door and got in the car. ¡°When did you get here? Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± She nced at the man beside her as she fastened her seat belt. Christopher put out his cigarette and said in a cold voice, ¡°I just got here.¡± With that, Christopher started the car and slowly drove into the traffic flow. The corners of Annabelle¡¯s lips curled up, and she didn¡¯t expose his lie. ¡°The cigarette was almost burned out. Christopher had been there for almost five minutes. It takes only a minute or two to get from the studio to the car,¡± she thought. She didn¡¯t say anything else and took out her phone to cancel the request for a taxi. The dinner was scheduled for 8:00 p.m. It was almost 8:30 p.m. when Christopher and Annabelle returned to the Sce residence, and it had been a while since the dinner started. Although Winnie was just having dinner with her family to celebrate her birthday, there were many immediate family members in the Sce family and Winnie¡¯s family, amounting to dozens of people in total. The vast, traditional-style banquet hall of the Sce residence had more than ten tables set up and they were all full. As soon as Christopher and Annabelle arrived at the entrance of the banquet hall, Alex ran out and rushed into Christopher¡¯s arms. Alex touched his throbbing forehead and looked up. Seeing that it was Christopher, he frowned immediately and scolded him in a precocious tone, ¡°Uncle Chris, why did youe back sote? It¡¯s Grandma¡¯s birthday today!¡± Christopher was about to lecture him and tell him not to run around. However, when he looked at Alex¡¯s little face, he suddenly couldn¡¯t say anything. Alex was getting ufortable by his gaze. He pursed his lips, took two steps back, and saw Annabelle behind Christopher. ¡°Aunt Annabelle!¡± Alex ran forward happily and put his arms around Annabelle¡¯s waist. ¡°I like Aunt Annabelle very much. She is the most beautiful person I have ever seen. If it weren¡¯t for my young age and her being Uncle Chris¡¯ fianc¨¦e, I would be able to marry her when I grew up. Uncle Chris wouldn¡¯t even be in the picture!¡± he thought. Annabelle touched Alex¡¯s red face. ¡°Why did youe out here instead of dining inside?¡± Alex grinned and replied, ¡°I¡¯m done eating! Aunt Annabelle, you must be hungry. Let¡¯s go for dinner! Hurry up! Or there¡¯ll be no more food left:¡± Alex pulled Annabelle into the banquet room as he spoke. Annabelle nced at Christopher and saw him in a trance with his brows slightly furrowed, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Winnie broke into a grin when she noticed Annabelle right away. ¡°Aunt Winnie, happy birthday!¡± Annabelle stepped forward and hugged her, adding, ¡°Wish you young and healthy forever!¡± Winnie was delighted to hear that. ¡°Thank you, Annabelle. I saw the painting you sent. I¡¯ve already had someone hang it up. I like it very much.¡± Annabelle smiled, ¡°I¡¯m d you like it, Aunt Winnie.¡± Winnie looked at the door again, but she didn¡¯t see Christophere in. She asked, ¡°Where is Chris, Annabelle?¡± Annabelle stepped forward and hugged her, saying in a sweet voice, ¡°Aunt Winnie, you¡¯re so biased. I knew it! Christopher is always on your mind. I just can¡¯tpete with your biological son.¡± After hearing this, Winnieughed happily and gently pinched Annabelle¡¯s face, saying, ¡°You¡¯re such a smooth-talker. I¡¯m simply no match for you!¡± ¡°Oh, look how close the two of you are! Stop calling her Aunt Winnie.¡± Christopher¡¯s second aunt teased. ¡°Chris and Annabelle are getting married next month. Why don¡¯t you just call her Mom?¡± Christopher, who was standing at the entrance, gathered his thoughts upon hearing their voices and walked into the house. ¡°Wow, here finallyes our busy bee,¡± Christopher¡¯s third aunt said. Christopher walked over with a smile, hugged Winnie first, wished her a happy birthday, and then greeted the elders one by one. Ever since Christopher was a child, he had always been honey-tongued and good at coaxing people. Although he was mischievous, he was also very likable. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. As soon as he arrived, the atmosphere in the entire banquet room became lively. ording to the rules, he waste, so he had to apologize to the elders by giving them a toast table by table. Because his marriage with Annabelle was approaching, he couldn¡¯t escape the inevitable teasing. After the elders slowly dispersed and only some of the young family members were still sitting there, drinking and having fun, Christopher took the opportunity to step into the courtyard for a breather. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Remember What You Promised Me He was smoking a cigarette when someone hit him hard from behind. He turned around and found that it was Zofia, the daughter of his second sister, La. ¡°Uncle Chris, you¡¯re secretly smoking here again. I¡¯ll snitch on you to Uncle Kendrickter!¡± Zofia was five years old and had always been quick-witted. Even Alex, who was three years older than her, couldn¡¯t necessarily outdo her in this aspect. Christopher pinched her chubby cheek and scoffed. ¡°Are you the reincarnation of a crybaby? You want to snitch about everything.¡± Zofia made a face at him. She stared at Christopher for a moment, studying him. ¡°Uncle Chris, did you cause some trouble again?¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows. ¡°You tell me. Who is the one who loves to cause trouble? Hmm?¡± Zofia asked, ¡°Then why do you look so preupied?¡± Christopher looked down and nced at her. ¡°You know the word ¡®preupied¡¯?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me. I know a lot of words. Daddy forced me to study every day. I¡¯m so annoyed,¡± Zofia retorted. Jared was a university professor and had always been very strict with his daughter¡¯s education. Zofial learned to count right after she learned to speak. Christopher squatted down and stared at Zofia. His gaze was making Zofia¡¯s skin crawl. ¡°Uncle Chris, why are you staring at me like this? I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Seeing that Zofia was about to run away, Christopher hurriedly pulled her back and said, ¡°Stand still. If you move, I¡¯ll tell your Uncle Kendrick that you broke the vase in his study!¡± Zofia endured the urge to roll her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the one who broke it, Uncle Chris. Yet you have the cheek to me it on me.¡± However, Zofia obediently stood there, unmoving. Christopher stared at Zofia, looking her up, down, left, and right. After having a good look, he still felt something was wrong. ¡°If Yuliana gives birth to a child like Zofia or Alex¡­ my head would hurt,¡± he thought. The guests slowly left one after another. Even La and Jared left with their daughters. The Sce residence, which was originally lively, became peaceful once again. Winnie took Annabelle¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Annabelle, it¡¯s gotten prettyte. You and Chris should stay at the Sce residence for the night!¡± Annabelle didn¡¯t refuse and instinctively looked at Christopher. They locked eyes with each other. Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Mom, I have an appointment with someone to talk about something, so I have to go now!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. After a pause, he pulled on his eye and said cheekily, ¡°You also know that Annabelle and I are getting married next month. I have to make full use of my remaining single life and enjoy myself, right?¡± Winnie was supposed to get angry at his words but let out an exasperatedugh. She poked his forehead and said. ¡°You¡¯re always fooling around. I¡¯m warning you. You can y to your heart¡¯s content, but don¡¯t cause any trouble. Otherwise, I¡¯ll skin you.¡± With that, she looked at Annabelle again and said, ¡°Since Chris has an appointment, why don¡¯t you stay at the Sce residence tonight?¡± ¡°Aunt Winnie, I have something to attend to. There are a few paintings I have to finish before the wedding. I want to spend a few months on honeymoon with Christopher after we get married!¡± Annabelle replied with a smile. When Winnie heard that, she broke into a wide grin. ¡°All right, I know all of you are busy. Leave now and stop bothering me.¡± As the two of them couldn¡¯t drive after consuming alcohol, Winnie had Joyce tell the driver to give them a lift. Ever since they left the Sce residence, Christopher rested in the car silently with his eyes closed. Meanwhile, Annabelle also quietly looked out the window and didn¡¯t take the initiative to say anything. When they arrived in the city, Christopher said, ¡°Julio, please send Annabelle back to Grand Ind Mansion first.¡± Julio nced at them via the rearview mirror. They hadn¡¯t spoken since they got in the car, and the atmosphere in the car was obviously abnormal. Although he had noticed everything, he wasn¡¯t nning to butt in at the moment. He acknowledged Christopher¡¯s instructions and drove in the direction of Grand Ind Mansion. Half an hourter, the car stopped in front of Grand Ind Mansion. Annabelle looked at Christopher. After a night of silence, she finally said something. ¡°Christopher, remember what you promised me.¡± After that, she pushed open the door, got out of the car, and entered the mansion. The lights in the car were not on. The interior was illuminated only by the street lights outside the window. The light rays were cut by branches and shone into the car, making his face appear bright yet dark. Julio coughed lightly and asked, ¡°Mr. Sce, where are you going?¡± Christopher was silent for a while before replying, ¡°Drive me back to Oceanview Apartment.¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Wee Back Julio responded, then restarted the car, leaving Grand Ind Mansion. On the way back to Oceanview Apartment, Christopher picked up and checked on his phone. There were several missed calls from unknown numbers and dozens of messages received on WhatsApp. He took a look and then closed the app. He then stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He looked out of the window silently. Julio looked in the rearview mirror and only caught a glimpse of Christopher¡¯s face. He watched Christopher grow up and get used to his carefree and rebellious look. Christopher looked inexplicably serious tonight, which Julio hadn¡¯t gotten used to. Julio hesitated for a few seconds and asked, ¡°Mr. Sce, were you in a conflict with Ms. Johnson?¡± The two of them had sat in the car before, but they ignored each other. In his opinion, Christopher and Annabelle were like a quarrelsome couple. They had been quarreling all these years. They sometimes looked like they were close but looked like enemies after a while. Both of them had long been used to it. Julio wasn¡¯t sure whether Christopher didn¡¯t hear his question or he didn¡¯t want to answer. He didn¡¯t respond to Julio and continued to stare out of the window with his deep eyes. Seeing that he didn¡¯t get any response, Julio didn¡¯t say anything more and drove quietly. It was early in the morning, and most of the stores on the street had been closed. The corners of the street where the crowds passed by during the day were empty, and only one or two people could be seen asionally. Suddenly, Christopher¡¯s eyes paused, and he ordered, ¡°Julio, pull over.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Julio was confused, but he stopped the car slowly by the roadside. Christopher then opened the door and got off the car. He strode to the pedestrian crossing ahead and trotted across the road. Julio watched the other walk and stopped at a road stall across the street. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°What would you like to order, young man?¡± A woman in her fifties set up the stall. Her hair was half- white. Christopher replied, ¡°I would like a chicken soup without red pepper kes and parsley in it. Please help pack the order away.¡± The woman smiled and said, ¡°The chicken soup is added with a little pinch of red pepper kes to bring out the vor, but it will not taste too strong when you drink it. Is it okay?¡± Christopher pondered for a few seconds and replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The woman said again, ¡°Please wait for a few minutes. The soup will be prepared soon.¡± Then the woman turned on the fire and started to cook and prepare the chicken soup in a pot. Christopher looked at the chicken soup boiling in the pot with white smoke shrouding out, feeling a little absent-minded. He then looked out at the distance until the soup was cooked. The woman packed the soup up and shouted, ¡°Young man, the soup is ready!¡± Christopher came back to his senses. After paying for the chicken soup, Christopher quickly returned to the car with the food. Julio asked, ¡°Mr. Sce, are you still hungry tonight?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Christopher just lightly mumbled out the word and said nothing more. He tightened his hold of the chicken soup package in his hands all the way. Back to Oceanview Apartment, Christopher got out of the elevator and stood at the door for a moment. He then opened and entered the door. There were lights in the living room, but it was extremely quiet, almost as if no one was present. Christopher opened the door, strode into the room, and looked around. Then something passed by his vision. He paused and saw Yuliana sitting up from the couch. ¡°Wee back,¡± Yuliana greeted. Yuliana woke up when she heard the door closing. She tidied her hair and looked at the man standing not far away. She had just woken up and was not wholly conscious, so Yuliana looked at the man with blurry vision, and her eyescked coldness. Her voice also sounded hoarse when she spoke. Christopher stared at her for a while, and his chest was slightly heaving. Afterward, he walked to the couch. and put the chicken soup on the coffee table. In just a few seconds, Yuliana waspletely awake. She raised her wrist and looked at the time shown on the watch. She stated, ¡°It¡¯ste already. I have to go to ss tomorrow. We can make an appointmentter if you want to talk about the baby. I have to go back now. After being locked up for more than four hours by Christopher, it was not like Yuliana didn¡¯t have a bad temper at all. It was just that her temper had been subdued over time. It was alreadyte when she woke up after a sleep, but the rest calmed her. When he heard what she said, Christopher stared at her but didn¡¯t say anything. Yuliana locked eyes with him for a while. She picked up her bag on the couch and got up to leave. Before she could take the first step, Christopher grabbed her wrist and said, ¡°You are not allowed to go anywhere until I figure everything out!¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Calling The Police Yuliana was sleepy and hungry. ording to her regr rest routine, she should have already gone to bed by this time. However, she had waited for Christopher until the early morning. She couldn¡¯t hold her eyes anymore and soon fell asleep on the couch. At that moment, she was in no mood or energy to quarrel with Christopher. ¡°Can you stop doing all of these, Christopher?¡± She looked down at the man sitting on the couch. ¡°If you¡¯re still mad at me for not telling you about the pregnancy, I¡¯ll apologize to you. If you¡¯re unsatisfied, you can just say it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m indeed unsatisfied.¡± Christopher¡¯s red lips twitched. He stared into Yuliana¡¯s eyes and kept silent for a while. He then suddenly spoke up. ¡°Do you want to give birth to the baby?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t answer him immediately. She stared at him for a while, then turned her eyes away and said, ¡°Yes, I want to give birth to the baby.¡± ¡°I remember that you said you wouldn¡¯t have my baby!¡± Christopher stared tensely at the expression shown on Yuliana¡¯s face. Yuliana frowned slightly. If she had a choice, she wouldn¡¯t want a child rted to Christopher, but did she have a choice? She replied faintly, ¡°I will be giving birth to my child, which has nothing to do with you.¡± Christopher sneered when he heard her answer. He then loosened his grip on Yuliana¡¯s wrist. He shifted his weight against the couch¡¯s backrest and then irritably pulled the tie on his neck. ¡°It has nothing to do with me? Yuliana, dare to say it again?¡± Christopher mocked. Yuliana pursed her lips and turned her gaze to Christopher again. She said rationally and sharply. ¡°The answer will still be the same no matter how many times I repeat it! From a biological point of view, you are indeed the child¡¯s father, but can you take on the responsibility of raising the child? If you can¡¯t do it, why do you say it has something to do with you?¡± She didn¡¯t want Christopher to be responsible for the child, but she wanted to force him out in this way so that he could clearly realize that in his current situation, it was best for him to sever ties with the child. After all, he cared about Annabelle so much and was about to get married. He definitely wouldn¡¯t want to affect his rtionship with Annabelle because of this child. Christopher stared at Yuliana coldly with pursed lips. ¡°What about you? You know I¡¯m getting married, but you want to give birth to a child rted to me by blood. What are you thinking?¡± Yuliana frowned, ¡°I said that before. If you don¡¯t trust me, we can sign an agreement. The baby and I will stay away from you in the future and will never disturb you!¡± ¡°Agreement?¡± Christopher snorted. ¡°Yuliana, you are too naive.¡± ¡°Am I naive?¡± Yuliana thought and didn¡¯t say anything. She just wanted a child to love and keep her company. She never wanted to use her child to achieve any goals, let alone destroy the rtionship between Christopher and Annabelle by using her child, even if Annabelle had previously intervened in her marriage. ¡°Why did he think I am naive?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but think again. Christopher studied the expression on her face and replied in azy voice, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this for the time being. I just learned that you are pregnant, and I still need time to consider it. We will talk about it after I think it through.¡± Yuliana¡¯s mind was in a mess. After hearing what he said, she felt a little relieved. She also needed time to sort out her thoughts and understand the relevant legal provisions. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll talk about it another day.¡± Yuliana then asked, ¡°Can I leave now?¡± Christopher looked at herzily. ¡°I told you that you can¡¯t go anywhere until I think it through!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Yulianaughed. ¡°Christopher, do you know what you¡¯re doing? You are illegally detaining me! I can choose to sue you!¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead and sue me!¡± Christopher looked like he had nothing to fear. Yuliana was so angry that she took out her phone from her bag and called the police. ¡°My name is Yuliana. I want to report something to the police¡­¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Go Take A Shower Before she could finish her words, her phone was taken away. Christopher hung up the phone and looked at her with a dark look. ¡°Yuliana, how dare you!¡± Yuliana red at him angrily and reached out to grab her phone. ¡°Give it back to me!¡± ¡°Give it back to you?¡± Christopher raised her phone and said shamelessly. ¡°Do you think I am still stupid to give you the phone to call the police and arrest me?¡± Yuliana stared at Christopher for a few moments. She could not understand why there was such a shameless person like him in this world. ¡°Christopher, I still have to work tomorrow!¡± Yuliana remarked. If she did not have sses tomorrow, she could still talk to Christopher, but she could not postpone the ss with the students. Christopher turned off her phone, pointed to the sofa behind Yuliana, and said, ¡°Please sit down. Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± Yuliana tried her best to control her emotions and sat back on the sofa. Then, she saw that Christopher had opened the things on the coffee table. If she remembered correctly, it was Christopher who brought them. back just now. After the lid was opened, hot air came out, followed by a faint fragrance of food. Although Yuliana was hungry, she did not think Christopher would bring her supper so kindly. Unexpectedly, Christopher pushed the thing toward Yuliana. She was left goggle-eyed for a moment, looked at him inexplicably, followed him to the kitchen, and soon brought a metal spoon. Christopher handed it to her and said, ¡°Eat it.¡± Yuliana was stumped for words. Seeing that she did not move, Christopher sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no poison inside.¡± Yuliana still did not intend to eat it. She just looked at him strangely without saying a word. Christopher pursed his thin lips and smiled. He looked at Yuliana and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. I¡¯m doing this for the baby instead of for you.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. After hearing this, Yuliana paused and took the spoon from Christopher. She was indeed hungry, especially after pregnancy. Although she had a bad appetite, a little hunger would make her feel ufortable and sometimes dizzy. For the sake of her body and the baby, she did not have to confront Christopher about such a thing. Yuliana tasted the chicken soup quietly. With no parsley or other spices, the chicken was chewy, and the taste was just right. Probably because she was so hungry, Yuliana almost finished the chicken soup. This was the most she had eaten since she was pregnant. There was still something left inside. She couldn¡¯t eat it anymore, so she had to put it back on the table. ¡°Wow, Ms. Livingstone, you look slim, but it turns out you¡¯re a big eater!¡± Christopher burst intoughter and threw the container into the kitchen trash can. Then, she went straight to the room without taking care of Yuliana. After a while, Christopher took out two clothes and gave them to Yuliana. ¡°Go take a shower!¡± Looking at Christopher¡¯s T-shirt and shorts lying on herp, Yuliana frowned, ¡°Christopher, what the hell do you want?¡± Christopher looked at her and answered, ¡°Do you still treat me as a stranger? We¡¯ve slept with each other before. Aren¡¯t you going to work tomorrow? You should have enough rest before going to work; otherwise, the baby will be affected. But if you want to go to my bed, you have to wash up!¡± ¡°Who wants to sleep with you?¡± Yuliana thought he was really sick. She would rather sleep on the better bed at her home. Christopher said, ¡°Okay. Then, you¡¯re staying here tomorrow, and don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Yuliana thought that Christopher really had the ability to drive people crazy. She picked up her clothes and walked into the bathroom. After washing and changing her clothes quickly, Yuliana came out of the bathroom. She saw Christopher lying on the sofa, holding his phone with both hands. The sounds made it seem like he was ying a game. Seeing Yulianae out, he looked at her and pointed to the room, saying, ¡°You sleep on the bed. I will sleep on the sofa.¡± Hearing what he said, Yuliana was stunned for a moment and then entered the room. When she closed the door, she hesitated and locked it. The room was decorated in ck, white, and gray, looking tidy. The room was empty and clean, but there was a smell of sandalwood in the room, which was very simr to what she smelled from Christopher¡¯s body. The whole style of the room did not match her impression of Christopher. She thought that a middle-aged man like him should have a lot of strange handmade ornaments in the room or that the room should be decorated very lively. Yuliana, who was heavy-eyed, did not want to think about it anymore. She lifted the quilt and went to bed. When she was about to turn off the lights, Yuliana suddenly caught a glimpse of the ashtray on the bedside table. She opened her eyes and found that there was burning ash inside. Yuliana felt strange, but she did not think too much. After all, it had nothing to do with her. She had been really tired all night, so she was not in the mood to continue to deal with Christopher. After closing her eyes for a few seconds, shepletely fell asleep. Christopher went to the window and lit a cigarette after finishing the game. Then, he walked to the bedroom and pushed the door, but he could not open the door. Heughed and returned to the sofa to lie down. He leaned his arms on the back of his neck and tilted his head to look out the window. He felt as calm as a millpond. Yuliana had a body clock, and she would wake up at the same time almost every day. But since she slept tootest night, she still felt sleepy after waking up. Seeing that it was still early, she squinted for a while. She did not even open her eyes until the door was mmed. ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯ll bete for work!¡± Christopher¡¯s voice came from outside. Yuliana lifted.the quilt and quickly got out of bed. She opened the door and saw Christopher standing at the door with sleepy eyes. Both of them were stunned by the scene. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 A Private Moment Obviously, the man in front of her had just woken up with his blond hair in a mess. Christopher¡¯s face was sleepy, and he was dressed casually in a T-shirt and grey sweater, staring at her. Yuliana was used to seeing Christopher¡¯s arrogant face. But when she saw him like this, she felt a little ufortable. What made Yuliana even more uneasy was the strange atmosphere created by the inexplicable embarrassment. For Yuliana, when she just woke up in the morning, her external image, body movements, and mental state were the most rxed and undisguised moments. It was a rtively private moment. She had never shown it to others except for the closest people. It made her ufortable and insecure. She subconsciously stepped back and wanted to find something to cover up with. It seemed like she had put herself on guard. Christopher¡¯s expression changed upon seeing Yuliana¡¯s reaction. With his nose in the air, he ordered, ¡°Please get out of my way!¡± Hearing this, Yuliana slightly pursed her lips, loosened her hand holding the doorknob, and immediately walked out of the room. After Christopher entered the room, she went to the bathroom outside. After a simple wash, she put on her own clothes yesterday. When she came out of the bathroom, Christopher had already changed his clothes, and his hair had been cleaned up. He was standing in front of the window and smoking. Hearing the noise behind him, Christopher turned around and took a deep breath. After opening the window, he walked to the coffee table and put the cigarette in the ashtray. Yuliana ignored him and went to the sofa to pack her things. Suddenly, she remembered something. She grabbed her hair and asked herself, ¡°Where is my phone?¡± Christopher did not give her phone back after it was taken away by himst night. The phone already ran out of battery the night before, and she was not sure if it could still be turned on now. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. While Yuliana was thinking about it, Christopher bent down, picked up her phone from the coffee table, and handed it to her. She took it and pressed the power button. After a while, the phone screen lit up. Seeing the phone was fully charged, Yuliana felt like she was hit with a ton of bricks. She did not think too much about it. She went to WhatsApp and made a voice call to the math teacher, Albert Hall, who was teaching her students. Yuliana asked her to go to the ssroom to help keep an eye on the students. It was almost eight o¡¯clock now. She still had to go home and change her clothes later, so Yuliana would probably bete for school. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hall,¡± Yuliana said, thanking him with a smile. Albert, like Ariel, who was in the same office as Yuliana, was an experienced teacher at the school. Every year, when a new teacher came in, he or she would be partnered with an experienced teacher. Yuliana had partnered with Albert when she first entered Juxshire Primary School and was now in her fourth year. Albert was not a talkative person. He was very strict with students but never interfered with Yuliana¡¯s teaching methods. In general, their partnership had been very harmonious in the past three years. Yuliana respected Albert very much. After negotiating with Albert, Yuliana realized something. When she tilted her head, she saw Christopher standing beside her and looking at her with her arms crassed. Yuliana still did not give a damn about him. She thought it would be best if they did not talk at this time. Otherwise, they would be quarreling again. When she was about to leave after packing up her things, Christopher suggested coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± Yuliana took a breather and considered rejecting. However, she decided to keep her trap shut. Anyway, she wanted to get to school soon. Rather than rejecting that, which would make Christopher unhappy, it would be better to save some trouble and a few dors in taxi rides. She did not say anything, which was considered acquiescence. After getting in the car, Yuliana fastened her seat belt and said, ¡°Please send me back to Maple Garden first.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t reply to that. Both of them were silent all the way. Forty minutester, the car stopped in front of the apartment building where Yuliana lived. Maple Garden had been built for some years, and the environment and management in the residential area were not good. Vehicles parked inside at will. Yuliana chose this location at the time because it was close to the school, and the rent was much lower than in other nearby neighborhoods. Christopher did not follow her upstairs. Yuliana went home and changed her clothes. She thought Christopher should have left, but when she went downstairs with her bag, she saw the silver-gray sports car still parked there. The person in the car was smoking with the window open. He was thinking about something else seriously, not even noticing that Yuliana had already gotten down. Yuliana hesitated for a while and then walked over. When she approached, Christopher only fixed his gaze on her. Yuliana asked, ¡°I¡¯m going to school. You¡¯re going to follow me until when?¡± Christopher looked at her for two seconds andinedzily, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Again Because Of Her? Yuliana had almost guessed what he was going to say. She turned around and got in the car, saying, ¡°There is a breakfast shop outside the residential area. It¡¯s almost nine o¡¯clock now. I have to get to school before nine-thirty.¡± Christopher smiled faintly, drove out of the residential area, and parked the car on the roadside in front of the breakfast shop. He nced at the breakfast shop. The environment was not good, but the business looked good. ¡°Wait for me.¡± He got out of the car after saying that. Yuliana sat in the car and stared at Christopher¡¯s back for a while. She could not understand all of his actions. She looked away and breathed a sigh of relief. A few minutester, the door opened. Christopher got in the car with several bags of things and handed them to Yuliana. ¡°Take them.¡± Yuliana epted the bags. Still, they did not exchange a word throughout the journey. After two or three minutes, the car stopped at the entrance of Juxshire Primary School. Yuliana opened the door and got out of the car. She strode into the school without saying anything to Christopher. Christopher stopped at the door for a while, and the school security guard came to remind him before he drove away. When Yuliana arrived at the office, only Fiona was there. ¡°Why are you sote today?¡± Fiona arrived at the office early in the morning and waited for Yuliana. After thinking something was wrongst night, she sent a message to Yuliana, but thetter did not reply. In the morning, she decided to call, but Yuliana¡¯s phone was turned off. She came to school earlier today after having a strong feeling that something was wrong. Fiona waited until normal working hours, but Yuliana had not arrived yet. It happened that the second ss in the morning was Yuliana¡¯s. She thought that if Yuliana did not arrive before the second ss, she was going to report to the school. Yuliana put the bags and breakfast properly on the table, saying, ¡°I was dyed by something else.¡± Fiona hesitated for a while and asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, who was the man with blond hair at the school entrance yesterday?¡± Fiona was not a person who liked to gossip, but the aura of Christopher and Yuliana yesterday was really not harmonious, and she could not help asking out of concern. Yuliana was silent for a while. Fiona was certainly not asking about Christopher¡¯s name but about her rtionship with him. What was Christopher to her? Yuliana obviously had trouble answering the question. If she was not pregnant, Yuliana could say there was no rtionship between them, but Christopher¡¯s blood flowed in the baby¡¯s body. She could not even deceive herself, so how could she deceive Fiona? Yuliana smiled and answered, ¡°He was my ssmate in high school.¡± That answer seemed more appropriate and convincing. After saying that, Yuliana opened the breakfast pack and began to eat breakfast. Fiona looked at her for a while and did not continue to ask. Christopher bought a cup of milk, boiled eggs, hash browns, and wholemeal buns. After wolfing down the food, Yuliana began to prepare for the sster. Those preparations that were supposed to be finished earlier were all disrupted by Christopher. After leaving Juxshire Primary School, Christopher drove to Prestige Club. Prestige Club was arge clubhouse that involved many entertainment facilities. It had been nned for a few years and waspleted this year. Afterpletion, it soon became an iconic clubhouse in Juxshire. Many powerful people and influencers woulde here for fun and entertainment. Glory Corporation, a multimillion-dor investment firm that hired an industry elite as CEO, owned Prestige Club. It was founded less than three years ago, but its development was already inexorable in the domestic venture capital industry. In the suite on the top floor of Prestige Club, Christopher ordered someone to bring in the wine. After drinking two sses, hey on the sofa and closed his eyes to rest. The phone vibrated. He picked up the phone and answered it with his eyes closed. ¡°Chris, what are you busy with?¡± It was Raymond. Christopher frowned and asked impatiently. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I can only find you when there¡¯s a problem?¡± replied Raymond. Christopher blurted, ¡°Yes.¡± Raymond was rendered speechless instantly. He cleared his throat and suggested, ¡°How about ying a few rounds tonight?¡± Recently, there had been many issues in thepany. Raymond had his hands full. He had not touched the poker cards for a while and was craving them. He knew he¡¯d have some free time these two days, so he invited a few people to y a few rounds. ¡°Nope,¡± Christopher responded coldly. Raymond was pissed off by his tone. ¡°Come on, who do you think you are? Asking you to y poker with me means I think highly of you. I don¡¯t think you are busy. You¡¯re sozy that you hire someone to take care of such a shabbypany. You¡¯re the least upied man in the world, Mr. Sce.¡± Raymond sometimes could not figure it out. With the Sce family business, Christopher could easily take a position in Sce Corporation. Moreover, thepany was run by his eldest brother, Kendrick, and there was a lot of money for Christopher to squander, but he still wanted to set up apany by himself. At first, he thought that Christopher wanted to find something to do. After all, people like him did not worry about money. Even if they spent a lot of time indulging in alcohol and pleasure, they would never run out of money. But it would be boring if that was all someone had in his life. Thepany was established in the end, but Christopher did not give a hoot to the affairs of the company and still enjoyed himself as a yboy who was not professional in the eyes of others. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It was fortunate that the professional manager he hired was highlypetent and urate in grasping market insight. Thus, thepany earned a lot of money in recent years, bing better and better. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Christopher retortedzily. Raymond felt that something was wrong with Christopher. ¡°Did you swallow gunpowder in the morning?¡± ¡°Yeah. Believe it or not, I¡¯ll blow you up immediately.¡± Hearing this, Raymond was at a loss for words. But after knowing each other for about 20 years, he understood Christopher¡¯s temper very well. The worse his mood, the more childish he was. Raymond asked, ¡°Who offended you again, Mr. Sce?¡± Christopher turned a deaf ear to him. Hearing the silence on the phone, Raymond pondered for a while and wondered, ¡°Is this because of Ms. Livingstone again?¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Do You Hate Me? The person on the other end of the line fell silent. Raymond was sure that his spection was correct. Raymond sighed. ¡°You and Annabelle are getting married, so why are you still looking for Yuliana?¡± Sometimes, he truly couldn¡¯t figure out what Christopher was thinking. ¡°Was I the one looking for her?¡± Christopher snorted coldly. Raymond was dumbfounded. He felt that there was a hidden meaning in his friend¡¯s remarks. After pondering for a while, he asked tentatively, ¡°Did she really provoke you?¡± *Judging from my understanding of Yuliana, that shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­¡± Raymond mused. Instead of getting an answer from the other end of the line, Raymond heard a mechanical beep. Christopher had hung up the phone. After ending the call with Raymond, Christopher tossed his phone and continued to close his eyes to rest. In his dazed state, he appeared to be having a dream. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. A little girl with a small, skinny figure and fair skin appeared in his dream. He could distinctively see the light. greenish vein on her nose bridge. Her eyes resembled the crescent moons when she smiled. She looked adorable and docile. Suddenly, the little girl turned around and handed him a piece of candy with a grin. ¡°This is for you. Do you want it?¡± Christopher looked at the little girl¡¯s limpid eyes for a moment. When he was about to reach out for the candy, the dream abruptly ended. The vibration of the phone woke him up. After staring at the phone on the table with a gloomy gaze for several moments, Christopher shut his eyes again and ignored the call. However, the phone vibrated repeatedly. It intermittently rang as if it was endless. In the end, Christopher grabbed his phone and answered the call. However, he didn¡¯t speak up. The caller on the other end seemingly didn¡¯t expect him to answer the phone all of a sudden. Hence, the person remained silent. After a while, Christopher opened his eyes and looked at the phone screen. He frowned slightly and finally said, ¡°Did you call me to y this silent game? I¡¯m hanging up if you aren¡¯t talking.¡± ¡°Christopher, just tell me directly if you don¡¯t want to get married.¡± Annabelle¡¯s tone was cold. Christopher pursed his thin lips in silence for a while. ¡°If I say I don¡¯t want to, will you find another person to marry?¡± Annabelle sneered. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can find a new partner to marry!¡± With that, Annabelle hung up the phone. Christopher clenched the phone and massaged his temples with the other hand. Later, he called Annabelle again. Nheless, Annabelle didn¡¯t answer. Christophery on the sofa again briefly before informing the driver to take him to Annabelle¡¯s art studio. When he arrived, Annabelle was standing in front of the easel with an apron around her waist and a paintbrush in her hand. Christopher stood at the door for some time quietly as he didn¡¯t want to interrupt the woman working. Annabelle inadvertently looked up and caught a glimpse of the man standing at the entrance. Her expression turned chilly as she and Christopher exchanged nces for a moment. After that, she directed her attention to the unfinished painting in front of her. Christopher stepped forward and stood in one corner to watch. He didn¡¯t have any artistic skills and only knew if a painting looked pretty or not. However, he couldn¡¯t figure out whether Annabelle¡¯s paintings were considered beautiful or ugly ¡°Why did you call me just now?¡± Christopher questioned. Although Annabelle¡¯s expression was cold, she still replied, ¡°Someone from the wedding dress store contacted me before and said that the wedding dress had been delivered and told me to try it on tomorrow afternoon.¡± Christopher frowned imperceptibly again, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow afternoon.¡± Hearing this, Annabelle stopped and stared at the painting before her. No one knew what she was thinking. She asked subsequently, ¡°Christopher, do you hate me?¡± Meanwhile, Yuliana was a little absent-minded that day. She got distracted several times while teaching her students in ss. The woman would forget that she had exined some contents to her ss earlier and ended up repeating it to them again. It was after the students reminded her that she realized it. She knew very well why her behavior was so abnormal. It was soon before school was over. Yuliana was marking thest set of homework when her phone rang, and she received a text message. She nced at the familiar number, and her gaze didn¡¯t leave the screen. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Give Birth To The Child Yuliana didn¡¯t click open the message and was even more not prepared to reply to the sender. After putting it on silent mode, she ced her phone to the side with the screen facing down. After school, Ariel and Lexie left the office consecutively. Fiona returned to the office after ss. Seeing that Yuliana hadn¡¯t left, she asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, aren¡¯t you going home after work?¡± Yuliana replied smiling, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished marking some of my students¡¯ homework yet. You should leave first. Don¡¯t wait for me. I might be staying longer.¡± Fiona nodded. She packed her things and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go first. See you tomorrow, Ms. Livingstone.¡± She was also living in a rented apartment, which was a distance from the school. It would take her nearly an hour to get back via subway, but fortunately, there was no need to transfer. After Fiona left, Yulianapleted her work and dawdled in the school for a while. It was almost seven o¡¯clock when she finally packed up and left the office. When she arrived at the school gate, Yuliana looked around subconsciously. She felt a little relieved when she didn¡¯t spot a silver sports car. Yuliana didn¡¯t go home directly and headed to a nearby supermarket chain. She had a slight obsessivepulsive disorder and didn¡¯t like to dy the matters she intended to do, whether it was regarding her career or her personal life. Yuliana had made a list a few days ago, and she decided to go to the supermarket after work yesterday. Nevertheless, Christopher¡¯s appearance disrupted her n. If she didn¡¯t fulfill her n today, she would feel uneasy. Upon arriving at the supermarket, Yuliana pushed a shopping cart and went to get the shower gel first. She was not very picky when it came to this particr item. The woman wasn¡¯t concerned whether the shower gel got produced by a well-known brand. She often set her eyes on a brand and would not change it easily. Then, she went to the section that sold tissues. It was also her habit to choose the brands and designs shemonly used. However, the tissue brand she often bought was involved in an event today. Thus, the products on the shelves below got sold out. There was no time to replenish the goods, and only the products on the top shelf were avable. Yuliana tiptoed to get the item, but she only managed to swipe her fingertips across the tissue package and couldn¡¯t retrieve it. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She tried several times till her hands were sore, but her efforts were in vain. When she was about to ask the supermarket staff for help, she suddenly felt something make contact from behind her. Before she could turn around to see, she saw an arm stretched out and took down a bag of tissues. ¡°Do you want this?¡± A familiar man¡¯s sluggish and mellow voice sounded in her ears. Yuliana turned around and wasn¡¯t surprised to see that the person was Christopher. Their bodies were so close to each other this time. It was as though Yuliana was sandwiched between Christopher and the shelf. Yuliana took the whole bag of tissues from him and moved a step aside. She said calmly with a straight face, ¡°Thank you.¡± Christopher stared at her for a moment. ¡°Are you hiding from me?¡± ¡°No¡± Yuliana ced the tissues into the shopping cart. She continued to push the cart forward and headed to the area selling sanitary pads and pantyliners. Christopher followed her unhurriedly. Yuliana nced at him from the corner of her eyes. Although it wasmon for females to buy these things, she felt a little ufortable with a rtively unfamiliar man staring at her by her side. While Yuliana was staring at the goods on the shelf, some items were tossed into her shopping cart. After looking, she realized those were several bags of sanitary pads. She knitted her brows as she stared at Christopher. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christopher looked at her indifferently with his heavily-lidded eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get these?¡± ¡°Who said I want to get these?¡± Yuliana took out the bags of sanitary pads one by one. When the woman was about to put them back, she suddenly froze. She looked at the sanitary pads in her hands and noticed these belonged to the brand she usually used. She nced at Christopher inexplicably before putting the sanitary pads back on the shelf. After that, she took some pantyliners and threw them into the shopping cart. Later, Yuliana also went to buy toothpaste andundry capsules. Finally, she went to the fruit and vegetable section to purchase some vegetables and fruits and went to the self-service checkout counter to pay for her items. As soon as Yuliana made the payment, Christopher put the products into the shopping bags and strode out of the supermarket while carrying them with both hands. Yuliana stood rooted to the ground quietly. She stared at Christopher¡¯s back for a few seconds before following him. When they arrived at the parking lot, Yuliana eventually understood why she didn¡¯t see the silver sports car at the school gate. It was because Christopher was driving a ck Mercedes-Benz G-ss. On the way back, the couplepsed into a heavy silence. Fortunately, it was only a-few-minutes¡¯ drive from the supermarket to Maple Garden. Christopher pulled his car over below the apartment building. He acted first by getting out of the car and taking out the shopping bags from the trunk. When Yuliana alighted from the car and closed the door, the man was already standing by the side waiting for her. Both of them stared at each other wordlessly for two seconds. Yuliana then walked to the unit entrance, took out the ess card, swiped it, and pushed the door open to enter. Upon reaching home, Yuliana put the fruits and vegetables in the kitchen and the other daily necessities on top of the shoe cab close to the entrance. She nned to pack themter. She thought, ¡°I¡¯d better deal with this troublesome Christopher first.¡± ¡°Have you thought things through, Christopher?¡± Yuliana looked at him, who was standing by the window. She continued, ¡°We can discuss if you did.¡± Christopher whirled around and stared at Yuliana soundlessly momentarily. He spoke casually. ¡°You can give birth to the child if you want to.¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Raised Status Yuliana was stunned for a moment when she heard this, and she looked at Christopher in surprise. She came back to her senses after a while, but there was some doubt in her eyes. ¡°Did you agree for me to give birth to the child?¡± Yuliana asked for confirmation. Christopher smirked. ¡°Will you not give birth if I don¡¯t agree?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Yuliana pursed her lips and said nothing. Of course, even if Christopher didn¡¯t agree, she would still give birth to the child since she had already decided to have it. Christopher walked over and sat down on the couch. His legs were so long that he couldn¡¯t stretch them. between the coffee table and the couch. As such, he could only bend them in a strange posture. He was silent for a long time as he closed his eyelids. No one knew what he was thinking. Yuliana was a little uneasy and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What conditions do you have?¡± It was as if Christopher did not hear her speak. He continued lowering his eyelids and didn¡¯t move. Yuliana was about to continue speaking when Christopher suddenly spoke. ¡°Just as you said, let¡¯s sign an agreement.¡± Christopher looked up at Yuliana with a cold expression. ¡°Although the child was an ident, I am also responsible, so I will give you a sum of money. This sum of money is the alimony from me, which is enough for him to graduate from university or even study abroad.¡± Yuliana frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Christopher sneered, ¡°Yuliana, why are you being so arrogant? Given your current ie, are you able to give him a good living and educational condition? Besides, the money is not for you. Who cares if you need it or not?¡± He paused and said, ¡°Moreover, I will provide this money to save myself from worries. Wouldn¡¯t it be more troublesome if the child is born and youe to look for me because you couldn¡¯t afford to feed him?¡± Although Yuliana¡¯s ie is not high at present, it is also not low. Since she decided to give birth to the baby, she had already made ns. She will be able to take care of the child¡¯s needs. However, if that could reassure Christopher, she could also temporarily ept the money on behalf of the child. She would let the child decide whether to ept the money when he or she got older. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ept it. Do you have any other requirements?¡± Yuliana asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t got any idea at the moment. I¡¯ll get mywyer to add it to the agreement when I think of something.¡± Christopher scratched his eyebrows with his finger, paused, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to ask for?¡± Yuliana thought for a while and looked at Christopher for a moment before she answered, ¡°Although you are the biological father of the child, I hope that after the child is born, you will not appear in our lives. You also can¡¯t let the child know that you are his or her dad. At the same time, I will not disclose that the child has. anything to do with you.¡± The implication was that the child would not have any rtionship with him, let alone any interaction. She didn¡¯t want to deprive the child of the right to fatherly love, but it was obvious that Christopher¡¯s fatherly love was not reliable. He would have his own child in the future. It was better to never know it than to let the child know and be disappointed. Either that or she would choose a suitable time to reveal it when the child was older. On the other hand, it was also out of selfishness. She was also afraid that the Sce family would know about the child one day and suddenly wanted to take the child back. What could she leverage to resist them? Christopher stared at her expressionlessly for a while and sneered. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what I want. I¡¯m still afraid that one day you¡¯lle to me with a child in your arms, wanting to raise your status by using a child and making me responsible for you.¡± Yuliana ignored him and asked, ¡°When can the agreement be drawn up?¡± She just wanted to settle the matter quickly so that nothing could go wrong. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± At the right time, the phone rang. Christopher looked at it as he replied, ¡°I have to think about the terms of the agreement carefully. I will ask mywyer to contact you after the agreement is drafted. If you have no objection to it by then, we can then make an appointment to sign it.¡± Yuliana felt insecure without a deadline. ¡°Approximately how long will it take?¡± After reading the message, Christopher stood up from the couchzily. His expression was grim as he responded, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re not the only anxious one here. I¡¯m more anxious than you.¡± Yuliana thought about what he said and felt that it made sense. After all, Christopher and Annabelle would get married soon. He must want to end this issue before marrying Annabelle. Yuliana said, ¡°Okay, ask yourwyer to contact me when the agreement is done.¡± Christopher looked at Yuliana for another two seconds and said in a low voice, ¡°Goodbye.¡± He walked toward the door. When he passed by Yuliana, he paused slightly and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Yuliana¡­¡± Yuliana turned her head and met his eyes. After a brief pause, she replied, ¡°What?¡± Christopher pursed his lips. ¡°Nothing.¡± After saying that, he walked to the door, opened it, and left. Yuliana stared at the closed door for a while. A sh of emotion passed through her heart. ¡°His eyes were a little strange just now,¡± she thought. Christopher drove to Prestige Club. By the time he arrived, the poker table had been set up in the private room, and a few rounds had been yed. Seeing Christopher enter, Raymond joked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not free? What are you doing here? Are you inspecting the venue?¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 The Dog Is Smarter Than You Christopher nced at him with a sullen face, ignored him, and turned around to go to the bar. He poured himself a ss of wine and sat quietly drinking. Raymond nced at Christopher from time to time as he yed poker. The more he looked, the more he felt that something was wrong with Christopher. Afterpleting a round, Raymond called someone to rece him on the table. He went off the poker table and walked toward Christopher. ¡°Why are you acting gloomy here?¡± Raymond ced his arm around Christopher¡¯s shoulder and sat down on the bench next to him. Christopher shoved Raymond¡¯s arm in disgust and took a sip of wine. Raymond also took an empty ss and poured himself a drink. After taking a sip, he asked, ¡°Do you want me to talk to you for a while?¡± Christopher side-eyed him. ¡°Ray, has anyone told you that you chatter non-stop, like a sparrow? Please go back to where you came from. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡± ¡°Tsk. You¡¯ve got a bad temper. Even dogs will shake their heads if they see this.¡± Raymond shook his head. Hearing this, Christopher smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t attack the dogs. They¡¯re not as stupid as you.¡± ¡°Who did you say-?¡± Before Raymond could finish his words, he realized something immediately, and his face darkened. He thought, ¡°Damn! How stupid am I to criticize myself? It¡¯s all because of Christopher.¡± After a ss of wine, Raymond saw the tired expression on Christopher¡¯s face. It was obvious that he was in a bad mood. Raymond paused and said seriously, ¡°Chris, you don¡¯t give yourself a break. What¡¯s the point of it? You only live once.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t say anything. He took out a cigarette box and lit a cigarette. Then, he pushed the cigarette box to Raymond, who picked up the cigarette box and lit another. Neither of them spoke. In the blink of an eye, it was Independence Day. Xandria and Yuliana made an appointment to stay in the ancient town around Juxshire for two days. The main reason was that many people traveled during Independence Day. There were people and traffic jams everywhere. However, because the surrounding ancient town was not well-known, many outsiders were unaware of it. The locals of Juxshire often visited the ancient town. So, it was natural for them to travel further during the long Independence Day holiday. Xandria booked a homestay. The style of the homestay was the same as that of the ancient town. The difference was that the original buildings in the ancient town were hundreds of years old, while the homestay buildings were newly built based on the ancient buildings in theter period. Yuliana and Xandria set off in the morning. It took them over ten hours of driving for a three to four hours¡¯ journey. It was already close to the evening when they arrived.. After putting away their luggage, they rested. The sky darkened gradually. However, it was quite interesting at night in an ancient town like that. Anyhow, it was still Independence Day. Although it was not as crowded as the popr scenic spots, it was obviously much more lively than usual. Xandria and Yuliana wandered outside and took some photos. When they were tired, they chose a caf¨¦ and sat down. Xandria was editing a photo on her phone while chatting with Yuliana about the child. ¡°Are you really going to give birth to the baby?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Xandria still felt that Yuliana was too irrational on that matter. Yuliana took a sip of fruit tea and said, ¡°Yes. Christopher also knows about my pregnancy. He doesn¡¯t object to me giving birth to the baby.¡± Xandria shouted, ¡°Of course, he doesn¡¯t object. He doesn¡¯t need to give birth to or raise a child. I wouldn¡¯t object if I could be a dad by just inserting my sperm.¡± After saying that, she showed the edited picture to Yuliana and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Yuliana took the phone and looked at it. ¡°Isn¡¯t this edited till it¡¯s a bit¡­ fake?¡± She thought, ¡°It¡¯s not only a little fake, but it¡¯s not like you at all.¡± Yuliana sometimes couldn¡¯t understand Xandria¡¯s beauty standards. She was beautiful, but every time she took a photo, she trimmed herself into an awl-shaped face with blurred features, with her face as pale as flour. ¡°How is it fake? I think it looks pretty good.¡± Xandria got her phone back. Then, she posted the edited picture on her Instagram ount. The caption was written as, [Traveling in an ancient town with my best friend). Before long, Xandria received dozens of likes. She looked at them one by one with a smile. Suddenly, the smile on her face stiffened. ¡°This bastard, Raymond. He is calling me ugly!¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Just My Type Yuliana was stunned hearing Xandria mention Raymond. Since she apanied Xandria and Raymond on a blind date a few weeks ago, she did not hear anything from Xandria anymore. She thought they had not contacted each other for a long time. Little did she expect them to add each other on WhatsApp. ¡°You¡¯re still in contact with Raymond?¡± Yuliana asked. Xandria opened the chat box with Raymond to scold him back. At the same time, she said, ¡°Raymond and I agreed to y a fake couplest time, remember? Now mine and his family thought that we were really dating!¡± The fact was that they had not seen each other since thest time they met. They merely contacted each other twice by phone, and that was to deal with their families. Thus, they added each other on WhatsApp for convenience. If Xandria had known about this, she would have blocked Raymond from her stories. Seeing Xandria making an angry face as she sent voice messages on her phone, Yuliana did not say anything. She did not want to disturb her.. Meanwhile, Raymond, who was drinking with a beautiful woman, did not even bother to click on the voice messages that Xandria sent. Instead, he clicked on Xandria¡¯s photos and studied them for a while. The beauty next to him nced at his phone screen and joked with sourness, ¡°Now, who¡¯s this lover, Raymond?¡± Raymond did not respond. Perhaps he did not hear her, or he did not want to talk to her. The beauty subconsciously felt that he did not want to talk to her. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Therefore, her tone became sourer. ¡°Anyways, your taste has be worse, Raymond. It¡¯s so obvious that this woman went through stic surgery. Her chin is so sharp that it could cut someone. She must¡¯ve done contouring surgery. And same goes for her nose. Her nose bridge is abnormally high. She must¡¯ve gotten a lot of hyaluronic injections on her face too. Her face is like a bun.¡± After the beauty¡¯s longment, Raymond finally nced at her. With a cold voice, he said, ¡°So what? She¡¯s just my type.¡± The expression on the beautiful woman¡¯s face stiffened. She snorted coldly, turned around, and left. Raymond withdrew his gaze. He turned his phone on with his finger as he contemted. He clicked on the WhatsApp dialog box and sent a voice message, ¡°Where are you?¡± After a few seconds, Xandria replied, ¡°Why?¡± Raymond said, ¡°My mom wants you to have dinner at our ce tomorrow.¡± Xandria said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not in Juxshire.¡± Raymond sent another voice message, ¡°Then where are you? You can¡¯t make it?¡± Xandria said, ¡°I¡¯m in the surrounding ancient town. I won¡¯t be in Juxshire these two days. You better arrange dinner after a few days.¡± The two had agreed that they had to cooperate with each other when necessary. Hence, Xandria naturally would not refuse if Raymond said that his mother wanted the former to have dinner at their ce. However, Xandria was not in Juxshire now, so the me was not on her. After getting the information he needed, Raymond smiled. He sent another voice message, ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s decide againter.¡± After replying, Raymond looked up some information about the ancient town around Juxshire on the Inte. He then put away his mobile phone and went to the poker table. After ncing at Christopher, who was crossing his legs as he fumbled with the poker card, Raymond spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s rare to have a few days off. Why don¡¯t we find a ce to y for two days since we have time?¡± Leonard nced at him and was about to say, ¡°What¡¯s the point of going out and getting stuck in the crowd during Independence Day?¡± However, he immediately changed his response when he received a signal from Raymond ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Christopher lifted his eyes and threw a nce at the two of them who were ying along with each other. He did not chime in. Instead, he threw the poker card out. Raymond said, ¡°I heard that there¡¯s an ancient town near Juxshire with good scenery. I checked it online just now. This ancient town is quite original as it hasn¡¯t been developed much. There are not many tourists, so we can go there for a vacation.¡± Leonard raised his eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s not easy to find a ce with lesser people these days.¡± The others agreed as well, except for Christopher. Raymond kicked the leg of Christopher¡¯s chair. ¡°What about you, Chris?¡± Christopher nced at him. ¡°Juxshire has so many ces for you to travel, but you just have to go to some shabby ancient town. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Raymond coughed lightly. When he was about to find a suitable excuse to fool Christopher, he heard a voice. ¡°What ancient town?¡± Everyone at the poker table turned around and saw Annabelle. The expression on Raymond¡¯s face stiffened as he smiled, ¡°It¡¯s just an ancient town around Juxshire.¡± Annabelle said, ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m looking for a ce to sketch these two days. Why don¡¯t we check out this ancient town?¡± It was raining at night. October was already here. Besides, the ancient town was some distance away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The temperature dropped a lot on a rainy night, and it was extremely quiet. Yuliana stood in front of the window and stared at the yard for a while. She had the illusion that she was in a staggered time and space. Xandria came out after taking a shower. Seeing Yuliana standing in front of the window in pajamas, she could not help but remind thetter, ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold, Yuliana?¡± Yuliana came back to her senses and felt a little cold in her hands and feet. She closed the window and came in. ¡°A little bit. It seems that the ancient town is much colder than Juxshire.¡± Xandria took out several bottles and wiped her face. ¡°Of course. This ce is 180 to 250 miles away from Juxshire. There¡¯s no big city nearby, and the altitude is higher than that of Juxshire. You¡¯re pregnant, be careful not to catch a cold.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± She was quite confident in her physical fitness. However, she did not expect a sore throat and blocked nose when she woke up the next morning. Fortunately, it was not very serious. She felt better after drinking arge ss of warm water. In the past, as long as Yuliana drank more warm water, she could recover with her immunity. She would not need to take medicine. Although it was not a big problem, she was still not relieved. She stayed in the homestay in the morning and did not go out. Finally, she went out with Xandria after the sun came out in the afternoon. The ancient town was not big. One could finish touring in an hour. However, Xandria was enthusiastic about. taking photos. She would take pictures wherever they went. They took two hours to finish walking around. It was only three or four o¡¯clock in the afternoon after the walk. The sky here was blue, and the sunlight was great. They found a caf¨¦ and sat down to rest. Xandria was still busy editing the photos she had taken while Yuliana replied to her WhatsApp messages. She had a group chat with parents who would ask about the students every day. Therefore, she would open WhatsApp from time to time and reply in the group chat if necessary. She put her phone away as soon as she replied to the messages. Then, she looked up into the distance to see a group of peopleing over. Her gaze instinctively paused as she saw a familiar blonde hair under the sun. ¡°What a coincidence, Ms. Livingstone! You¡¯re here for a vacation too?¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 It Felt Familiar To Her Xandria, who was editing pictures on her phone, immediately looked up when she heard the voice. Her expression darkened immediately when she saw Raymond¡¯s face and the people beside him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She could not help scolding in her heart, ¡°What bad luck!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Raymond walked to the table next to her and sat down. ¡°What? You cane here but we can¡¯t? Do you own thisnd?¡± Xandria frowned and red at Raymond. There was no reply from her. Although she did not own the land, it felt strange to meet Raymond and Christopher here. Since thest time they had a deal, Christopher was now a stranger to Yuliana. Although she was stunned at first to meet him here so suddenly, she soon returned to normal. Meanwhile, Christopher did not look at Yuliana. He pulled out a chair and leaned his head on it as he sat with his eyes closed to rest. They were worried about the traffic jam on the road, so they went out before dawn. Nevertheless, there was still a traffic jam in the middle of their trip. It was already afternoon when they reached the ancient town. After settling down in their lodging, they found a ce to eat outside. Following that, they were going to find a ce to have coffee and get some sunlight. Who would know that this was the only caf¨¦ in the ancient town with an open-airyout for them to get some sunlight? It was a coincidence to meet Xandria and Yuliana. Christopher and Raymond¡¯s group consisted of men and women. There were about seven to eight of them. They took three tables. After ordering coffee from the menu, Raymond looked at Christopher. He did not know if thetter was asleep or not. Then, he turned to look at Yuliana. ¡°Ms. Livingstone.¡± Hearing that Raymond called her, Yuliana turhed around politely. ¡°Yes, Mr. Quinn?¡± Raymond smiled and said, ¡°Well, I have a niece who¡¯s in elementary school too. I heard from her parents that she studies hard. Her family hired a tutor from a famous school as well, but I don¡¯t know why her academic performance is not improving. Do you know why, Ms. Livingstone?¡± Yuliana thought for a few seconds before replying, ¡°There may be many reasons. It may be that the child is forced to study so much that she got tired of learning, or it may be that the learning method is wrong.¡± After hearing this, Raymond wanted to ask more, but Yuliana stopped him with her following response. ¡°I personally suggest that the parentsmunicate with their children¡¯s teachers to know the actual reason. After all, the teachers and parents know the children¡¯s learning best.¡± Raymond smiled politely. ¡°Okay, thank you, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana turned around and said to Xandria, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, Xani. Why don¡¯t we go back first?¡± Xandria nced at Yuliana and then in the direction of Christopher. She hurriedly said, ¡°Oh, okay.¡± They both left the caf¨¦ after they paid the bill. Xandria stole a nce at Yuliana to see thetter looking ufortable. She thought it was because of the encounter with Christopher. ¡°Yuliana, we¡¯ll go back to Juxshire if you don¡¯t want to see them.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to see them. I just feel a little ufortable and wanted to go back to the homestay for a rest.¡± She already felt cold not long after sitting at the caf¨¦. Perhaps it was because she had sweated so much earlier. She was already a little ufortable in the morning. The reason for her wanting to go back was that she was afraid that her cold might worsen. It was not because of Christopher and the others. Hearing what she said, Xandria was a little nervous. ¡°Where do you feel ufortable?¡± Yuliana was afraid that Xandria would be worried. She smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± Xandria said, ¡°You can have a good rest when we return.¡± Yuliana nodded. After returning to the homestay, Yuliana went to bed and rested. Xandria stayed in the room for a while before answering a phone call. She gave Yuliana a sign and went out. Yuliana was in a daze after her sleep. She suddenly woke up when she felt that she could not breathe. Her nose was blocked, and she could not breathe when lying down. She sat up slowly and almost fell down due to dizziness. Fortunately, her arms held onto the bed for support in time. She pinched her nose and took a few hard breaths. Finally, she felt better. However, the lights in the room were not turned on, and only the faint moonlight came through the window. In a daze, Yuliana wanted to find the switch to turn on the lights, but she identally hit something. That item. fell to the ground with a loud thud. Yuliana was startled and immediately withdrew her hand. At that time, she was not very conscious, not to mention that the room was dark. The ancient town was different from the city, where there were lights everywhere. The homestay Xandria booked was a detached building which meant that only Yuliana and Xandria lived there. Obviously, Xandria was not here at that moment. Being alone in a strange environment and feeling ufortable made Yuliana weak in willpower. Yuliana instantly had a sense of loneliness and fear. After sitting by the headboard for a while under the nket, she stretched out her hand to find the switch once again. Finally, she found it. However, the lights did note on even after she pressed the switch. Yuliana panicked a little. She tried again, but there was no light. Her mind was a mess. After a while, she thought of something. She found her phone on the shelf by the bedside. Her nervousness was slightly relieved once she turned on the light on her phone. However, her body was still ufortable. Her head was heavy. She touched her forehead, which seemed to be a little hot. Yuliana called Xandria, wanting her to go to the pharmacy to buy a thermometer and a cooling patch for her when thetter was back. Yet, no one picked up the phone despite her calling several times. A sense of helplessness rose in Yuliana. She held her knees with both arms and bit her arm to endure the difort and soreness of her eyes. After a while, she lifted the nket and got out. She put on a coat and went out with her phone. From her memory, there was a pharmacy near the homestay. Maybe it was because of her cold that Yuliana felt extremely cold when she came out of the homestay. When the wind blew, she could not help but tremble. She walked slowly toward the direction of the pharmacy based on her memories. The dark alley was so quiet that she could hear her heartbeat. Yuliana suddenly felt that the alley was extraordinarily long. When she finally reached the end, she felt dizzy and could not stand still anymore, causing her to fall. Thest remaining consciousness of her registered the faint smell of sandalwood. It felt familiar to her. ¡°Yuliana!¡± Christopher held Yuliana and shouted twice. She did not respond. He could feel that the back of her hand was a little hot. It was obviously higher than his body temperature. With an assumption, he raised his hand and touched her forehead. His eyes darkened. He then carried her and hurried out of the alley. Yuliana¡¯s consciousness was in bits and pieces. Sometimes, she vaguely felt that there was a light on her face, and people were walking in and out around her. Sometimes, she felt as though she was kept in the dark, feeling chaotic and unclear about everything. When her body was hot, she felt like she was in a furnace. When she was cold, she felt the wind from all directions. One night had passed. Yuliana felt a cold hand on her forehead. She opened her eyes in a daze and merely saw a blurred figure sitting by the bed. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 I Will Not Forgive You ¡°Xani, I want to drink water,¡± Yuliana pleaded, her throat tingling. ¡°All right, hold on a second.¡± Yuliana had a vague feeling that Xandria¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t normal, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong with it. After some thought, her head felt dizzy and painful. Yuliana felt herself being helped up after a while, her back leaning on a warm shoulder, and then a ss of warm water touched her lips. Instinctively, she opened her mouth and drank it quickly. Cough! Cough! As she drank it too fast, Yuliana choked and coughed nonstop. Her chest was soaked from coughing up warm water. ¡°Drink it slowly. Nobody is trying to keep you from drinking.¡± Yuliana¡¯s ears picked up on an impatient tone, but she didn¡¯t feel uneasy when she heard it. Instead, she was sad and wanted to cry. It had been a long time since her father, Damian, had been imprisoned, so no one had spoken to her in that manner in a long time. When ill, a person might be particrly vulnerable, especially if their minds were foggy. Tears began to fall down Yuliana¡¯s cheeks as she became ovee by emotion. With a tissue, Christopher absorbed the water stains on her clothes. When he noticed she was crying, he immediately came to a halt. He was perplexed and asked, stiffly, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Yuliana¡¯s throat itched once more, and she couldn¡¯t stop coughing. Her face became flushed from coughing after a while. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Then, Christopher patted her on the back and remained silent for a few moments. After she had finished coughing, he said, ¡°If you cry again, I will leave you alone. I¡¯ve been serving you all night, and I¡¯m exhausted, but I haven¡¯t cried yet. Meanwhile, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s sobbing uncontrobly!¡± Hearing that, Yuliana burst into tears. Her tears hadpletely soaked Christopher¡¯s shoulders. Christopher couldn¡¯t help but soften his tone when he saw her sobbing so hard. Heforted her back with his hands and didn¡¯t say anything else to irritate her. Instead, he hummed a song over and over. When Yuliana got tired of crying, she calmed down in his arms and fell back asleep. After Yuliana had fallen asleep, he gently ced her back on the bed, covered her with the quilt, and stared at her for a while. Her face was smeared with both dried and wet tears. Her long, thickshes were wet as well, giving her a frail and pitiful appearance. Christopher gently moved a few of the hairs that were stuck to her face due to the tears with his fingertips, then paused for a moment on the tip of her nose. ¡°What a crybaby,¡± he said. Christopher then sat on the bed for a few moments before getting up and going to the bathroom. He returned to wipe her face after twisting a towel soaked in cold water. Finally, he used a thermometer to take her temperature. Although her temperature had dropped significantly, she still had a low fever. Christopher picked up the phone from the bedside cab and turned it on after confirming Yuliana¡¯s safety. A phone call came in almost immediately. He took the phone and stepped outside before answering the phone. ¡°Yuliana, where are you?¡± On the other end of the phone, Xandria¡¯s worried voice could be heard. Xandria arrived twenty minutester, apanied by Kathryn and Larry. Outside the hotel room, Christopher leaned against the wall, his head cocked. Soon after, he noticed Xandria and the others. Xandria charged forward, enraged, and inquired, ¡°Why is Yuliana with you? What exactly did you do to her?¡± ¡°Ms. Yeager, can you reflect on yourself before questioning others? You have no right to me others because you left your sick and feverish friend alone in the homestay and went out to enjoy yourself!¡± Christopher sneered as he stared at her. ¡°What? Yuliana has a fever?¡± Xandria was taken aback and became nervous. The previous day, Yuliana only said that she was a little tired and wanted to take a rest. Xandria assumed it was due to her pregnancy and didn¡¯t give it much thought. Meanwhile, Kathryn and Larry decided toe over to see Xandria after seeing her invitation on Instagram the night before. However, because their car¡¯s engine failed halfway through, they requested that Xandria pick them up. She didn¡¯t bring Yuliana with her because she assumed thetter was resting at the time. She reasoned that since she would be back in a few hours, Yuliana would be fine alone at the homestay in the meantime. When she left, she also informed Yuliana that she was going out, to which Yuliana hummed in acknowledgment. She returned to the homestay after leaving for a few hours to fetch Kathryn and Larry. When they returned, it was almost early in the morning. The homestay waspletely dark. Yuliana was gone; and her phone had been turned off. Feeling anxious, she spent several hours in the ancient town with Kathryn and Larry looking for Yuliana. She had intended to call the police if she couldn¡¯t find Yuliana by dawn. In the morning, she tried to make another call to Yuliana, but she didn¡¯t expect that it would be Christopher who picked up the phone. After Christopher told her the location, she immediately rushed over there with Kathryn and Larry. ¡°How is she? Where is she now?¡± she asked anxiously. ¡°She still has a low fever, and she¡¯s currently asleep,¡± Christopher said as he looked at the door next to her. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and take a look!¡± eximed Xandria. Xandria was about to open the door and enter when Christopher moved his slender body and blocked the door. Christopher was nearly eight inches taller than Xandria. Because of his height, he had to lower his gaze to look at her when he stood up straight at the time. His expression and gaze were cold, causing a shiver to run down Xandria¡¯s spine. Stubborn, she stared at him angrily and inquired, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ms. Yeager, if you dare to leave her alone again, I will not forgive you,¡± Christopher said coldly. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Christopher Took Care Of You Xandria subconsciously wanted to retort, but when she noticed his cold re, she was scared and swallowed her words. Even though she tried to say something, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything for a long time. Kathryn and Larry, who were standing nearby, observed the scene and had some other ideas. Initially, Kathryn believed Christopher and Yuliana had a one-night stand and that she had identally conceived his child as a result. ¡°Could it be there¡¯s something else between them? What about Annabelle?¡± she wondered after seeing Christopher¡¯s reaction. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Thinking of that, Kathryn couldn¡¯t help but sneer in her heart. Despite the fact that she wasn¡¯t close to Yuliana, she would definitely befriend Yuliana over Annabelle. Especially when she remembered how Christopher had humiliated her because of Annabelle, which resulted in her being teased by the other girls for a long time. Next, Christopher removed the key card from his pocket and handed it to Xandria. She gave Kathryn and Larry a sidelong nce before walking away without saying anything. Xandria was perplexed by his actions. She took a look at the room card in her hand, then at Christopher¡¯s back. At that moment, her mind suddenly went nk. ¡°By the way, how did Christopher know that Yuliana had a fever? Wasn¡¯t Yuliana still resting in the homestay when I left?¡± she wondered. When Christopher returned to the hotel, he noticed Annabelle, who had been unable to contact him the previous night, sleeping on the couch in the room. When she heard the door open, Annabelle jerked awake. ¡°Where did you gost night?¡± she inquired of Christopher, who had not returned all night. When Christopher heard that, he looked at her and said, ¡°I had a tour of the ancient town.¡± Annabelle¡¯s face was expressionless upon hearing this, and her eyes were icy. ¡°When did you be so interested in the ancient town?¡± she yelled.. Christopher remained silent. He removed some clean clothes from his suitcase and entered the bathroom before taking a shower. Seeing that, Annabelle left dejectedly. After that, he lifted the quilt and went to bed and tried to sleep. Although he was sleepy, his mind was clear, and his eyes were filled with the pitiful look Yuliana had given him earlier. ¡°How irritating,¡± he thought as he rolled over and opened his eyes in a daze, staring into the distance. The room was silent, and sunlight streamed in through the curtains. When Yuliana opened her eyes, she looked at the unfamiliar environment for a moment. She was completely awakened when she suddenly thought of something. She sat up quickly from the bed, lifted the quilt, and examined her clothes. She was still in her pajamas. Despite her weak body, she was not in pain. Relieved, she nced around the room. The furnishings in the room clearly indicated that it was a hotel room. ¡°But how did I get here?¡± she pondered. She remembered having a fever the night before and wanting to go out to get medicine, but she couldn¡¯t remember anything else. Yuliana was unable to recall the rest of her memories. She sat on the bed and thought for a while, but she couldn¡¯t recall anything. At that moment, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open from the outside. When she looked up, she noticed Xandria standing at the door. Both of them were stunned, and then Xandria rushed in, hugging Yuliana tightly and crying as she said, ¡°Yuliana, you finally woke up. I¡¯m so concerned! I sincerely apologize. I had no idea you had a fever. I should not have left you alone in the homestay. Feel free to scold me as much as you want!¡± ¡°Xani, you hugged me too tightly, it¡¯s making me a little ufortable,¡± Yuliana said as she patted Xandria on the back. The next second, Xandria let go of her hands. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Yuliana responded with a nod as she raised her hand to wipe the tears from Xandria¡¯s eyes. ¡°Take a look at me. I¡¯m fine.¡± Yuliana suddenly remembered something as soon as she finished saying that. Frowning, she looked at Xandria and asked, ¡°Xani, were you the one who looked after mest night?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± For a brief moment, Xandria was taken aback. She looked at Yuliana and thought about saying something, but she didn¡¯t. ¡°Well, Yuliana, Christopher was probably the one who took care of youst night,¡± she said after a while. ¡°Christopher?¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Where Is Christopher? ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Christopher?¡± Yuliana did not expect that it was Christopher who took care of herst night. She lowered her eyelids and pursed her lips in silence. Xandria did not know what Yuliana was thinking, so she was still a little uneasy. Although Yuliana did not me her, Xandria felt guilty when she thought that she left Yuliana alone in the homestayst night and almost had an ident. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m really sorry. You¡¯d better scold me, or I¡¯ll be upset.¡± Xandria lowered her head and said. Yuliana came back to her senses and responded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s over. What¡¯s the use of scolding you?¡± After a pause, Yuliana asked, ¡°Where is Christopher?¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone. Your phone was offst night. I didn¡¯t get to call you until the morning, and it was Christopher who answered the phone. He told me that you were in this hotel. When I arrived, he passed me the key card and left,¡± answered Xandria. ¡°Did he say anything to you?¡± asked Yuliana. Thinking for a while, Xandria shook her head. ¡°Nothing special. Yuliana, how do you feel now? Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Much better now,¡± Yuliana replied absent-mindedly, thinking about what happenedst night. After Yuliana woke up, she stayed in the hotel for another hour or two to recover a bit before returning to the homestay with Xandria. In the homestay, Kathryn and Larry were still catching up on sleep, as they stayed up all night because of Yuliana. Yuliana was still sick. Although Xandria wanted to take her back to Juxshire and go to the hospital as soon as possible, she decided to stay in the ancient town for another day or two in case something happened on the way. So she decided to go back after Yuliana recovered from the cold. The next day, Kathryn and Larry walked around the ancient town, while Xandria apanied Yuliana at the homestay. Even the brunch was bought by Larry. In the evening. Yuliana was tired of staying in the homestay. She wanted to go out for a walk. It happened that Kathryn and Larry had found a ce to have dinner, so Xandria went out with Yuliana. The ancient town was not big. Most of them were small snack stores, and there were only two or three larger restaurants. Kathryn and Larry chose a local cuisine restaurant. The dishes in the restaurant were unique to the ancient town and hard to find in other ces. Therefore, the business of the restaurant was very good, as tourists woulde here to try it. There was no private room in the local cuisine restaurant, only the square tables. When Yuliana and Xandria arrived, the restaurant was very busy. Every table was filled with people. Standing at the door, Xandria and Yuliana could not find where Kathryn and Larry were in the crowded restaurant until they heard Larry¡¯s voice. ¡°Yuliana, Xani, we¡¯re here!¡± Following the voice, they looked over and saw Larry standing and beckoning to them. When Yuliana and Xandria were about to walk over, Yuliana suddenly caught a glimpse of a red figure sitting at the table. Her eyesight was so good that she could see Annabelle¡¯s face clearly from such a distance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing that Yuliana stopped, Xandria was confused. Coming back to her senses, Yuliana shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡± After saying that, they walked toward the table. There were five people sitting at the table. In addition to Larry and Kathryn, there were Christopher, Raymond, and Annabelle, while the others sat at another table, which was already full. Only the table of Christopher, Raymond, and others was still empty. At the square table, Raymond sat alone on one side, Christopher and Annabelle sat on one side, and Larry and Kathryn sat on the other side. Thest remaining side was for Yuliana and Xandria. Only when Xandria approached did she see Christopher, Raymond, and Annabelle. If the three of them had not seen her and Yuliana, Xandria would have taken Yuliana away. Xandria thought, ¡°Are Larry and Kathryn crazy? Why are they having dinner with these three people? Especially Kathryn. Didn¡¯t she harbor hatred for Annabelle?¡± Just after they sat down, Xandria stepped on Kathryn¡¯s foot fiercely. Kathryn smiled and blinked at her, then looked at Annabelle provocatively. Seeing Kathryn¡¯s expression, Annabelle snorted and looked at Yuliana. ¡°Yuliana, Larry said you are sick. Are you feeling better?¡± Annabelle asked with a smile. Yuliana then looked at Annabelle. Her gaze inevitably passed over Christopher¡¯s face, but she did not stop, and directly looked at Annabelle. She replied gently, ¡°Much better now. Thank you for your concern.¡± Yuliana understood what Annabelle meant. Looking at Annabelle¡¯s smiling but cold eyes, Yuliana was about to say something, but Kathryn suddenly said with a smile, ¡°Who did Yuliana trouble? If it¡¯s friends like us, then we¡¯d be happy to take on these troubles. She didn¡¯t bother you at all!¡± Listening to Kathryn, Annabelle still looked at Yuliana and said with a smile, ¡°Yuliana should know very well if she bothered me, right?¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Fight Outside Yuliana knew exactly what Annabelle meant. Although Yuliana had never thought about bothering anyone, especially Christopher, she could not avoid it. When she was unconscious the night before, it was indeed Christopher who took care of her all night. With that, she could not refute Annabelle¡¯s words, but she did not feel that all the responsibility was on her. Therefore, she only looked at Annabelle calmly and said nothing. She did not say anything. However, it did not mean other people did not. Kathryn imitated Annabelle¡¯s smile and said, ¡°Annabelle, you should say it clearly. How is Yuliana bothering you?¡± ncing at Kathryn, Xandria felt goosebumps on her body. She wondered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Kathryn today? Could it be that she is possessed by Annabelle?¡± Kathryn had suffered losses from Annabelle several times. With experience, Kathryn naturally became smarter. Previously, she and Annabelle came out in the open and ended up with Kathryn being left at a disadvantage. Annabelle nced at Kathryn and then looked at Yuliana. ¡°How about letting Yuliana answer this question?¡± Her tone was a little aggressive, but her smile became softer. ¡°Annabelle, don¡¯t go too far!¡± Xandria had learned the lesson from the police station, and today she had extremely restrained her emotion. However, no matter how restrained she was, she could not watch Annabelle bully Yuliana. It was said that something was bound to happen when women got together, and right now, there were four women sitting at the table. Looking at the situation, Raymond was afraid that the women would flip the table. When he was about to ease the atmosphere, Yuliana suddenly spoke. Yuliana looked at Annabelle and said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be sick either. Subjectively, I never thought of causing trouble to Ms. Johnson. Instead of you pestering me all the time, it¡¯s better to take care of yourself and not be troubled by me.¡± Yuliana did not make it clear, but the meaning was clear to both of them. Just when Yuliana finished speaking, Christopher, who had been ying with his phone without saying a word, raised his eyes and nced at the faces of the people at the table coldly with a gloomy face. ¡°I don¡¯t think you guys should have dinner. Since you have a lot of energy, why don¡¯t you go out and fight first?¡± said Christopher. After his sarcastic statement, he stood up with his phone in his hand, strode across the bench, and walked toward the door of the local cuisine restaurant. ¡°Chris, you don¡¯t want to eat?¡± Raymond shouted, but Christopher walked away without looking back. Annabelle looked confused. After a while, she also stood up and left. Seeing that, Raymond was speechless. He wondered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xandria was delighted and whispered to Yuliana, ¡°It¡¯s best if they leave so as not to spoil my appetite.¡± Upon hearing that, Raymond looked at Xandria with cold eyes. Xandria rolled her eyes at him and snorted. ¡°What are you staring at? Why don¡¯t you go with them?¡± Raymond smiled, ¡°I won¡¯t do what you wish.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Xandria snorted heavily. After dinner, Yuliana, Xandria, Larry, and Kathryn separated with Raymond. It was nearly evening, the sunset glow reflected the whole town, and the scenery was beautiful. Xandria and Kathryn liked to take pictures very much. Previously, Yuliana was the one who took pictures for Xandria, but now Xandria and Kathryn took pictures of each other. This was especially true when they saw such a beautiful sunset. Yuliana and Larry watched them from the side. Xandria and Kathryn only needed them when they wanted to take a group photo. ncing at Yuliana, Larry asked, ¡°Yuliana, are you tired? Why don¡¯t we find a ce to sit?¡± Yuliana shook her head and looked at Xandria, who was pouting and taking photos. ¡°No need.¡± Since Larry sent Yuliana backst time, he had gradually felt that Yuliana was much colder to him. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Previously, Yuliana asked Xandria to hand over the washed coat to him. He then sent a WhatsApp message to Yuliana, but she did not reply. He did not know whether she did not see it, was too busy to reply, or she did not want to reply. ¡°Yuliana, did I do something wrong?¡± Larry sounded a little aggrieved. Looking at him quietly for two seconds, Yuliana did not speak. Larry saw himself in her clear eyes and suddenly felt a little guilty. Immediately afterward, he paused, and suddenly looked behind Yuliana. ¡°Be careful!¡± At the same time, he reached out and pulled Yuliana into his arms. Yuliana then turned around to look at it in shock. A cart selling children¡¯s stuff rolled quickly past where she was standing earlier. It was probably because of the downhill road, and the things on the cart were too heavy, that the cart was a little out of control. Yuliana came back to her senses and struggled ufortably. Only then did Larry realize that he was too close to Yuliana. He hurriedly let go of her and asked carefully, ¡°Yuliana, are you okay?¡± Yuliana shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Thank you.¡± Larry looked at her with warm eyes and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s good that you are fine, Yuliana. I think Xani and the others will stay here a little longer. How about I take you back to the homestay first? When it gets dark, the temperature will also drop. You haven¡¯tpletely recovered, so you¡¯d better not catch a cold again.¡± Yuliana nced at Xandria and Kathryn, who were still taking photos, and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s tell them we¡¯ll go first. In fact, it was only about ten minutes away from the homestay where they live. It was not dark. Yuliana could go back by herself alone and didn¡¯t need Larry¡¯s help. But if that was the case, Xandria would be worried about her being alone and would feel the need to go back with her. Yuliana did not want to spoil Xandria¡¯s fun. Hearing that Yuliana was going back, Xandria immediately ran over and said, ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± ncing at Xandria, Yuliana responded, ¡°Larry will send me back. You can y with Kathryn for a while. You¡¯ve been taking care of me these past two days, and you didn¡¯t have time to have fun.¡± Kathryn nced at Larry and said with a smile, ¡°Larry will apany Yuliana. She¡¯ll be fine. I just saw a handicraft shop over there. Let¡¯s go have a look. I don¡¯t want to go back empty-handed.¡± Xandria was still struggling. She wanted to y with Kathryn, but she was worried about Yuliana. She felt a little guilty about what happened the night before yesterday. Yuliana knew what Xandria was thinking. She thenforted Xandria and said, ¡°You guys go ahead and juste back early.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Xandria said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be back in an hour at thetest.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Send me a message when you arrive at the homestay,¡± said Xandria. Yuliana then nodded again. Afterward, Kathryn dragged Xandria away, while Yuliana followed Larry toward the homestay. At the intersection not far away, on the second floor of the ancient building, near the window, Christopher looked at the back of the man and woman leaving together with an indistinct expression. There was an indescribable atmosphere in the crowd. Raymond, who was sitting opposite to him, saw it as well. He smiled and said, ¡°Chris, let¡¯s make a bet.¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 I Like You Christopher looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡± Picking up the cup and taking a sip of coffee, Raymond said with a meaningful smile. ¡°Let¡¯s bet whether Larry can sleep with Ms. Livingstone.¡± In an instant, Raymond felt that the air pressure around him was much lower, and there was a gloomy chill. Raymond then forced a smile on his face, cleared his throat, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? They¡¯re both single. It¡¯s not illegal for adults to sleep together.¡± Hearing that, Christopher suddenly smiled lightly. Raymond¡¯s heart tightened when he saw the smile on Christopher¡¯s face. Tapping the table twice, Christopher asked, ¡°How about we change the bet?¡± Hearing that, Raymond could not help swallowing twice. ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bet on whether your leg will break if I throw you from here,¡± said Christopher. There was a brief silence between them. Raymond felt cold in his feet, and his legs were a little weak. He smiled awkwardly. ¡°I think we¡¯d better stop betting Let¡¯s drink coffee.¡± Withdrawing his gaze coldly, Christopher picked up his phone and yed for a while, but his brows furrowed increasingly deeper. After a while, he suddenly stood up and strode toward the stairs. Raymond hurriedly took a sip of coffee and followed up. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Christopher stopped, pointed at Raymond with his phone, and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± ¡°Chris.¡± Before Raymond could say anything, he was held back by Christopher. He could only watch Christopher walk away. He then shook his head and said, ¡°He¡¯s reluctant to admit it.¡± On the way back to the homestay, Larry kept looking for topics to talk about with Yuliana. Yuliana was polite and asionally replied with one or two sentences, but most of the time she was silent. Larry was not stupid. He could see that Yuliana¡¯s attitude had changed. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. But he did not give up. When he was in high school, all the male students around him liked to make lewd jokes about Annabelle. But he had no sexual interest in a woman like Annabelle. In his heart, Annabelle was no different from a whore. He felt dirty even mentioning her name. But because of Christopher and the others, he still called Annabelle intimately. At that time, Yuliana was actually his fantasy. In high school, Yuliana had dark hair, which was always tied into a bunch of low ponytails. Her blue and white school uniform was always clean with a light creamy scent. In summer, she was used to buckling the buttons of her cor. In winter, her school uniform was zipped to the end. Her skin was extremely fair and soft, as if it could be broken with a little force. He had fantasized countless times about leaving marks on her fair and soft skin. But at that time, even if he thought about it, he did not dare to spheme Yuliana at all. In his heart, Yuliana was like a fairy, wless and holy However, what he did not expect was that Yuliana would choose to marry Harry, who was an illegitimate child. On the day when Yuliana and Harry got married, he was drunk. He imagined over and over how Yuliana was defiled by Harry. It was weird that he was released from his fantasy. He always knew that Yuliana and Xandria had a good rtionship. So when he learned that Xandria and he were at the same university, he tried every means to be friends with Xandria. He joined Yuliana¡¯s circle of friends just to get close to her. But who would have thought that even if he became Xandria¡¯s friend, he might not be friends with Yuliana. For Yuliana, Larry was just a friend of Xandria. Because of Xandria, Larry and Yuliana had countless encounters, but Yuliana could not even remember his name. Unknowingly, they had returned to the homestay. In about ten minutes, the sky had darkened a lot, and the lights in the yard had been turned on. Yuliana had already arrived at the door of her and Xandria¡¯s room. Seeing that Larry was still around, she stopped and said, ¡°Go back to Xani and Kathryn. I¡¯m okay to stay in the homestay alone.¡± ¡°Yuliana¡­¡± Larry looked at her and hesitated to speak. Yuliana only looked at his face for a while, then turned around and was about to enter the room. Seeing that, Larry grabbed her wrist and shouted anxiously, ¡°Yuliana!¡± Yuliana looked at the wrist that he was holding and frowned. However, Larry did not let go of her. He looked at her face enthusiastically and said, ¡°Yuliana, I like you.¡± Yuliana was not ignorant. In fact, when she had dinner with Xandria before school started and Xandria¡¯s mother was admitted to the hospital, and Xandria asked Larry to send her back. She already felt something at that moment. It was not embarrassing to like someone. Yuliana did not reject him if they could get along well. She might be willing to try to be together with Larry. But what made her ufortable was his attitude toward Annabelle that time. When eating in the restaurant, Larry addressed Annabelle earnestly. But when he was behind Annabelle¡¯s back, he spoke of her contemptuously in front of Yuliana. Yuliana did not know whether Larry was deliberately ingratiated to her or if he was such a duplicitous person. Either of those options made her feel very ufortable. Yuliana asked, ¡°Can you let me go first?¡± Larry looked at Yuliana with his hands tightened. After hesitating for a moment, he let go of her hand and said earnestly, ¡°Yuliana, I really like you. I¡¯ve liked you since high school.¡± Yuliana responded lightly, ¡°Thank you for your love, but I don¡¯t n to start another rtionship at present.¡± That was not a lie. Now that she was pregnant with a child, for a long time in the future, her focus would be on the child, and she could not make room for a new rtionship at all. Looking at Larry¡¯s sincere look, she suddenly wondered, ¡°Will he still look at me like this if he knew that I¡¯m pregnant with a child whose father is unknown?¡± Hearing that, Larry felt that Yuliana was just making excuses just to be rid of him. Larry mused, ¡°She is a woman of loose morals who was abandoned by Harry. Did she think she¡¯s still a pure fairy, just like she was in high school?¡± Thinking of that, Larry could not hold back his anger and asked coldly, ¡°How about Christopher?¡± Yuliana was not surprised that he suddenly changed his expression. ¡°That is my business. I don¡¯t need to exin anything to you.¡± Larry sneered. ¡°Yuliana, I always thought you were different from other women. In fact, you¡¯re the same as them, right?¡± They were the same kind of bitch. Yuliana looked at him indifferently. She did not care what Larry thought of her. She did not want to argue with him, so she turned around to open the door and was about to enter the room. But at that moment, a pair of arms came up from behind, shackled her waist with one hand, and covered her mouth with the other. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Attractive And Charming Although Yuliana felt that Larry was a bit two-faced, she never anticipated that he would take advantage of her. Hence, the current situation waspletely unexpected for her. In a brief moment of chaos, Larry pinned her against the wall and removed his hand that covered her mouth. When Yuliana was about to speak, Larry kissed her forcefully. He acted aggressively, like a monster out of his mind. ¡°Yuliana, I really like you,¡± Larry confessed in a hurry as he kissed Yuliana forcefully. Only God knew how long he had fantasized about it. Yuliana frowned. Maybe it was because Larry had eaten a dish with a strong vor at a local cuisine restaurant earlier. At that moment, Yuliana only felt his mouth was full of that taste, making her sick. She avoided Larry¡¯s kiss and pushed at him hard, but he hugged her tighter. Yuliana did not want to provoke Larry in that circumstance, but the smell made her feel sick, so she stopped resisting for a while and even tried to cooperate for a few seconds. As soon as Larry let his guard down, Yuliana opened her mouth and bit him hard. While Larry was in pain, Yuliana quickly struggled to free one of her hands and pped Larry¡¯s face. The p made Larry regain his senses. He was so enraged by Yuliana¡¯s earlier refusal that he almost made a huge mistake. Larry¡¯s expression quickly changed to guilt and regret as soon as he realized what he had done. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m sorry. I-I didn¡¯t mean to do this. I was a little jealous and did something foolish as a result. You can hit me again!¡± Just as he was about to grab Yuliana¡¯s hand to hit him, Yuliana immediately hid her hand behind her back to avoid being touched by him. Looking at his regretful and apologetic face, Yuliana did not feel moved at all. She gave him a cold look, but her face was remarkably calm. ¡°Get out of here right away. I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± Larry observed the expression on her face and was a little worried. He paused for a while and said. aggrievedly, ¡°Yuliana, although my family isn¡¯t as wealthy as Christopher¡¯s, I¡¯m not inferior to him in other aspects. Why are you willing to be with him but not with me? I¡¯ve always liked you since high school. I¡¯ve been sincere with you all along, but what about Christopher? He¡¯s just toying with you. He¡¯s going to marry Annabelle soon.¡± As he spoke, he noticed Yuliana¡¯s indifference and felt frustrated. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯ve offended you today. You may punish me in any way you see fit. I have only one request. Could you please not tell Xani about this, Yuliana? I don¡¯t have a lot of friends. I don¡¯t want this to cause a rift between her and me.¡± Larry was well aware of Xandria¡¯s temper. Xandria would not let him go easily if she knew he had taken advantage of Yuliana. Furthermore, due to his good rtionship with Xandria, the Holmes family now had many business coborations with the Yeager family. He could not allow that to impact his family¡¯s business. Yuliana thought she was about to throw up as she watched his mouth open and close. She turned around and was about to walk into the room because she did not want to speak to him any longer. The homestay¡¯s door was suddenly pushed open from the outside at that moment. Yuliana stopped in her tracks, turned around with Larry, and saw Christopher standing at the entrance. Christopher stared at Yuliana and Larry for a while before walking in slowly with his long legs and finally looking at Yuliana¡¯s swollen lips coldly. His face became increasingly gloomy. When Larry saw Christopher standing at the door, his pupils constricted subconsciously. Ever since he was beaten up by thetter on Xandria¡¯s birthday, he had been afraid of Christopher. Larry felt even guiltier, especially after what he had done to Yuliana earlier. He stood at the side and did not even dare to breathe. Yuliana was taken aback by Christopher¡¯s sudden appearance. Looking at his solemn expression, she did not take the initiative to speak and could only inwardly guess why he hade. Christopher stared at Yuliana¡¯s red and swollen lips for a long time. He could not help but recall the scene from earlier when he pushed the door open. After a while, he smiled leisurely and piped up. ¡°Yuliana, I suddenly remember something about our agreement. I need to speak with you again.¡± Yuliana frowned instinctively upon hearing that. Looking at Yuliana¡¯s reaction, Christopher smiled and remarked, ¡°I¡¯ll give you two minutes to settle this situation. I¡¯ll be outside waiting for you.¡± With that said, Christopher turned around and walked out of the yard of the homestay before Yuliana could speak Yuliana stood silently for a moment before walking toward the homestay¡¯s entrance. Larry knew that she was going to meet Christopher and could no longer suppress the anger and jealousy in his heart. The next moment, he stepped forward to stand before Yuliana and choked out, ¡°Yuliana!¡± However, Yuliana only looked at him impassively. Larry looked at her and hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, he stepped aside and watched as Yuliana went to find Christopher.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Christopher is just a loser. He¡¯s nothing without the Sce family. Why does Yuliana prefer to be his mistress over being with me?¡± Larry wondered. Larry grew increasingly enraged as he thought of that. He wished he could trample on Christopher and show Yuliana that the man she had chosen was just trash. Soon, Yuliana came out of the homestay. Christopher was standing in the corner of an alley. He raised his head and let out a smoke ring into the night sky. The me of the cigarette, which he was holding between his thumb and index finger, was blinking. Yuliana paused for a moment before walking toward Christopher. Christopher turned his head to look at Yuliana after hearing her footsteps. He gave her a long, hard look with. his narrowed eyes. His gaze contained some scrutiny as well as other feelings. Yuliana was a little flustered because she could not figure it out. She curled her fingers uneasily and asked, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Nevertheless, Christopher continued to look at her with that kind of gaze and did not answer her question. Momentster, he averted his gaze and took a long drag on the cigarette in his hand. The cigarette¡¯s light instantly illuminated his face. Yuliana looked at the scene and became slightly dazed for a moment.. Actually, she loathed the smell of cigarettes and was utterly disgusted by smokers. Harry smoked, too, but he hardly ever did it in her presence. Moreover, Harry was not addicted to cigarettes, so he smoked more only in social settings. Among the people she had met, Christopher was considered a heavy smoker. If she ignored her personal emotions, Christopher actually looked quite attractive and charming from an aesthetic standpoint when he was smoking Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 You Cannot Have Other Men After taking a puff, Christopher walked to a nearby trash can, stubbed out the cigarette, and tossed it in. He then turned around, walked over to Yuliana, nced at her, and said, ¡°Follow me.¡± After saying that, he whipped around and walked toward the alley. After a moment of hesitation, Yuliana followed him. They maintained a four or five-step distance between them. Christopher walked in front, and Yuliana followed behind. After walking out of the alley, they walked through the old street, where there were many tourists. Later, they walked to the end of the old street and past the dim lights, where there were fewer lights and fewer tourists. The source of the noise grew increasingly distant. Yuliana suddenly came back to her senses and looked around. She immediately halted and looked at Christopher¡¯s tall figure. ¡°Where do you want to take me?¡± she asked. Christopher stopped when he heard her voice. Two secondster, he turned to face Yuliana and asked in a low voice. ¡°Are you in a rtionship with Larry now?¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly, and her expression instantly darkened. She did not want to discuss Larry with Christopher because she had already felt repulsed enough. Thus, she responded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to talk about the agreement with me?¡± Christopher saw her reaction and assumed she was silently admitting it. ¡°What were you guys doing right. before I pushed the door open?¡± he inquired calmly. Yuliana frowned even more deeply. Probably because the light was too dim, and the two of them were too far apart, she could not see the expression on his face clearly. However, the people or things Christopher brought up at that time, as well as his tone, made her very ufortable. ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m willing to discuss the agreement with you if you want to discuss it.¡± Yuliana paused before adding, ¡°However, if it¡¯s about something else, I don¡¯t need to exin it to you.¡± Her answer applied to both Larry and Christopher. She did notprehend why they had to ask a question that had nothing to do with them. She mused, ¡°Who do they think they are? Why do I have to exin to them?¡± ¡°Who said you don¡¯t have to exin?¡± Christopher suddenly sneered and approached Yuliana. ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t forget whose child you are carrying. The man you¡¯re dating will eventually be the stepfather to my child.¡± After Yuliana heard that, she felt it was ridiculous and thought, ¡°Why does he sound like he cares about the baby in my tummy?¡± However, she did not smile and asked calmly, ¡°So?¡± Christopher lowered his gaze and stared at her face. Yuliana appeared remarkably fair in the moonlight as she wore a serene expression. He could reach out and touch her, but even though they were so close, he felt as though she was so far away that the slightest breeze would take her away. At that moment, her hair was messed up by the wind that blew over, and Christopher was momentarily in a daze after seeing that. He lifted his hand and brushed the hair on her face away. When his fingertips touched her skin, they looked at each other and were stunned. Yuliana quickly came back to her senses and took a step back. Christopher¡¯s fingers remained in midair for two seconds. Momentster, Christopher withdrew his hand and assumed his previous domineering demeanor. ¡°If you want to give birth to this child, you can¡¯t have another man before the child bes an adult.¡± Yuliana was momentarily taken aback after hearing that and almost started to wonder if her ears had a problem. ¡°What did you say?¡± Christopher grinned. ¡°I said I would like to include another use in the agreement. You can¡¯t have another man before the child bes an adult!¡± Though Yuliana was good-tempered, she could not help but get mad when she heard that. ¡°Christopher! What right do you have? You can marry and have kids, but I can¡¯t have another man?¡± Although she had no ns to start a new rtionship at the time, Christopher had no right to interfere with her life. Looking at how furious Yuliana was, Christopher smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is Larry that nice? Is that why you can¡¯t wait any longer?¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Christopher Has Gone Mad Looking at how furious Yuliana was, Christopher smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is Larry that nice? Is that why you can¡¯t wait any longer?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and red at Christopher. As she stared at the look of disdain on his face, thoughts ran through her mind. Yuliana then started tosh out at him. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t wait anymore. So what? Christopher, I¡¯m willing to negotiate with you about our child because you are the father. I do respect you, but what about you? If you don¡¯t know how to respect me, why should I talk to you about the agreement? It¡¯s my business whether or not I want to give birth to the child, and you can¡¯t interfere!¡± Yuliana stared at Christopher¡¯s cold gaze for two seconds as soon as she finished speaking. After that, she turned around and returned to where she came from. Christopher just looked at her back in silence. After a while, he sneered and said, ¡°Yuliana, let¡¯s wait and see if I can intervene!¡± Hearing that, Yuliana stopped in her tracks for a moment, then continued walking forward. When Yuliana returned to the homestay, Larry was nowhere to be seen. Xandria and Kathryn were not back yet too. Yuliana returned to her room and headed to the restroom to brush her teeth and rinse her mouth first. She then took a hot shower. After making sure she was not feeling any difort, Yuliana sat on the bed and began pondering what Christopher had said earlier. Yuliana was panicking for no reason. In fact, Christopher had spat harsh words before, but she never took them seriously. This time, Yuliana did not know why, but her mind was a mess. At the thought of that, she was annoyed and simply did not want to think about it anymore. Yuliana picked up her phone and checked the time. It was almost nine o¡¯clock. She did not know when Xandria and Kathryn woulde back. They were leaving the ancient town tomorrow. However, since Yuliana had been sick for the past few days. she felt bad that Xandria did not get to enjoy her time there. After hesitating for a while, Yuliana still did not call Xandria. The former took out a book from her suitcase to read instead. Until ten o¡¯clock at night, Xandria and Kathryn were not back yet. At this point, Yuliana was a little worried. She felt more and more uneasy as she thought about what Christopher had said. In an instant, Yuliana called Xandria. The phone rang for nearly half a minute before thetter answered the call. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Yuliana heaved a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Xani, how much longer until you and Kathryne back?¡± ¡°Yuliana, Christopher has gone mad!¡± Xandria eximed as she sobbed in fear. Yuliana was momentarily stunned after hearing what Xandria said. She could vaguely hear the noise and terrified scream from the other end of the phone. ¡°What did he do?¡± Yuliana asked. Xandria was extremely scared and replied, ¡°He¡¯s going to beat Larry to death!¡± A few of them were having a good time at the bar when Christopher suddenly came over. Without a word, he lifted Larry, who was drinking, from the chair. Christopher then took a beer bottle and smashed it on thetter¡¯s head. Larry did not have the strength to fight Christopher back at all. He could only curl up on the ground in a humiliating state and use his arms to block Christopher. The point was that, unlike thest time when Yuliana was celebrating her birthday, Christopher was ruthlessly beating Larry up now. Even Raymond and Leonard could not hold Christopher back. They wanted to pull him away but were also mercilessly beaten up by Christopher. Yuliana¡¯s heart sank. She immediately realized what Christopher meant earlier on. Although Yuliana was extremely repulsed by Larry, at that moment, she did not want to see him beaten to death or crippled by Christopher because of her. Yuliana had seen Christopher fight. Xandria was not terrified thest time they saw him beat people up. Hence, Yuliana could imagine how ruthless Christopher was this time. She forced herself to calm down and said, ¡°Xani, don¡¯t cry! Can you pass the phone to Christopher, please?¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 I Am Coming At You The area of the bar in the ancient town was notrge. Before Christopher entered, the bar was ying soft and melodious folk bads. Tourists sat in twos and threes to drink and chat, lookingid-back and comfortable. The arrival of Christopher ruined everything. ¡°Stop fighting, Chris!¡± Raymond eximed. He had taken a few blows from Christopher, and seeing him beating Larry to death, Raymond panicked and did not dare to step forward. All these years, Christopher seldom fought with others and liked to act tough when he was young and frivolous in middle school. But even then, Christopher knew what he was doing. He would at least avoid the vital parts when fighting. However, Raymond did not know what happened to Christopher that night. They drove around the ancient town until, eventually, Christopher charged into the bar, lifted Larry from the chair, pinned him down, and started beating him. Christopher was not worried about anything at all. Seeing that the situation was not good, Raymond and Leonard went up to grab Christopher several times. However, instead of stopping him, Christopher threw punches at them. At that moment, Raymond¡¯s and Leonard¡¯s shoulder des, chests, and half of their faces were still hurting. Leonard frowned at the sight of Larry, who was already weak and defenseless. He exchanged nces with Raymond, and once again, Leonard stepped forward to pull Christopher away from Larry while saying, ¡°Chris, you have to stop beating him! If you go on, you¡¯ll end his life!¡± ¡°Get out of my way! Mind your own business! Believe it or not, I will beat you guys up too!¡± Christopher coldly nced at Raymond and Leonard with his cold eyes. Raymond shivered at the look Christopher gave. The former gulped but did not let go. ¡°Fuck you! Come on, beat Leonard and me to death if you can!¡± Raymond yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯d dare?¡± With that said, Christopher kicked Raymond in the body. Raymond yelled in pain while his hands were on his abdomen. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Christopher stared at Raymond coldly for a moment. Then, his gaze swept over to Leonard. ¡°Let go of me,¡± Christopher said coldly. Leonard hesitated for a second and released his hand after seeing Christopher¡¯s expression soften a little. Just as he was about to say something, Leonard saw Xandria, who was initially anxious and standing not far away, walking toward them in fear with her phone. When Yuliana asked Xandria to pass the phone to Christopher, he had been furiously beating Larry. Xandria did not dare to move forward toward them at all. She held in her fear and walked toward Christopher only after seeing that he had stopped for a while because Raymond and Leonard had pulled him away. However, she did not dare to get too close to them either. Xandria stood at a distance of more than three feet, handed her phone to Christopher, and stammered, ¡°Y-Yuliana wants you to come to the phone¡± Christopher nced at Xandria¡¯s face coldly, and finally, his gazended on the phone, which was still connected to the call. But he did not reach out to take the phone. Just when Xandria thought Christopher would not answer the call, he took the phone from her hand and strode right toward the bar entrance. Seeing that Christopher was making his way out, tourists standing by the door immediately scattered to both sides and made way for him. Seeing Christopher had left, Raymond and Leonard heaved a sigh of relief. They exchanged a look and immediately went to check on Larry¡¯s situation. After Leonard examined Larry, Raymond hurriedly asked, ¡°How is his condition?¡± ¡°We have to send him to the hospital immediately!¡± Leonard replied with a solemn expression. Raymond nced around the store and finally looked at the bar owner. The bar owner was also frightened and did not know how to react. It was the first time he had seen such an aggressive tourist after operating the bar for a couple of years. When the bar owner returned to his senses, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, ¡°There is no hospital in this town. There is a health center, so we can only send him there.¡± Therger regr hospital was more than six miles away from the ancient town. It would take more than an hour to drive there at night. Leonard and Raymond exchanged nces again. Without saying another word, Leonard helped Raymond carry Larry. Leonard then said to the bar owner, ¡°We willpensate for the loss in the store, but please lead the way for now.¡± The bar owner did not want anything to happen to Larry when he was still there. Hence, the owner nodded and answered. ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing Raymond and Leonard leave with Larry, Xandria and Kathryn could not help but follow after them. However, when they walked out of the bar, even before they stepped outside, Xandria looked around and could not find Christopher. She ignored Christopher and trotted behind Raymond, Leonard, and the rest. After getting out of the bar, Christopher walked into a dark alley. He looked at the phone in his hand and realized Yuliana was still on the other line. He lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. After the thumping in his chest slowly subsided, he pressed the phone against his ear. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I couldn¡¯t intervene?¡± Christopher asked with augh. Yuliana listened to the silence on his end and hurriedly asked, ¡°How is Larry?¡± Christopher bit the cigarette butt and paused for a while before saying, ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Christopher, whatever is going on between us has nothing to do with him!¡± Yuliana did not know whether Christopher was lying or not. She could only feel anger in her but did not have the words. ¡°If you have any dissatisfaction, juste at me!¡± ¡°Come at you?¡± Christopher gritted his teeth and sneered. ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle at you right now!¡± He hung up the phone, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, raised his foot, and stubbed it hard. After that, Christopher walked down the alley.. Looking at the call that had ended, Yuliana was stunned. She did not know what Christopher meant, but she was still worried. After a while, she called Xandria again. However, no one answered the phone. She called Kathryn and learned that Larry had been sent to the health center in town. The doctor was treating his wounds, and there were no life-threatening injuries. After hearing that, Yuliana was somewhat relieved. Yuliana did not n to go to the health center but felt uneasy. After hesitating for a while, she decided to go to the health center to see what was going on. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She changed her clothes, put on a coat, and walked to the door of the homestay with her phone. When she opened the door and was about to go out, Yuliana saw a tall ck figure standing at the door, and her heart skipped a beat. Two secondster, she saw clearly who was at the door, Christopher chuckled. ¡°Where are you going?¡± At that moment, Yuliana obviously sensed something was off with Christopher¡¯s aura. She subconsciously took half a step back and looked at him vigntly. As she retreated by a step, Christopher stepped through the doorway and was one step closer to Yuliana. Yuliana felt a bit cold and wanted to tighten her coat. However, when she looked at Christopher¡¯s intense gaze, it was as if she was rooted to her spot and did not dare to move an inch. After a long time, Yuliana finally found her voice and asked hoarsely, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Christopher smiled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say toe at you? Well, I¡¯m here for you now.¡± His gaze fell on her lips, and the image from earlier in the evening, when they were in the courtyard, appeared in Christopher¡¯s mind Yuliana and Larry¡¯s red and swollen lips. Without having to think, Christopher knew what they had just done. Yuliana was in fear as Christopher¡¯s gaze was fixed on her. Subconsciously, she wanted to run away. Christopher could figure out her intention. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± His voice was soft, but it scared Yuliana even more. She did not dare to move at all. Christopher raised his hand and brushed her cheek with his fingers, his eyes unusually focused on her. There was a strange tenderness in his eyes. Yuliana looked into his eyes and was at a loss for a moment. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Is A Boy Not Okay? Yuliana looked into his eyes and was at a loss for a moment. At that brief moment, Christopher held her face and kissed her passionately. Yuliana¡¯s pupils instantly dted when she saw the erged face in front of her. She came back to her senses and ced her hand on Christopher¡¯s muscr chest, trying to push him away, but she failed. Instead, Christopher held her face and kissed her even more intensely. Yuliana bit him, but it seemed he could not feel the pain. Even if the taste of blood was spreading in his mouth, he did not mean to stop at all. Yuliana felt pain and numbness in her lips, and she was gradually suffocating. Her mind was a mess, and her hands and feet were a little weak. She felt like she was going to suffocate. She couldn¡¯t help but grab Christopher¡¯s chest tightly out of instinct, like a drowning person grabbing the only floating wood avable. Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes, wetting his fingers. Christopher suddenly pulled himself back to his senses when he felt her tears. He looked at Yuliana and let go of her lips, but he still held her face with both hands. The tip of his nose was against the tip of her nose, gently rubbing andforting her. He whispered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yuliana¡­ Yuliana¡­ Ana¡­¡± Yuliana was still a little confused. She breathed heavily, and her ears were buzzing. She didn¡¯t hear what he was saying at all. After a while, when Yuliana was a little awake, Christopher kissed her again. However, this kiss was different from the previous one. The previous kiss made Yuliana feel like drowning. This time, Christopher gently pecked her lips again and again, carefully and cherishing them, as if he was treating his beloved treasure. Yuliana¡¯s lips felt ticklish, and she was a little distracted. She was slightly sober and felt that their behavior was inappropriate at the moment, but she couldn¡¯t concentrate on her thoughts. Her hand holding the clothing on his chest curled up and released repeatedly. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Over and over again, as if something was tugging at her heart. In the room, the sound of watering from the bathroom was a little loud in the quiet room. Yuliana was sitting in a chair. She hadn¡¯t figured out how things went this far. She raised her hand to cover her face and sighed softly, feeling annoyed. Christopher simply washed the bloodstains on his hands and came out of the bathroom. He saw Yuliana sitting there with her face covered. He didn¡¯t know what she was thinking about. He walked over and squatted down, staring at her quietly. Yuliana didn¡¯t notice that Christopher was in front of her. She didn¡¯t know how to face him at the moment, so she didn¡¯t take away the hand that was covering her face. Christopherughed in a low voice. He lifted a strand of hair near her ear with his fingers. ¡°Are you shy?¡± Hearing this, Yuliana was silent for a moment. She took the hand off her face, looked down at the man in front of her, and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just a kiss. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Christopher couldn¡¯t help but look at her lips again with a hint of infatuation in his eyes. He slightly wiped the corners of her mouth and said, ¡°A kiss is indeed nothing. How about we kiss a few more times?¡± Yuliana¡¯s face darkened. She waved his hand away and said, ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t forget that you are getting married!¡± ¡°So?¡± Christopher said slowly, ¡°Yuliana, do you care if I get married or not?¡± Yuliana suddenly remembered something when she heard him call out her name. Did Christopher call her ¡°Ana¡± when he was kissing her just now? Since Yuliana was a child, only her father Damian had ever called her Ana. Other people only called her Yuliana. Yuliana stared at Christopher and pondered for a while. Then, she came back to her senses and looked at him again, deciding that she had misheard him. She replied in a low voice, ¡°It has nothing to do with me whether you are married or not, but I don¡¯t want to have an ambiguous rtionship with a man who is either going to get married or who is married.¡± Christopher seemed to be in a good mood, as he didn¡¯t react when he heard her words. He was still smiling handsomely. He looked at Yuliana and suddenly said, ¡°Yuliana, Harry hasn¡¯t kissed you, has he?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and avoided his sight, not giving him an answer. Christopher frowned. He then held the chair with both hands and turned Yuliana to face him. He looked at her without saying anything. Yuliana felt ufortable being stared at by him. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Stop staring at me.¡± Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Yuliana frowned and said, ¡°Go to sleep, then.¡± Christopher smiled, ¡°Okay!¡± He then stood up and carried Yuliana up from the chair. He walked to the bed and put her on the bed. Yuliana stared at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christopher pushed away the hair on her forehead, lowered his head, and kissed her lips. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep together.¡± ¡°No!¡± Yuliana was about to get out of bed from the other side, but she was pulled back by Christopher. ¡°Yuliana, if you don¡¯t want anything to happen, just behave yourself. I won¡¯t touch you.¡± Yuliana stared at him for a while, breathless. Christopher then took off her coat andy down sideways. He looked at Yuliana, who was lying next to him, and said, ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t know what he wanted to do. There was a man lying next to her. Even if he said he wouldn¡¯t touch her, how could she really sleep without any worries? Besides, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all. Christopher ced his palm against her waist and whispered, ¡°If you are not sleepy, we can do something meaningful.¡± Yuliana instantly understood what he meant and pushed away his hand close to her abdomen. She turned her back to him and looked at the wall not far away, feeling very annoyed. After a while, she felt a warm breath leaning up, with his arm across her waist and resting on her lower abdomen. ¡°Christopher!¡± Yuliana scolded. Still, Christopher was just touching her lower abdomen and did not do anything wrong. ¡°Almost three months now?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a while before she realized that he was referring to the baby in her stomach. She responded after a brief moment of silence. Christopher asked, ¡°When will the fetal movement ur?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Around four months¡¯ time.¡± Christopher said, ¡°Do you want a boy or a girl?¡± In fact, Yuliana had thought about this question. Boys would be naughtier. Especially when she thought of Christopher, she was worried that she couldn¡¯t teach the child well, so it was better if she had a girl. Before she could say anything, she heard Christopher say, ¡°Actually, I think girls are better. What do you think?¡± Yuliana was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect Christopher to have the same thought, but that feeling was so strange that she couldn¡¯t help being rebellious. ¡°Isn¡¯t a boy okay?¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Good Night ¡°Girls will be more like their dads.¡± Christopher bent his arms to prop up his cheeks and looked down at Yuliana¡¯s side face. His gaze shifted from her nose to her ears. Her ears were small, and under the light of the room, the tiny capiries under the epidermis could be clearly seen. Yuliana knew that he was looking at her, but she didn¡¯t feel offended or ufortable. Instead, she felt unnatural. Her eyshes fluttered, and she forced herself to ignore the ufortable feeling. ¡°Who said that girls would look like their dads?¡± Yuliana looked like Callie, both in appearance and personality. If she stood with Callie, one could see that they were rted at one nce. Callie took good care of herself, so those who didn¡¯t know might mistake them as sisters. Since she was a child, no one had ever said that she looked like Damian. Christopher looked at her silently for a while and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Girls that are like their mothers are also nice.¡± Yuliana was stunned. She pursed her lips slightly and didn¡¯t respond. The room fell silent. Yuliana was a little annoyed. She seemed to be behaving weirdly tonight, as she even talked about the baby with Christopher. But what did that have to do with Christopher? Perhaps the night sky, apanied by his gentle gaze and passionate kiss, made her a little flustered. Yuliana didn¡¯t want to think about it or talk to Christopher anymore. She exhaled gently and closed her eyes. Someone was lying behind her. She thought she couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all, but soon after closing her eyes, her consciousness began to fade. She wanted to hold on, but soon she was defeated by sleepiness and fell asleep. Christopher listened to her gentle breathing. He kissed her temples and said, ¡°Good night.¡± After sleeping for a long time, Yuliana was woken up by a noise and fell into a trance. After a while, she remembered that she and Xandria had gone to the ancient town for a vacation and now lived in a homestay.¡± The lights were on in the room, and the voices of Xandria and Kathryn came from outside. She suddenly remembered something. She turned around and found that the spot beside her was empty. She didn¡¯t know when Christopher left. She was still in a daze when Xandria and Kathryn entered. Seeing that Yuliana was sitting on the bed, looking as if she had just woken up, Xandria asked apologetically, ¡°Yuliana, did we wake you up?¡± Yuliana asked, ¡°How is Larry?¡± Xandria sat down beside her. She remembered what happened in the bar a few hours ago, and she was so scared that she even trembled when she thought of Christopher¡¯s face. She used to be afraid of Christopher, but after what had happened this time, she became even more afraid. Yuliana turned to Kathryn after seeing how Xandria lowered her head without speaking. Kathryn pursed her lower lip and said, ¡°The equipment in the health center is limited, so we are not clear about his specific injury. The doctor just gave him a preliminary examination. It¡¯s been determined that his body has two broken ribs and many other injuries. Some simple basic treatment was done. Raymond and Leonard already sent him to the nearest hospital.¡± Kathryn was also frightened by what had happened that night. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t dating that crazy Christopher. Kathryn stared at Yuliana for two seconds and said, ¡°But why did Christopher beat Larry for no reason?¡± Obviously, she was asking Yuliana and testing the waters. Yuliana heard it, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Xandria was worried about Yuliana¡¯s body and said, ¡°Yuliana, have a rest. I will sleep with Kathryn tonight. It will be dawn in a few hours. After that, I will drive to the hospital with Kathryn to see Larry.¡± Unlike Kathryn, Xandria didn¡¯t notice Larry¡¯s feelings for Yuliana, so she couldn¡¯t connect the dots. She felt that the reason why Christopher disliked Larry was that Larry spoke ill of Annabelle on her birthday, which made Christopher unhappy. Therefore, she thought that she should bear part of the responsibility for Larry being beaten into the hospital twice by Christopher. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Yuliana wanted to say something to Xandria, but she didn¡¯t look good. She thought about it and said, ¡°Okay, you guys go to rest.¡± ¡°All right. You need to sleep soon. You can¡¯t catch a cold anymore since you¡¯re not fully recovered yet.¡± Xandria stood up and was about to go to her room with Kathryn when she suddenly caught a glimpse of the phone on the bedside table. She was stunned and walked over to pick up the phone. She looked at Yuliana in confusion. ¡°Yuliana, why is my phone here?¡± She gave her phone to Christopher at the bar. Yuliana was stunned. She met Xandria¡¯s eyes and didn¡¯t know how to exin herself. Kathryn asked, ¡°Did Christophere to see you?¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 I Underestimated You Everyone had their own thoughts, and there was a short moment of silence in the room. Yuliana felt a little guilty facing Kathryn¡¯s and Xandria¡¯s gazes. She wanted to exin, but she found that any exnation seemed to be a little suspicious. If she had not lost herself in that kiss, or if she had notin in bed with him talking about the baby, she would have been able to exin herself. However, Xandria was in aplicated mood. She remembered that Yuliana had asked her to give her phone. to Christopher. Why did Yuliana think that Larry would be spared by Christopher just because of her words? She also remembered that Christopher left the bar with her phone and came to the homestay to see Yuliana¡­ No matter how slow she was, she still found it a little weird. Kathryn further verified her spection. Yuliana definitely had a special ce in Christopher¡¯s heart. Even if she was not as important as Annabelle, any woman would be upset if their own man had feelings for other women, right? Especially this woman, who was pregnant with Annabelle¡¯s man¡¯s child. ¡°Yuliana, you and Christopher¡­¡± Xandria couldn¡¯t help but ask. Yuliana said calmly, ¡°No, don¡¯t think too much.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Maybe she was a little lost at that particr moment, but it was only at that brief moment. She had nothing to do with Christopher. No. Hearing her answer, Xandria didn¡¯t feel much better. If it had been another man, she would like to see Yuliana leave Harry as soon as possible and date that other man. However, she didn¡¯t want it to be Christopher. Besides, Christopher was about to marry Annabelle. What was going to happen if Yuliana had a rtionship with him? Kathryn broke the silence and said, ¡°Let Yuliana rest. Let¡¯s go back to our room and sleep for a while, as it will be dawn in two or three hours.¡± Xandria didn¡¯t say anything more. She took out her clean clothes from her suitcase and went to Kathryn¡¯s room. But Kathryn didn¡¯t leave immediately. She smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°Yuliana, I underestimated you.¡± Kathryn left after saying that. The room waspletely quiet. Yuliana knew that she shouldn¡¯t get involved with the impossible. Emotions were strange, just like how a person would be excited to buy something but end up not liking the item after buying it. Maybe it was the mood at that time, the lights in the store, or the words of the sales assistant that made the person feel something else. It was just an illusion. Xandria simply washed up and asked Kathryn for skincare products. She wiped her face quietly without saying anything. Kathryn knew that Xandria was in a bad mood because of Yuliana and Christopher, so sheforted her. ¡°Won¡¯t it be nice if Yuliana and Christopher date?¡± ¡°How so?¡± Xandria stopped and stared at her. Kathryny on the bed, crossed her legs, and yed with her phone. ¡°Yuliana is pregnant with Christopher¡¯s child. If they are together, then the child will have aplete family. Also, if they do date, it¡¯s going to trigger Annabelle so much!¡± Kathryn was delighted when she thought of this. Xandria looked at her coldly. ¡°You promised me that you wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about the baby in Yuliana¡¯s belly!¡± She told Kathryn about this when she was drunk. After that, she asked Kathryn to swear that she wouldn¡¯t tell anyone else. Kathryn rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Am I not talking about this with you? I didn¡¯t tell anyone!¡± Xandria sighed heavily and said, ¡°You¡¯d better not! Kathryn, I advise you to stop whatever ns you have to use Yuliana. If you want to take revenge on Annabelle, you can do it yourself. If I find out you¡¯re using Yuliana, I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡± Kathryn immediately sat up from the bed and said, ¡°Xandria, you¡¯re overreacting. Yuliana is your friend, yes, but what about me? You¡¯ve been biased toward her all these years. I noticed it!¡± Xandria rolled her eyes at her and snorted. ¡°There are different types of friends, okay?¡± Kathrynughed angrily, jumped out of bed, and grabbed the serum from Xandria¡¯s hand. ¡°Then don¡¯t use my serum. Go get it from Yuliana!¡± Xandria nced at the half pump of serum that had just been squeezed onto her palm and cursed. She said, ¡°Kathryn, you¡¯re full of jealousy.¡± Xandria then thought to herself, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m just gonna use this amount.¡± At dawn, Xandria went out with Kathryn. Yuliana didn¡¯t fall asleep, so she knew when they had left. Yuliana¡¯s phone rang. It was from Xandria, telling her to rest in the homestay while Xandria and Kathryn visited Larry in the hospital. Xandria said they would be back by the afternoon. Yuliana replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After a while, she put down her phone when Xandria didn¡¯t reply. It was still a little early, so Yulianay down for a while. At 8:30 a.m., the bustle of the day came from afar. She couldn¡¯t rest anymore. Therefore, she got up and freshened up before heading out. Yuliana found a restaurant with fewer people for breakfast. The weather was excellent today, and the streets were crowded. She sat by the window and looked at the touristsing and going. After a while, the waiter served her breakfast. Yuliana was eating quietly when someone suddenly sat down in front of her. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Do Not me Me Yuliana lifted her head and saw Annabelle sitting in front of her. Annabelle flicked her hair and said with a smile, ¡°This seat has quite a good view! Yuliana, do you mind if I sit here?¡± Yuliana¡¯s gazended on Annabelle¡¯s face for a moment. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± After saying that, she calmly ate the oatmeal in her bowl. After staring at Yuliana for a while with a smile on her face, Annabelle asked, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, but you¡¯re having only oatmeal. Won¡¯t you be afraid of malnutrition?¡± Yuliana did not answer her question. Annabelle remainedposed as she maintained her smile. ¡°Harry didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re pregnant, did he?¡± Yuliana stopped eating her oatmeal, lifted her gaze, and looked at Annabelle. Annabelle continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell him? If he knows that you¡¯re pregnant, he might consider remarrying you.¡± When Annabelle spoke, she still had a smile on her face. However, her gaze at Yuliana was aggressive, and her tone was ironic. Yuliana actually did not know what Annabelle was thinking about her as she had never offended the latter. However, although she did not know when it started, she could obviously feel Annabelle¡¯s hostility toward her. ¡°Was it because of Harry? But, I got together with him only after Annabelle and he broke up. However, even way before that, I could already feel her hostility toward me,¡± she wondered. Yuliana recollected her thoughts and replied, ¡°This is my business. You don¡¯t have to worry about it, Ms. Johnson.¡± What Annabelle did not like the most was Yuliana¡¯s casual look. She felt as though her every move was simr to a clown¡¯s in front of Yuliana. Having thought of that, Annabelleughed self-deprecatingly and looked at Yuliana while raising her eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not my business. However, Christopher is my fianc¨¦. That should give me the right to worry about you, right?¡± Yuliana looked at her casually. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Annabelle lowered her gaze and answered with a smile, ¡°What am I trying to say? Yuliana, you¡¯re a smart woman, so you surely understand what I¡¯m trying to say. Stay away from Christopher. Otherwise, do not me me for being rude to you.¡± Xandria and Kathryn came back at noon. After Larry was treated in the hospital in the county nearby, he was sent to the hospital in Juxshire for further treatment by a car arranged by the Holmes family. As soon as Xandria and Kathryn came back, they packed their luggage, canceled the homestay, and took Yuliana back to Juxshire. On the way, Xandria was quiet. Yuliana knew that Xandria was angry with her because of Christopher. It was already evening when they arrived at Juxshire. Xandria sent Kathryn home first, then Yuliana. Outside Maple Garden, Xandria helped Yuliana to take out her luggage from the trunk. Just when she was about to hand it to Yuliana, she could no longer hold back herself and said, ¡°Yuliana, Christopher is not a good person. I don¡¯t want you to have anything to do with him.¡± The more Xandria wondered, especially at the thought of how he nearly beat Larry to death in the bar, the more she felt that Christopher was an unreliable man. She even hoped that Yuliana would give up on her baby. However, knowing that her wish would be cruel, she did not voice it out. Yuliana knew that Xandria was worrying about her. She smiled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t get myself involved with Christopher.¡± Xandria nodded and said, ¡°Go inside. I have to go to the hospital to have a look at Larry.¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Be careful when you drive.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the living hall of the Sce residence, there was a silent crowd. Kendrick kicked Christopher in the leg and pointed at thetter as he scolded, ¡°You bastard! The older you get, the stupider you be! Do you think you are capable? If it weren¡¯t for the Sce family, you would have been in prison now!¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Take A Beating Kendrick¡¯s kick was so strong that Christopher stumbled to prevent himself from falling to the ground. Christopher was expressionless as he said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of going to prison. My only regret is that I didn¡¯t beat him to death!¡± When Kendrick heard that, his face darkened, and the veins on both sides of his forehead throbbed. He shouted angrily at the maid standing in a distance, ¡°Go and get the whip! Today, I must teach him a lesson for being too arrogant!¡± The maid hesitated and turned to look at Zachary and Winnie. When Christopher was in high school, as he was in his teens, which was the most rebellious stage for boys, he often fought with others, causing a lot of trouble. Kendrick would receive several calls from the school almost every week. Zachary and Winnie treasured their youngest son the most, so they were reluctant to punish him. Afraid that his brother would take the wrong path, Kendrick could only take on the responsibility as a strict brother to Christopher. Thus, he specially prepared a whip. Every time Christopher caused any trouble, he would get a beating from Kendrick. Christopher had a stubborn temper since young. No matter how badly he was beaten, he would never beg for mercy. Usually, when Zachary and Winnie could not bear to see Christopher being beaten anymore, they would persuade Kendrick to stop with tears in their eyes. Only then did Kendrick stop whipping Christopher. However, to Kendrick, he knew that Christopher was a person who was aware of the limit and would never take things too far. Kendrick thought, ¡°However, this time, without any reason, Christopher has broken someone¡¯s ribs and caused him to have a concussion. That person was also inflicted with several serious injuries all over his body. He has to stay in the hospital for at least half a month. Christopher¡¯s attacks almost hit that person¡¯s vital parts. No matter how one views the incident, one can tell that Christopher was brutal.¡± Noticing that the maid was still not moving, Kendrick red at her angrily and shouted, ¡°Why are you still standing there? Go and get it!¡± Upon seeing his angry look, the maid immediately went to get the whip. As the scene where Kendrick whipped Christopher in the past shed in Winnie¡¯s mind, she did not dare to imagine what would happen next. Left with no choice, she coaxed, ¡°Ken, Chris has grown up now. It¡¯s inappropriate for him to be beaten again. You kicked and lectured him just now. He has realized his fault!¡± Kendrick slightly concealed his anger as he looked at Winnie. ¡°Did he really realize his fault? Didn¡¯t you guys hear what he said just now? You¡¯ve been spoiling him all the time. If it¡¯s inappropriate to beat him, is it appropriate for him to beat others? If you guys keep pampering him, he¡¯ll go to prison sooner orter.¡± Upon hearing what he said, Winnie could not bring herself to persuade Kendrick anymore. On the one hand, Christopher had indeed overdone it. On the other hand, despite being the mother, she was scared of Kendrick when he was mad. As Christopher heard Kendrick¡¯s words, he could not help but scoff at thetter. At that moment, no one would think that Kendrick¡¯s words woulde true one day. An hourter, Kendrick¡¯s hand trembled after countless whips. Meanwhile, Christopher stood still and looked at Kendrick with unruly in his gray eyes. ¡°Do you still want to whip me? If you aren¡¯t, I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Upon hearing such words, Kendrick wanted to whip Christopher again. However, Winnie immediately stepped forward and shielded Christopher. ¡°Kendrick, you can beat me instead of him. I failed to raise him well. It is my responsibility as a mother!¡± Kendrick¡¯s hand stopped in the air for a moment. Joyce stepped forward, grabbed the whip from his hand, and said, ¡°No matter how strong he is, he can¡¯t withstand such a beating. That¡¯s enough!¡± After saying that, Joyce gave Christopher an eye signal. Thetter paused for a moment, pulled Winnie¡¯s arm away, and turned to leave. Winnie hurriedly chased after him, her eyes red. She choked, ¡°Chris, let me check your injury!¡± Christopher was wearing a gray sweatshirt. Dark marks were ovepping disorderly on his back. They were bloodstains as his flesh was ripped open when it contacted the sweatshirt. It was devastating to see his stained sweatshirt, let alone the flesh beneath the clothes. Christopher stopped. As his face had turned cold for a long time, he looked extremely stiff when he tried to rx his expression. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Winnie was heartbroken and angry. She could not help but pat his arm. However, as she was afraid of touching his wound, she reduced her strength when her patnded on his arm and said, ¡°You jerk. Aren¡¯t you aware that you¡¯re a grown-up now? How could you do such an improper thing? What can you do if anything happens to him after you hit him?¡± Christopher moved his lips, trying to say something However, looking at Winnie¡¯s tearful eyes, he had no choice but to swallow his words. He raised his hand, wiped her tears, and said, ¡°Mrs. Sce, you¡¯ll have more wrinkles at the corner of your eyes if you keep crying.¡± ¡°Stop messing around! In my opinion, Ken¡¯s beating wasn¡¯t enough for you. Why didn¡¯t he whip you a little more?¡± Winnie red at him. Christopher smiled, ¡°Can you bear him to whip me more?¡± Looking at him, Winnie sighed and could not help but touch his hair. She persuaded, ¡°Don¡¯t hate your brother, Chris. He¡¯s doing it for your good. He¡¯s afraid you¡¯ll go astray.¡± Christopher answered faintly, ¡°I know.¡± Winnie added, ¡°I¡¯m d you know. Come in with me. Let me check the wound on your back.¡± ¡°No. I can treat it by myself. Go inside. I¡¯m leaving!¡± Christopher said. Before Winnie could say her words, he strode into the night. As she watched his back, she could not help but cry again. Zachary stood beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s all right now. Let him go. Children need to live their own lives.¡± A Mercedes-Benz G-ss sped in the night. The phone on the rack next to the driver kept ringing. However, the driver did not answer it as though he could not hear it at all. After the phone rang more than ten times, it finally stopped. Nearly an hourter, the car stopped at the entrance of Maple Garden. The man in the car stared at the word ¡°Maple Garden¡± on the wall. After a while, he lowered the window, took out a cigarette from the cigarette box, and lit it. While smoking, he watched the people entering and leaving the residential area. It was quitete at night. Fewer people wereing in and out of the residential area due to ongoing holidays. After dinner, Yuliana walked around the neighborhood along the residential area. The greenery in the residential area was good. It was lush everywhere. Yuliana walked along the path to the apartment building. Suddenly, she felt that someone was following behind her. She turned around to check and found nothing except for the green nts on both sides. She grew a little anxious. Although she thought that nothing would happen in the residential area, she subconsciously elerated her pace right after she turned around. She slowed down after entering the apartment building. She pressed the elevator button, and the elevator door opened in front of her after a while. She walked in and pressed button 6 and the button to close the door. Just when the elevator door was closing slowly in front of her, a hand suddenly reached in. The elevator, which was about to be closed, slowly opened again. When Yuliana raised her eyes, Christopher had already entered the elevator. He was leaning against the handrail in the elevator while standing next to her. She frowned and nced at him. Her eyes were filled with astonishment as though she recalled something. She asked, ¡°Were you the one who was following behind me?¡± Christopher snorted lightly and replied casually, ¡°Who do you think that person would be other than me?¡± Yuliana had not seen Christopher since the day he left at midnight. She also had no idea when he came back from the ancient town. However, Yuliana still felt a little strange being alone with Christopher because of what happened that night. She remained silent for a while. Soon, the elevator reached the sixth floor. Yuliana walked out of the elevator, followed by Christopher. When they arrived at the door, Yuliana took out the key. Just when she was about to open the door, her hand halted in the air for a few seconds. In the end, she retracted her hand. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Looking For My Child¡¯s Mother She turned around to look at Christopher and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She wondered if the lights in the corridor gave her the illusion of Christopher looking pale. Christopher tilted his body with one arm supporting against the wall. His gray eyes were on Yuliana¡¯s face. Then, he drawled, ¡°I¡¯m looking for my child¡¯s mother.¡± His words sounded normal, but his tone sounded indescribably intimate. Yuliana felt as though her heart was tickled. She pursed her lips and looked at Christopher for a moment. Then, she said, ¡°Don¡¯te to look for me again in the future. If you want to talk about the agreement, you can ask thewyer to contact me directly. I believe there is no way that you, Mr. Sce, could not afford awyer.¡± Yuliana thought Christopher would sneer at her as before. To her surprise, he only looked at her with a faint expression and did not refute a single word. After a while, when Yuliana saw Christopher standing still against the wall without saying anything, she felt a little strange. However, in the end, she did not say anything, turned around, and took out the key to open the door. Right when she was about to enter her apartment, something was pressed against her shoulder. She turned around and hurriedly stretched out her hands to hold against Christopher¡¯s tall body. It took her great effort to hold her ground. ¡°Get off me, Christopher!¡± Holding against Christopher¡¯s body anymore, she pushed him hard. In return, she heard Christopher¡¯s suppressed gasp. Stunned, she stopped pushing him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. After a while, Christopher replied casually, ¡°Be gentle. It hurts.¡± Yuliana did not know what was wrong with him. Recalling his pale face under the light, she hesitated for a while and said, ¡°Stand still.¡± Christopher buried his head on the side of her neck and said in a faint voice, ¡°I can¡¯t stand still.¡± it was as though he was throwing a tantrum. Yuliana fell silent for a while, ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m feeling ufortable if you keep pressing against me like this.¡± Upon hearing her words, two secondster, Christopher stood straight, his body shaking slightly. Yuliana stared at his face again. She thought his face look pale because of the lights in the corridor. When she got a closer look, she found that his face and lips were pale. Yuliana exhaled slowly, pushed the door open, and entered her apartment. However, she did not close the door. The corner of Christopher¡¯s lips curled upward. He then moved, followed Yuliana into her apartment, and closed the door. Yuliana did not have prepared any men¡¯s slippers there. Previously, Christopher did not wear slippers although he had gone there several times. Thus, after watching Yuliana silently change into her slippers and walk inside, he directly kicked off the shoes on his feet and went inside in his socks. Yuliana was nervous. She thought, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have let Christopher enter my house, but my heart. softened when I saw him in such a weakened state. Now that he has entered the house, I don¡¯t know how to face him.¡± Hence, she went to the bedroom and locked herself in, not nning toe out of her bedroom. Christopher did not bother Yuliana. Instead, he went to the couch and looked at his phone for a while. He then curled up and slept on the couch on his side. Yuliana stayed in her bedroom for nearly half an hour, but she did not hear any sounding from outside. In the end, she could not stay any longer, opened the door, and walked out. At a nce, she saw Christopher lying on the couch with his eyes closed. It was uncertain whether he had fallen asleep. Yuliana looked at him quietly for a few seconds, warning herself not to pay attention to him in secret. She then returned to her room, took some clean clothes, and went to the bathroom to wash up. When she came out of the shower, Christopher stilly on the couch in that posture. Although Yuliana was standing a few feet away from him, she could see his frown clearly. After standing there for a moment, Yuliana decided to ignore him and turned around to enter her room. It was already half past ten, so it was bedtime. Yuliana turned off the light,y on her bed, and closed her eyes. However, her mind was rewinding the scene of Christopher curling up on the couch. For some reason, she felt sympathy for him. She then thought, ¡°But, Christopher is not pitiful at all. He¡¯s the youngest son of the Sce family. He is born with a silver spoon and has been living a life of luxury since young. Many other people in the world are more pitiful than him.¡± Yuliana forced herself to sleep. However, two hours had passed. She tossed and turned, yet she failed to fall asleep. Yuliana opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling in the dark for a while. She then sat up, turned on the lights in the room, lifted the quilt, and got out of her bed. Putting on a knitted coat, she opened the bedroom door and walked out. She came to the couch where Christopher was sleeping on his side. Compared with the pale face he had a few hours ago, he had a slightly flushed face. However, his flushed face was obviously not normal. Yuliana bent down and touched Christopher¡¯s forehead. It was hot. Yuliana frowned as she stared at Christopher¡¯s face for a while. She pursed her lips and called his name, ¡°Christopher¡­¡± As though he heard a noise, Christopher¡¯s frown became deeper. Yuliana patted him on the face gently and said, ¡°Christopher, you¡¯re having a fever.¡± Christopher opened his eyelids. However, although he was looking in her direction, he was not looking at her as he seemed to be unable to focus his eyes on her. He solely murmured gently in response to Yuliana¡¯s words. Yuliana squatted down and asked in a low voice, ¡°Should I call an ambnce to take you to the hospital?¡± Christopher frowned, his expression showing his refusal. Yuliana had no idea what to do with him. After a while, she got up to take the medicine kit. She took out a thermometer from it and measured Christopher¡¯s temperature. It was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the temperature was not too high, it would rise to 102 degrees Fahrenheit or even 104 degrees Fahrenheit if the fever persisted. She poured a ss of water, found the antipyretic medicine from the medicine kit, and said to Christopher, ¡°Get up and take this medicine.¡± Christopher remainedying on the couch, not moving at all. After hesitating for a while, Yuliana stood up and held the back of Christopher¡¯s neck, trying to help him up. The moment her hand touched his back, Christopher¡¯s body twitched, and he moaned. Yuliana halted her movement and remembered what Christopher just said at the door. ¡°Be gentle. It hurts.¡± At that time, Yuliana thought that Christopher was saying it casually. She suddenly realized it when she ovepped his words with his current reaction. She helped Christopher up slightly. As soon as shended her gaze on his back, her eyes were fixated on the intervening dark stains on his clothes. It was blood. It was already dry and stained on the gray fabric. Yuliana stopped breathing for a moment. She thought, ¡°The way Christopher curled up on the couch just now must be because of the wound on his back. It must be so painful that he could only sleep in that posture.¡± Yuliana was flustered. She wanted Christopher to lie t so that she could check the injury on his back. However, the couch was so small that it was impossible for him, who was close to six feet, to do so. After hesitating for a while, she got up, dragged Christopher to the room, and ced him on the bed. She lifted his clothes and looked at his back. There were marks, which seemed to be caused by whipping, all over his back. The whip marks ovepped, and almost no part of his shoulders and back were safe from the whipping. Several parts of the flesh were ripped apart. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Kiss In The Morning And Evening Even though she had mentally prepared herself, Yuliana was still frightened by the shocking wound on Christopher¡¯s back. She was stunned for more than ten seconds before she got up and went outside to bring the medical kit in. She didn¡¯t know what to do after she took out a pile of bottles and jars from the kit and looked at the injury on his back. After a while, Yuliana got a bottle of saline and a towel. She poured the saline on the towel and then cleaned the bloodstains and wounds on Christopher¡¯s back. Next, she smeared the wounded back with iodine. She only prepared some simple medicine for external injuries but didn¡¯t know whether it would work. Then, she fed Christopher fever-reducing and anti-inmmatory medicine. It had been more than half an hour since Yuliana finished the treatment. Yuliana sat by the bed and stared at Christopher for several moments. She stared at the blonde hair resting on the man¡¯s forehead and the inky dark eyebrows on the high- brow bone. Yuliana noticed Christopher had a high nose that was not too straight. Christopher¡¯s face was delicate- looking, which added to the masculinity of his whole look. His lips were thin and M-shaped. The corners of his mouth naturally curved upward, so every time he pursed his lips and stared at others, he always showed a half-smile, which looked mischievous. It was undeniable that Christopher was blessed by god and gifted a handsome face. She remembered that many girls liked Christopher during high school. During that time, whenever there were any signs of activity from Christopher, the girls in the ss would gossip excitedly about which teacher he had talked back to, whom he had fought with, or which girl from another ss he had flirted with. Even when Christopher bought new clothes or a pair of shoes, they were particrly eager to discuss and gossip about it. It seemed that all the things Yuliana remembered about Christopher were heard from other people. Yuliana returned to her senses and put the medical kit back in its original ce. She then removed the nket from the cab andy on the couch outside. The couch was indeed too narrow. Even her five feet and five inches body had to curl up when shey down. Yuliana probably felt tired, as she had fallen asleep soon after shey down for a while. At dawn, Christopher woke up. The dim light shone through the clean curtains. The room was still dark. He opened his gray eyes and nced at his surrounding for a while. He suddenly remembered something. As soon as his neck moved, he identally tugged the wound on his back. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Christopher felt pain in his back. He clenched his teeth for a few seconds and waited for the pain to subside. He then slowly sat up from the bed, searched by the headboard, and reached out to press the light switch. As soon as the lights were on, theyout and furnishings of the whole room became evident in his eyes. There was no mess in the room. The beds, tables, and cabs were ced in a normal way. All the furniture was spotless and tidy. There was a small and simple nightmp and a humidifier on the nightstand. There was also a table beside the nightstand with a stack of books and aptop. Christopher looked around and then back at the nket on the bed. It was in blue with some tiny patterns on it. The fabric was soft andfortable with a faint fragrance. The nket smelled just like Yuliana. Christopher sat on the bed for a few minutes. He then lifted the nket and got out of bed. He opened the door and saw Yuliana curled up on the couch through the light from the dim sky. Probably because of the cold, she wrapped herself tightly in the nket. With only her fluffy head exposed, she looked like a cicada pupa. Christopher walked toward her and sat down on the floor by the couch. He quietly looked at Yuliana, who was still asleep. Yuliana¡¯s hair was very dark. She washed her hairst night, so it looked a little fluffy. The hair, especially the newly grown short ones, stood in the air one by one. As for the hair that was a little longer, it slipped out of the nket, brushed her face, andnded on the corner of her lips. Christopher wasn¡¯t able to resist raising his hand and brushing the pinch of longer hair back behind Yuliana¡¯s ear. Although his movements were gentle, Yuliana woke up from her sleep. She opened her eyes and stared at therge figure in front of her. She was stunned for a long time and was confused. She thought she was dreaming. Her reaction was so cute that Christopher thought she looked like a cat that had just woken up. ¡°No matter what I do at this moment, she would not reject me, right?¡± he thought again. As he thought about it, Christopher raised his hand and put his palm against Yuliana¡¯s face. He kissed her lightly while his thumb rested at the corner of her lip. Yuliana froze and looked at him in a daze. Christopher wanted to kiss her again. However, Yuliana suddenly became more clear-minded and hurriedly struggled to get one of her hands out of the nket to block her lips. They looked at each other silently, and neither of them spoke. Only subtle noises could asionally be heard from upstairs and downstairs. It made the atmosphere in the room even quieter and denser. Christopher¡¯s eyes gradually darkened. He pulled the hand covering her lips away and slowly leaned over. He gently kissed her upper lip. Yuliana was shocked. It was as if she had been struck by lightning. She was in a daze. Only the gentle touch on her lips felt abnormally real. ¡°Ana.¡± A warm breath curled around her ears, and the man¡¯s voice suddenly sobered herpletely. She reached out and pushed away the man who was caressing her head. Christopher was unprepared and lost his bnce from the push. He leaned back and stretched out his arm to support himself on the floor before stabilizing himself. When he returned to his senses, Christopher noticed Yuliana looking at him defensively with her cold eyes. Christopher smiled and greeted her with his raspy morning raspy voice. ¡°Good morning.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t speak. Although Christopher took the initiative to kiss Yuliana, he confirmed that she didn¡¯t resist and even indulged a little in the kiss. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t me Christopher entirely, to be honest. Yuliana thought about those matters in her mind. After a while, she calmed down again. Yuliana sat up from the couch with the nket in her arms. She raised her hand and flicked her hair. She then stared at Christopher for a moment and asked, ¡°Why did you have injuries on your back?¡± Yuliana felt that she didn¡¯t care about him, but she had to say something to ease the atmosphere in the room. Christopher still sat on the floor with one of his legs bent and an elbow resting on the knee. He held his chin with his palm. His pose lookedzy and rxed, but his eyes stared fixedly at Yuliana. ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡± Christopher asked. ¡°No.¡± Yuliana quickly denied it. She was just casually asking him. She couldn¡¯t shout and kick him out first thing in the morning. Christopher was in a good mood. Even if Yuliana denied it, he still felt pleased. However, he didn¡¯t answer Yuliana¡¯s question. He lowered his eyelids and pondered for a moment before he said, ¡°It¡¯s just a slight injury. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The whip looked scary when swung, and Christopher felt it was really painful when it hit him. Fortunately, it only hurt the flesh. The injury would recover quickly. Christopher had been hit a lot before, so he had gotten used to the pain. Yuliana was stumped for words. ¡°Who says I¡¯m worried about you?¡± Yuliana thought. However, Yuliana could more or less guess that, with Christopher¡¯s position, not many people dared to hurt him. As she looked at the wound on Christopher¡¯s back, it seemed he didn¡¯t resist the attack. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Are You Stupid? However, Yuliana could more or less guess that, with Christopher¡¯s position, not many people dared to hurt him. As she looked at the wound on Christopher¡¯s back, it seemed he didn¡¯t resist the attack. There were probably only a few people who Christopher could not resist and would willingly allow to beat him. During high school, it was said that Zachary and Winnie loved and spoiled their youngest son so much that they naturally didn¡¯t want to hurt him. Kendrick, the eldest son and Christopher¡¯s older brother, was in charge of caring for Christopher since he was a child. It must be Kendrick who had beaten Christopher. Yuliana didn¡¯t expect Kendrick to be so cruel to his younger brother. The room fell silent again. Yuliana sat on the couch with her eyes drooped. Christopher remained seated on the floor and looked at her quietly. Yuliana didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him and why he always liked to stare at her. The stare annoyed her, and she wanted tosh out at him. Yuliana wanted to ignore his gaze, but she failed to do so. In the end, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. She looked at Christopher with a fierce look. ¡°Have you seen enough?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Christopher mimicked Yuliana¡¯s tone earlier. Yuliana looked at him with more fierceness in her eyes. She had never seen such a shameless person before. She lifted the nket and wanted to get off the couch, but Christopher blocked her way. ¡°Get out of my way.¡± Christopher looked at Yuliana with amusement and paused. When she was about to get angry, he moved aside to stay out of her way. Yuliana put on her slippers and got up. She went straight into the bathroom and turned on the lights. She intended to wash her face to clear her mind. When her gaze fell on herself in the mirror, she suddenly stopped. The woman shown in the mirror was alluring. There was a feminine charm in her eyes and a slightly drunken blush on her cheeks which spread to her ears. Yuliana almost didn¡¯t know herself anymore. She immediately turned on the faucet and sshed a handful of cold water on her face. It was already October. The water early in the morning was slightly cold, which helped suppress her face¡¯s dryness. When she looked into the mirror again, she seemed to look like usual again. ¡°Was it just an illusion?¡± Yuliana thought. She didn¡¯t want to go deep into how she seemed to look different just now. She even resisted finding out about it. She hated being out of control. After nearly half an hour in the bathroom, Yuliana opened the door and exited. Yuliana didn¡¯t know where Christopher went, as she looked around and didn¡¯t see anyone. Just when she thought Christopher had left, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure standing on the balcony, which was used for hanging up and drying theundry. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. He was covered with a thin smoke. He probably stood there smoking. Because of this, Yuliana thought that Christopher was quite thoughtful. Ever since he knew she was pregnant, he had never smoked in an enclosed space in front of her. It was already broad daylight outside. The residential area started to be full of life. Yuliana stared at Christopher¡¯s back for a while, and a strange emotion stirred in her mind. She knew very well that this emotion should not belong to her and Christopher. Yuliana mocked herself and turned toward the kitchen. She had some frozen wholemeal buns and eggs in the refrigerator. After she found out she was pregnant, she would heat up a wholemeal bun and boil an egg for breakfast most of the time. Only when she waste did she go to the breakfast shop at the gate of the residential area to buy some food. She stood in front of the open refrigerator and hesitated for a while. She then took out two wholemeal buns and two eggs. She put the buns in the microwave and the eggs in a pot. She then started to heat the bun and boil the egg. In the past, she would take the time to wash her face and brush her teeth or do something else, but today she stood in front of the stove and quietly watched the pot. The rtionship between men and women was a strange thing for Yuliana. Even if she had loved a man for ten years and had been married for three years, it was just her wishful thinking. She had not really experienced intimacy between men and women before. Yuliana clearly felt the change in her attitude toward Christopher. This change might not reach the level of like or love, but at least she was not conflicted with Christopher¡¯s kiss now. She didn¡¯t resist the intimacy. She even got addicted and enjoyed it a little. If she could find another man, she might choose to try to be with him. ¡°But why does it have to be Christopher?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but think of that. After he finished smoking, Christopher stayed on the balcony for a few minutes. When the smell of cigarettes disappeared, he returned and nced at the bathroom. The door had been opened, and Yuliana already came out. He heard the noise in the kitchen, so he followed and walked toward the sound. When he arrived at the door, he looked inside and saw Yuliana looking at the pot on the stove. She didn¡¯t even react after Christopher joined her for a while. Christopher didn¡¯t like Yuliana¡¯s solemn look. It made him feel that she was far away. He couldn¡¯t help but interrupt her thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s in the pot?¡± Yuliana was disturbed by his voice, and she subconsciously nced at him. After a while, she turned her eyes back to the pot. When she heard that the water in the pot was boiling, she didn¡¯t have time to answer Christopher¡¯s question and hurriedly reached out to uncover the pot. Just then, hot gas emitted from the pot. The gas hit the back of Yuliana¡¯s hand directly. She shrunk her burned hand away from the pot and subconsciously screamed in pain. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened, and he immediately walked to stand in front of Yuliana. He took her hand and found that the root of her thumb was red with a burn. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Christopher cursed coldly. He pulled Yuliana to the sink and turned on the faucet to release the cold water. He helped her rinse the burned spot with water. Yuliana was still worried about the pot, so she hurriedly said, ¡°Turn off the stove first.¡± She didn¡¯t add much water to the pot. She was in a daze just now and didn¡¯t know how long the food had been cooked. She was unsure whether the water had dried. Christopher felt exasperated by her words. He stretched out his long arm and turned off the stove. ¡°Is it okay now?¡± Yuliana nced at him. She noticed that his face was sullen, and a frown formed between his eyebrows. However, his eyes were focused on her burned hand. He kept pressing and putting her hand in the rushing cold water. At this moment, her heartbeat suddenly went out of control. Yuliana didn¡¯t dare to look anymore. She quickly moved her eyes away and struggled with her hands twice. She informed the man in a muffled voice, ¡°My hand is fine now.¡± The hand was only scalded by the hot air. The pain from earlier was not felt much now. However, Christopher pinched her wrist tightly and nced at her coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment and finally let Christopher press her hand against the cold running water. After repeatedly rinsing for nearly five minutes, Christopher stared at the reddish skin and asked, ¡°Do you have any medicine for burns at home?¡± Yuliana shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any, but I¡¯m totally fine. My hand could heal without any medicine.¡± Christopher was silent for a few seconds. He then opened his mouth, ¡°Stay outside. I¡¯ll continue to prepare the food here.¡± Yuliana looked at him and hesitated for a moment before she finally turned around and walked out of the kitchen. She sat on the couch and looked at the burned spot on her hand. She slowly breathed out a sigh of relief. A few minutester, Christopher came out from the kitchen with the heated wholemeal buns and boiled eggs. He ced the food in front of Yuliana and said, ¡°Are these all you¡¯re having in the morning?¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 I Do Not Care A few minutester, Christopher came out from the kitchen with the heated wholemeal buns and boiled eggs. He ced the food in front of Yuliana and said, ¡°Are these all you¡¯re having in the morning?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with these?¡± Yuliana¡¯s gaze fixed on him. She thought the food was quite healthy and contained all the carbohydrates and proteins needed. At least she started eating healthily more regrly than before. Before her pregnancy, she generally had a bad appetite in the morning. Therefore, she only ate some fruit or oatmeal most of the time. Now that she had to be responsible for the other life in her belly, she would have to eat more, even if she couldn¡¯t eat much. Christopher was stunned by her retort. He pondered for a while and didn¡¯t answer her. He then sat down next to Yuliana, took an egg, knocked it twice on the edge of the te, peeled the shell off, and handed the peeled egg to her. Yuliana stared at the egg for a few seconds but didn¡¯t take it. Instead, she said, ¡°You can eat it. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± She took another egg, peeled off the shell, slowly ate the boiled egg white, and soon finished it. When she was about to throw the egg yolk away, the yolk was snatched by the hand that stretched out from beside her. Yuliana subconsciously tilted her head and looked at Christopher. She heard him say, ¡°Don¡¯t waste food.¡± After that, Christopher stuffed the egg yolk into his mouth. He then separated the egg white and yolk from the boiled egg in his hand and put the egg white in the dish in front of Yuliana. Yuliana frowned slightly. She was about to retort when the man beside her immediately said, ¡°I don¡¯t like to eat egg whites. I don¡¯t particrly appreciate wasting food so you can have it. The baby in your belly also needs nutrition.¡± She didn¡¯t have a chance to refuse at all. Atst, Yuliana ate the boiled egg white silently. After breakfast, Christopher picked up the dishes and put them away in the kitchen. Yuliana sat outside the kitchen. She heard the faint sound of water and the slight sound of dishes colliding with each other from the kitchen. It was clear that Christopher was washing dishes. She was a little surprised. She thought, ¡°I can¡¯t believe a privileged man like Christopher is willing to do these chores.¡± However, not long after, Yuliana heard a crashing sound from the kitchen, and she immediately took back her previous thoughts. She got up and hurriedly walked into the kitchen. She saw Christopher standing there with a frown on his face. The man was looking at the broken dishes on the floor, stunned. His expression was as if he was confused about how he could break the tes. As expected, she shouldn¡¯t have any hope that Christopher, the son of the Sce family, can do the chores. smoothly. ¡°There are brooms and dustpans on the balcony outside.¡± Yuliana turned around and left the kitchen after informing Christopher. She didn¡¯t care to check on him. Today was Christopher¡¯s first time washing dishes since he was born. He thought it was easy to wash dishes. ¡°After all, it was just rinsing the dishes with water. It¡¯s not like I would break them easily, right?¡± When he returned to his senses, he went to the balcony to get a broom and a dustpan, ording to Yuliana¡¯s instructions. He cleaned up the broken dishes. Two forks were left to be washed. He washed and put the forks away. When he left the kitchen, he saw Yuliana staring at him. ¡°Christopher, let¡¯s talk about it.¡± Yuliana¡¯s face was cold and distant. Her tone sounded calm too. After a few moments, Christopher walked over and sat down on the individual couch. Hezily leaned against the back of the furniture and casually asked, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± De Not Cale Yuliana scrunched her eyebrows slightly after she observed the other¡¯s perfunctory andzy attitude. She averted her gaze and focused on the TV on the wall not far away. She then pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Christopher, do you like me?¡± Christopher¡¯s rxed muscles stiffened in an instant. He looked at the side of Yuliana¡¯s face, which seemed emotionless. He sensed no emotion on her face. It was as if he were an unimportant stranger. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. He lightly moved his thin lips. The corner of his lips curved upward, and he smiled mischievously. Christopher then said in a frivolous tone, ¡°What about you? Do you like me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡± Yuliana blurted out almost immediately. Christopher looked at the frown on her face and the disgust in her eyes. His eyes darkened, but the mischievous smile on his face became wider. He asked again, ¡°Do you think I like you?¡± Yuliana turned around and looked at Christopher¡¯s handsome and smiling face. His long and narrow eyes looked at her with a half-smile as if he was ying with a toy. Yuliana was stunned. Things suddenly became open and clear in her mind after she thought of the word ¡°toy¡±. She agreed that she was just a toy to Christopher. During this period, maybe Christopher had a sense of novelty or a desire to conquer her. Therefore, he was a little serious about her and even liked her a little bit, but once that sense of novelty passed, nothing would be necessary anymore. Christopher probably knew that, so he wanted to y this ambiguous game with her. However, there would be no change in the result. In the end, only she would fall deeper and deeper into despair, and once Christopher had gotten tired of her, she would be a nobody to him. Christopher would still marry Annabelle, and Yuliana might even be called a homewrecker. When she foresaw all the possible oues, Yuliana was utterly clear-headed. She looked at Christopher with bright eyes and said, ¡°Whether you like me or not, that¡¯s your business. It has nothing to do with me, and I don¡¯t care. I just want you to stay away from my life. Christopher, if the child can be born sessfully, then you will always be the child¡¯s father. I don¡¯t want to hate my own child¡¯s father.¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 This Is It There were some things that one had to let go of. Otherwise, they would only harm others and themselves in the end. Before she uttered the words, Yuliana already knew that Christopher would be unhappy when he heard them. A privileged person like Christopher, a person who was always pursued and surrounded by others, would not be used to being rejected by others. Staring at Christopher¡¯s gloomy face, Yuliana paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°When we were in the ancient town, from the night before until this moment, I may have done things that would make you misunderstand. I considered the fact that you were the father of my child and didn¡¯t want to make too much trouble with you. Thus, I¡¯ve been enduring it.¡± ¡°Enduring it?¡± Christopher repeated. ¡°Are you sure you were merely enduring it that night in the ancient town? Yuliana, I think you were so enthralled that you refused to let go of my tongue!¡± Smirking, Christopher uttered thest sentence with a sarcastic tone. Yuliana¡¯s face froze for a moment before she answered calmly, ¡°Christopher, I have no problem with sexual rtions. Naturally, I too, desire intimacy between men and women. At that time, I would have reacted the same even if it had been another attractive man.¡± Therefore, Christopher was not special. Christopher sneered and looked at Yuliana coldly, but there seemed to be something moreplicated concealed in his eyes. Yuliana met his gaze and somehow felt suffocated. It felt as if she had said hurtful words. The emotion in Christopher¡¯s eyes quickly dissipated. He smiled faintly. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I thought you were a chaste woman. I certainly did not expect you to be so casual. Indeed, I can have any woman I want. Why would I fall for used goods?¡± Christopher lowered his eyes and nced at her contemptuously. ¡°It¡¯s just that! had nothing to do. Since I¡¯m getting married soon, I just wanted to have some fun. Well, it was disappointing to have you see through it.¡± Christopher stood upzily and stretched. He nced at Yuliana. Pale and silent, she looked as if her heart had been pierced by needles. Smirking, Christopher added, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I recently found out why Harry insisted on divorcing you. You¡¯re too boring. I can see why he did such a thing. Even I can¡¯t bear it anymore. Well, I guess this is it. Goodbye!¡± After saying that, Christopher strode to the door, put on his shoes, and left. When Yuliana heard the sound of the door closing, her shoulders immediately drooped. The words Christopher had just spoken ran through her mind and made Yuliana feel as if her chest was being weighed down by a boulder. She had to muster all her strength just to take a breath. Her eyes pricked and a drop of tear rolled down unexpectedly. Subconsciously, she lifted her hand and touched her face. Staring at the moisture on her fingertips, she suddenly realized that she liked Christopher more than she thought. ¡°Even so, what of it?¡± she wondered. She had let Harry, who she had loved for a decade, go. What more to say about Christopher, who she only liked a little? ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll get over it soon,¡± Yuliana thought. After that, Christopher no longer appeared before Yuliana. Thus, Yuliana¡¯s life returned to its previous calm. She did not have much time to get upset over this matter, and she even had less time to think of Christopher. asionally, as shey half-conscious on the bed at night, she would suddenly remember that Christopher has also slept on this bed. He hadin on the spot where she was lying. Christopher and Annabelle¡¯s wedding was on the 26th of October. The Sce family did not enjoy being high profile. Hence, only some rtives and friends were invited to Christopher¡¯s wedding. Even his business partners of many years were not informed, and he even declined the media. The night before the wedding. Annabelle held a bachelorette party with her best friend in the mansion. It was herst indulgence before getting married. Early that morning, the mansion became quiet again after she sent away her friends. Annabelle stood in therge empty hall and looked around. A product of the previous night¡¯s madness, the hall was aplete mess Annabelle kicked away a balloon. at her feet and headed straight to the brown leather couch. Sitting down, she picked up the remaining wine on the coffee table and guzzled it down. Then, she set down the ss and picked up the cigarette box. She took out a cigarette and lit it ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. When they were ying earlier, they did not turn on the brightest main lights in the hall. Instead, they turned on the wall lights on the walls in order to set the mood. The dim light orange light appeared to be shrouded. by candles. d in a red silk slip dress, Annabelle was like a demon in the dark night. Crossing her legs, her red nail polish was reflected on her pale skin. She sped her chest with one hand, while her other hand held the cigarette between her fingers as she puffed out the smoke. Her alluring eyes stared off into the distance in a daze. A sudden clicking sound was extraordinarily harsh in the quiet mansion. Annabelle raised her eyes and looked in the direction of the hall entrance. After waiting quietly for a while, arge and tall figure ambled in from the darkness. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Wedding Gift Annabelle looked at the man¡¯s deep outline and was stunned. Harry nced around expressionlessly. Finally, his deep eyesnded on Annabelle. Inch by inch, he looked at her as if he was surveying something he owned. ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± Annabelle¡¯s face darkened as she sneered, ¡°Harry, why didn¡¯t I realize how shameless you were before?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Harry did not argue with her. Instead, he went to her and patted the top of her head before weaving his fingers into her hair and gently stroking it. Suddenly, he grabbed her by the roots of her hair, forcing her to raise her head. ¡°If you weren¡¯t waiting for me, why was the password of the door lock not changed?¡± Harry¡¯s tone was calm as he stated simply. Frowning slightly, Annabelle paused for half a second. Then she puffed out a mouthful of smoke on his face and said, ¡°I forgot to.¡± Although her voice was cold, her eyes werezily enticing. Her red lips that were puffing out the smoke rings were breathtaking like a blooming red rose. Harry turned around and wiped her lips with his fingers. Suddenly, the owner of the red lips opened her mouth and bit his fingers. At that moment, their gazes collided. Two hourster, Annabelley on the bed. She marveled at the man¡¯s elegant posture and could not help but be a little absent-minded. However, she did not expect that the man would suddenly turn around. Caught unprepared, her eyes suddenly met with the man¡¯s dark eyes. Annabelle suppressed her emotions hurriedly and turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll change the passwordter. I won¡¯t be living here anymore, so our rtionship ends here.¡± Harry buttoned the cuffs of his shirt and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s our rtionship? Annabelle, you brought it up by yourself. Why should I take your offer? You make it sound like I was the one who jumped you. It was the same during summer vacation when I finished my sophomore year. Half a year ago, it was also the same.¡± Annabelle was uncharacteristically silent. After a while, she frowned and suddenly said, ¡°Yuliana is pregnant.¡± Harry paused. ¡°So?¡± Annabelle looked at him and said, ¡°She is pregnant with your child. Shouldn¡¯t you take responsibility for her? Or do you want her baby to be an illegitimate child like you?¡± Harry stared at her for a long moment with his dark eyes. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Annabelle pursed her lips and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I just feel bad for Yuliana. The once unapproachable daughter of Damian Livingstone is now an abandoned woman who has to raise her own children. Isn¡¯t fate ridiculous?¡± ¡°If you have the time to worry about other people¡¯s affairs, you¡¯d better worry about yourself.¡± Harry lowered you that his eyelids, smoothed the folds on his cuffs, and then looked up at Annabelle. He sneered. ¡°Who told the baby in Yuliana¡¯s stomach is mine?¡± Upon hearing this, Annabelle paused and gradually stiffened. She stared at Harry for a moment before turning around and sitting up on the bed. ¡°What do you mean? If Yuliana isn¡¯t pregnant with your child, whose is it?¡± Staring at her indifferently, Harry did not answer her question. He turned around and walked to the door. After opening the door, he stopped. He turned to look at Annabelle on the bed and said, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for many years. Since you¡¯re getting married tomorrow, I¡¯ll give you a wedding gift!¡± Before Annabelle could inquire further, Harry had already walked out and shut the door before her very eyes. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Dumped Again ¡°Ms Johnson, you are so beautiful!¡± The makeup artist looked at the woman in the mirror and eximed sincerely. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the industry for so long, and you¡¯re the most beautiful bride I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± The mirror showed a woman dressed in a white wedding dress. Her bright face had ample and exquisite makeup, and her skin was cool and pale. A touch of red on her lips was like a finishing touch, which made her instantly appear vivid and enchanting. Annabelle twitched her hair on the side of her face and smiled slightly, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± The makeup artist looked aside and hurriedly over to get the lipstick from the makeup box. ¡°I¡¯ll touch up your lips!¡± Then, the makeup artist applied anotheryer on Annabelle¡¯s lips. In an instant, the redness on Annabelle¡¯s lips became deeper and glossier. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°Ms. Johnson, red really suits you.¡± The makeup artist couldn¡¯t help sighing again. In fact, when she first met Annabelle, she felt that Annabelle¡¯s appearance was too pronounced and did not suit her aesthetics. However, every time she put on Annabelle¡¯s makeup, she felt something different. She felt a makeup artist¡¯s heartfelt excitement and pride when looking at their work. Just then, there came two knocks on the door. Two young women entered the room. ¡°Annabelle! Look who¡¯s here!¡± Melinda Watson shouted with a smile. Annabelle forgot the eyes in the mirror and instantly smiled. She turned around and walked over with the skirt in her hand. She hugged the person and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you couldn¡¯te back?¡± ¡°I just want to surprise you! Even if I had to crawl, I would havee back for your wedding!¡± The girl who hugged Annabelle smiled wittily. ¡°Honey, congrattions! You finally got what you wanted!¡± Hugging Yvette Stille tightly, Annabelle took a deep breath. ¡°Thank you, Yve.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Yvette could not stand such a sensational scene. She took a picture of Annabelle and separated from her. She gave Annabelle a once over and said, ¡°Sure enough, if Annabelle is said to be the second best in terms of appearance, no one would dare take first ce.¡± Annabelle smiled. ¡°Come on now, it¡¯s useless to tter me. Where¡¯s my wedding gift?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I brought it!¡± Since Annabelle¡¯s hair and makeup were already done, the makeup artist led the staff to leave first, leaving time for the bride and her friends. Annabelle spoke with them for a while. Then, the door of the dressing room rang again. The door was opened, and a middle-aged woman in a red dress and a bag appeared at the door. When Annabelle saw the middle-aged woman, the smile on her face immediately disappeared, and she became cold. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The middle-aged woman came in and stared at Annabelle, ¡°My daughter is getting married. Why shouldn¡¯t I be here?¡± The rxed and happy atmosphere in the dressing room instantly became tense. Melinda and Yvette looked at each other and then said to Annabelle, ¡°Annabelle, you should have a chat first. We¡¯ll be outside.¡± The two of them left the dressing room and closed the door behind them. Xenia Johnson nced at the essories on Annabelle¡¯s body. Even if she knew nothing about them, it didn¡¯t prevent her from knowing that they were all valuable and she could never hope to afford them. She tutted. ¡°Annabelle, you¡¯vee so far. I know it¡¯s useless to follow a mother like me¡­! ¡°Shut up!¡± Annabelle¡¯s eyes were red. She pointed at the door and said, ¡°Get out of here!¡± Staring at her, Xenia opened her bag, took out a box from it, and handed it to Annabelle. ¡°Your father gave this to me when we got married. Although you don¡¯t recognize me as your mother, I still consider you my daughter. I have nothing good to give you. Although this is not valuable, it is left by your father. It is a memento for you.¡± Annabelle stared at the box for a long time and finally epted it. She opened the box and found a gold ne inside. It was a very old design, and the chain was thin. It was not valuable at all. However, Annabelle could guess that it was the best her father could get when he bought this ne for Xenia. It was the best ne he could get within his ability. She covered the box and looked up at Xenia coldly. ¡°You have no right to mention my father. Since you¡¯ve given this to me, you can go now.¡± Xenia looked at the hatred in Annabelle¡¯s eyes and smiled faintly. ¡°No matter how much you hate me, that won¡¯t change the fact that we will always be mother and daughter. I gave birth to you. Without me, you would not exist.¡± After saying that, Xenia gave Annabelle thest look and left. Annabelle looked at the box in her hand and couldn¡¯t help but open it again. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m getting married today. Will you bless me?¡± October 26th was merely an ordinary Wednesday to Yuliana. She had three sses today, one in the morning and two in the afternoon. However, she found it hard to concentrate that day. In the first ss, she was in a trance and got distracted while talking. Later on, she didn¡¯t even know what she had said. Looking at the young faces of the students in the ssroom, everything gradually turned blurry. At the end of the first ss, Yuliana returned to her office and sat quietly for a while. The other teachers in the office were discussing the test on Monday. Yuliana only felt her ears buzzing, but she couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about at all. Finally, at lunchtime, Yuliana and Fiona went to have lunch together. When she returned, she took a nap in her seat. In fact, she didn¡¯t sleep well, and she had a dream when she was half asleep. In her dream, she appeared at the scene of a wedding. Her surroundings were full of lights and flowers. The bride in a white gown and a man in a white suit spoke their vows and exchanged wedding rings. They then kissed each other with the blessings of all rtives and friends. Annabelle knew she was dreaming, but she couldn¡¯t wake up. The phone on the table vibrated and pulled her out of the dream. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She picked up her phone and looked at it. It was Xandria. ncing at Fiona who was resting in the office, Annabelle took her phone and went to the corridor outside before picking up the call. ¡°Xani.¡± As soon as she finished her words, Xandria on the other side of the phone said excitedly, ¡°Yuliana, something major happened! Christopher dumped Annabelle again! On the day of their wedding!¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 What Of It At that moment, the venue of the wedding scene was a mess. When the time for the ceremony came, the bride suddenly disappeared from the venue of the wedding. Obviously, the wedding could not continue, so they had to announce that the ceremony was temporarily canceled. After dismissing the guests, Kendrick¡¯s face immediately darkened. He walked to the wedding hall, watching as if nothing had happened. He sat in one of the guest seats. d in a white suit, Christopher watched him for a moment before striding over in his long legs. Solemnly, Kendrick asked, ¡°Can you exin the situation, Christopher?¡± Christopher sat in a chairzily, lowering his eyes and turning his phone with his fingers. Upon hearing. Kendrick¡¯s words, he raised his head and looked at him. His thin lips pursed as he shrugged, ¡°What is there to exin? Didn¡¯t you see everything?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Kendrick pped Christopher in front of everyone. Seeing that he was about to do it again, Joyce hurried forward and grabbed his arm. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s not Christopher¡¯s fault. Why are you taking it out on him?¡± ¡°Whose fault is it if not his?¡± Kendrick red at his wife coldly. Kendrick had always been in an advantageous position. He had long been used to giving orders. Being a results-oriented man, he did not care about the process. In his opinion, since Christopher was the one who was getting married, even if the sudden disappearance of Annabelle was the cause of the current predicament, it was also due to Christopher¡¯s improper handling. La walked over with her husband Jared. She nced at Christopher and couldn¡¯t help saying. ¡°Joyce is right. It¡¯s not Christopher¡¯s fault! The most important thing now is to find Annabelle.¡± She paused before continuing, ¡°Annabelle isn¡¯t an irresponsible person. I wonder if something unexpected happened for her to suddenly disappear.¡± ¡°Have you found Annabelle?¡± Winnie and Zachary also came over from the lounge. When they learned that Annabelle was missing. Winnie suffered a huge shock and almost fainted. Zachary had apanied Winnie to the lounge to rest. After feeling better, they returned to the wedding banquet. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. La hurriedly stepped forward to help the olddy, then looked at Christopher and asked, ¡°Christopher, do you know where Annabelle went?¡± At that moment, a young woman with short, ear-length hair rushed over angrily. While everyone was still in a daze, she lifted her hand and pped Christopher across the face. Seeing her son being pped indiscriminately, Winnie red at the girl. ¡°Who are you? How can you hit others casually?¡± Christopher looked up and smiled coldly. ¡°Yvette, where is Annabelle?¡± Yvette sneered, ¡°How dare you ask me about Annabelle? Christopher, you¡¯re such a jerk. Do you know how long she¡¯s been looking forward to marrying you? And yet, what have you done?¡± Listening to Yvette¡¯s words, Christopher didn¡¯t say a word. He just looked at Yvette coldly. The other members of the Sce family felt that something was wrong. Winnie, especially, frowned and asked, ¡°What do you mean? What did my son do? Tell me clearly!¡± Yvette nced at Winnie and said sarcastically, ¡°What? Didn¡¯t your precious son tell you? He knocked someone up and wants to marry Annabelle so she¡¯d be a stepmother for free!¡± After listening to Yvette¡¯s words, the members of the Sce family looked at Christopher again. ¡°Christopher, is what she said true?¡± Kendrick¡¯s face was extremely pale. He forced himself to suppress his temper. Even if his voice was still calm, it was merely the calm before the storm. Christopher lowered his eyes expressionlessly and ignored Kendrick¡¯s words. Frantic, Winnie urged, ¡°Chris, say something! Is it true?¡± After a long moment, Christopher looked up at the people who were staring at him and smiled casually. ¡°So what?¡± Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 La The chaos in the Sce family caused quite a stir on the inte. Even though they kept a low profile, the Sce family was still a prominent household in Juxshire and the rest of the country. More importantly,izens were always drawn to gossip about upper ss society. It was rumored online that the bride was actually in love with someone other than Christopher and that she was only forced to marry Christopher because he had set his eyes on her. However, she could not resist her true love in the end, so she eloped with her secret lover on her wedding day. There were also rumors online that Christopher and his runaway bride were childhood friends. They were supposedly betrothed to one another, but unfortunately, Christopher turned out to be a yboy who had other women on the side. When his mistress reportedly showed up on their wedding day and caused a scene, the bride ran away in anger. While there were other rumors flying around, these two were the ones that spread like wildfire. Yuliana browsed through a few of these conjectures before exiting Twitter. The Sce family¡¯s wedding scandal was yesterday¡¯s news, but it appeared to have just caught fire online. That being said, Christopher was still an ordinary person, not a celebrity. Surely the public will lose interest in him soon. However, the Sce family was still humiliated by the wedding scandal, making them the laughingstock in upper-ss society. Yuliana put away her phone and checked the time. Her ss was in five minutes. She picked up the tools she would need for her lesson, but her phone rang just as she was about to leave for her ssroom. She nced at the caller ID and saw that it was an unknown number. She answered the call. With one hand full of her ssroom essentials and the other gripping her phone, she left the office and headed toward the ssroom. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± The person on the other line greeted, ¡°Hello, Ms. Livingstone! I¡¯m La, Christopher¡¯s sister.¡± Yuliana stopped in her tracks and fell silent for a moment. Then, she asked, ¡°Ms. Sce, what can I do for you?¡± La paused before saying tentatively, ¡°I actually do need to talk to you, Ms. Livingstone, and I think it¡¯s better if we meet in person. When will you be free?¡± Although La did not reveal anything. Yuliana could already guess what the former wanted to discuss. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The Sce family probably reached out to her because they found out she was pregnant. This must have something to do with the child she was carrying. In fact, she was willing to bet that Christopher and Annabelle¡¯s wedding had only fallen through because of this pregnancy. She wondered what the Sce family was nning to achieve by reaching out to her now. Yuliana suddenly grew nervous at this thought. ¡°Would the Sce family, as prolific as they are, allow me to keep the baby?¡± she wondered frantically. Even if she were allowed to keep the baby, the Sce family wouldy im to the child as soon as he was born. Yuliana took a deep breath and asked, ¡°How about we meet this evening?¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± La replied. ¡°You get off work at six o¡¯clock, right?¡± Yuliana hummed lightly. ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll arrange a driver to pick you up at the school gates,¡± La said. ¡°Okay,¡± Yuliana felt like she was in a trance when the phone call ended. It was only when she heard the school bell ring that she returned to her senses and continued her way to the ssroom. Yuliana came out of the school gates at six o¡¯clock that evening and saw a ck Mercedes-Benz idling by the roadside. When the driver caught sight of her, he immediately got out of the car and opened the door for her, saying, ¡°Please get in the car, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana thanked him perfunctorily and lowered herself to get into the vehicle. The car began to pull away and finally stopped in front of a private residence. As the car pulled into the driveway, Yuliana looked around and found the words ¡°the Sce residence¡± engraved on a que outside the house. The driver got out of the car and opened the door for Yuliana. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Will Never Know When Yuliana arrived at the Sce residence, she could not help but remember a few rumors surrounding the Sce family. It was said that the Sce family had a history that dated back to a few hundred years ago. In fact, the mansion was built at the beginning of thest century. A formidable building that incorporated a fusion of architectural styles, it had witnessed the change of time over centuries and remained standing to this day. The mansion was much like its owners. The Sce family was true to their essence regardless of how the world around them had changed. There were also rumors that the Sce family maintained a couple of old family traditions. For example, the first-born son must be the head of the family while the other descendants could either manage the family¡¯s businesses or choose to be employed elsewhere. These other descendants could also decide to live freely for the rest of their lives. While these were only rumors, they were not entirely unfounded. At the very least, Christopher¡¯s father, Zachary, was the first-born son, therefore, he became the head of Sce Corporation. When it came to Christopher¡¯s generation, Kendrick was the eldest son and was now managing Sce Corporation, too It was an unfair tradition, but upon careful thought, one could not say it waspletely wrong in principle. After all, such a tradition had ensured the Sce family¡¯s prosperity for hundreds of years. The eldest son had to carry the weight of the entire family on his shoulders from the moment he was born, and more often than not, the pressure was unbearable. The other descendants, however, would be well provided for by the family. Presently, Yuliana hesitated for a moment before getting down from the car. The Sce family¡¯s maid walked up to Yuliana and subtly appraised her, then said with a smile, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, this way, please.¡± Yuliana nodded at her and headed in the shown direction. The maid led Yuliana to a traditional reception room. The reception room was very tastefully decorated, with elegant furniture and expensive-looking ornaments. There was nothing gaudy about the space, and it belied the Sce family¡¯s understated sense of style. The Sce family might be a prominent household in Juxshire and in the country, but they were an elusive entity. Having served Yuliana some coffee, the maid lowered her head slightly and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, please wait a moment while I inform Mrs. Sce and Ms. Sce of your arrival.¡± Yuliana nodded again and watched as the maid left the room. In the room¡¯s silence, she could not help thinking about what the maid had said earlier. ¡°Mrs. Sce?¡± she wondered to herself. As far as Yuliana knew, Christopher¡¯s grandparents were no longer around. The maid had probably been referring to Christopher¡¯s mother. ¡°Looks like Christopher¡¯s sister, La, isn¡¯t the only one who wants to see me,¡± Yuliana thought grimly. Yuliana did not touch the cup of coffee the maid had brought and merely sat there gracefully while waiting. It was not long before she heard soundsing from the door. Looking over, she saw a woman in her thirties. escorting an olddy, whose hair had mostly turned gray, into the room. Behind them was the maid just now. The woman in her thirties had to be La, which meant the olddy must be Winnie, Christopher¡¯s mother. Winnie was wearing simple clothes that did not look different from any other old person¡¯s wardrobe, but her features were delicate, and her gestures were graceful despite her age. It was not hard to imagine how attractive she must have been during her younger days. Now that Yuliana had taken a closer look, she thought Christopher bore a rtively strong resemnce to Winnie. On the other hand, La did not resemble Christopher¡¯s sister, Winnie, that much, save for her grace and figure. She had much stronger features that she probably inherited from her father, Zachary Once La and Winnie were in the room, Yuliana politely stood up and greeted, ¡°Mrs. Sce, Ms. Sce.¡± Winnie simply stared at Yuliana without saying anything. Then, she sat down on the armchair. After helping Winnie to her seat, La smiled at Yuliana and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Ms. Livingstone. Please have a seat.¡± Yuliana nodded and sat down again. La also sat down and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, first of all, I¡¯d like to apologize. I was going to meet you alone, but my mother insisted on meeting you as well. She has been in poor health for thest few days, so going out isn¡¯t really an option right now, which is why we¡¯re meeting here instead.¡± Yuliana¡¯s face remained unchanged when she heard this. She merely replied softly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where we meet. Mrs. Sce and Ms. Sce, if there¡¯s something you¡¯d like to tell me, please go ahead.¡± Never one to beat around the bush, La said bluntly, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I¡¯m sure you know why we wanted to see you today.¡± Yuliana looked at them cidly and made no response. After a pause, La asked, ¡°Christopher said you were pregnant with his child. Is that true?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, and it¡¯s my child,¡± Yuliana answered without hesitation. ¡°Your child?¡± Winnie looked at Yuliana indifferently and asked, ¡°Are you saying you have no ulterior motive in carrying this child? That you don¡¯t n on marrying into the Sce family because of your pregnancy?¡± ¡°No,¡± Yuliana answered, her voice quiet but firm. Winnie met Yuliana¡¯s gaze, and while she was admittedly stumped, she quickly became aggrieved when she remembered that yesterday¡¯s scandal had only happened because of the woman before her. Granted, Christopher also yed a part in this, so Winnie could not say he was not at fault. However, she was Christopher¡¯s mother, and she would naturally take his side. Sensing the tension, La patted the olddy¡¯s hand and gave her a look, indicating that she would take over from here. Winnie sighed softly and raised her cup to take a sip of coffee. Satisfied, La turned to look at Yuliana again. ¡°So, Ms. Livingstone, what are your ns for this child?¡± ¡°If all goes well, I will give birth to the child.¡± Yuliana already knew what the Sce family was worried about. She paused and added for good measure, ¡°If your concern is that I might use this child as leverage, I can sign an agreement right now promising to cut off all ties between this child and the Sce family.¡± Laughed. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, that wasn¡¯t what we meant. What my mother said just now was a little inappropriate, so please don¡¯t take it to heart. We merely meant that your child is half of Christopher¡¯s responsibility, too, and you shouldn¡¯t have to carry the burden alone. We asked to see you today to understand your stance on this matter.¡± After hearing La¡¯s exnation, Yuliana realized she might have overreacted. Even her body was tense as if she was ready for battle. Yuliana pondered for a while and finally said, ¡°What happened between Christopher and me was an ident, and so is this pregnancy. As you said, Ms. Sce, Christopher yed a part in how things turned out, but so did I. Getting rid of the child might be best for both of us, but I intend to keep this baby, and that¡¯s my choice to make. It has nothing to do with Christopher, and I don¡¯t n on letting him take responsibility for it. That¡¯s my stance.¡± After listening to Yuliana¡¯s words, La was quiet for a long time. Atst, she took a sip of her coffee and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I know you mean well, but our family has rules to follow. If you insist on bringing that child into the world, then the Sce family will naturally provide for the child as well.¡± Yuliana¡¯s expression shifted slightly. She pursed her lips and then argued, ¡°I will do the same as well.¡± La shed another smile, but when her eyes fell on Yuliana once more, there was a clear challenge in them. ¡°You might have a fighting chance against the Sce family if your father were still in his heyday, Ms. Livingstone, but you¡¯re just an elementary school teacher now. Will you really be able to provide for the child as well as we can?¡± Clenching her fists, Yuliana squeezed out a faint smile and retorted, ¡°I¡¯ll never know if I don¡¯t try.¡± La and Yuliana exchanged a long, hard look. The former looked away first and took another sip of coffee. ¡°Mr. Sce, you can¡¯t go in!¡± Just then, the maid¡¯s urgent shout came from the door. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Let Them Get Married ¡°Mr. Sce, you can¡¯t go in!¡± The maid¡¯s panicked voice came from the door. The trio in the reception room had only just turned around when they saw Christopher storming in. He was inscrutable as ever, save for the grim look on his face. He first nced at Yuliana, then at Winnie and La. He cut in tly. ¡°Mrs. Sce, La, I don¡¯t need you to interfere with my personal affairs.¡± ¡°Your personal affairs?¡± La repeated incredulously. She was a little more stern than usual that day. ¡°Do you honestly think this concerns you and no one else, Christopher?¡± The siblings stared at each other without saying anything for a while. Then, Christopher turned around, grabbed Yuliana by the wrist, and led her out of the room. Yuliana¡¯s wrist was starting to hurt under Christopher¡¯s vise-like grip. She had no chance to resist at all, and it was all she could do to stagger beside him as he half-dragged her outside. ¡°Christopher!¡± La shouted after her brother, but he pretended not to hear her and kept walking. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Meanwhile, Winnie could feel her heart racing with anger as she seethed. ¡°That spoiled little punk!¡± La rubbed the olddy¡¯s chestfortingly and consoled, ¡°You and Dad spoiled him, so who¡¯s to me now?¡± Winnie swatted La¡¯s hand away and snapped, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re turning on me, too?¡± La said soothingly, ¡°Mom, calm down. You shouldn¡¯t get too worked up. Seeing that the olddy had calmed down, she continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Dad always say that children need to live their own lives? From the looks of things, Christopher may have some feelings for Ms. Livingstone. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Winnie saw the hesitation that flickered past La¡¯s face and demanded, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what?¡± La¡¯s gaze darkened. She said quietly. ¡°Then let them get married.¡± ¡°Married?¡± Winnie¡¯s chest started to rise and fall rapidly again. ¡°Are you out of your mind, La? Or am I hearing things wrong?¡± La hurriedly handed Winnie a cup of coffee. ¡°Well, do you have better ideas? Would you rather let Christopher¡¯s kid be a fatherless, illegitimate child?¡± Naturally, thest thing Winnie wanted was to abandon the Sce family¡¯s kin. This was especially true after the past taught her a hard lesson. She remembered how that mistake had nearly destroyed the Sce family¡¯s historical foundation. If the Sce family really were to put their foot down and insist on iming the child as their own, Yuliana would not stand a chance against them at all. However, that seemed too cruel and unreasonable. Winnie had raised three children herself; she knew what it meant to be a mother. Having considered all this, Winnie looked at La and said gravely, ¡°That girl¡¯s father is in prison, and she was married previously as well, wasn¡¯t she? What would our peers think of us if we let Christopher marry her?¡± ¡°Do you really think your darling son is perfect?¡± La countered with a shortugh. She had investigated Yuliana before asking to meet her in person. Even though Yuliana was previously married and had a father who was in prison, La had a rtively good impression of her nheless. Then again, there was nothing wrong with having a father who was currently an inmate. After all, it was not as if Yuliana had done anything illegal or criminal. Before her father had fallen from grace, she did not try to use his position to seek any personal gains for herself, either. She even became a teacher at Juxshire Primary School through her own efforts. She had kept a rtively low profile at work too. Until now, none of her colleagues or the head teachers knew that her father was Damian, the disgraced ex-minister. As for the matter of Yuliana¡¯s previous marriage, La did not think it was an issue at all. It was the twenty-first century. There was nothing wrong with having been previously married. It would be ridiculous for anyone to expect a woman to spend her whole life with one man like they were living in a feudal society. Besides, the dating world was rife with scumbags, anyway. Unfortunately, these were only La¡¯s opinions, and she could not shove them down others¡¯ throats. She knew Winnie had a point. She could already hear what the rest of high society might say about Christopher and the Sce family. As things were, it would be best for the Sce family to proceed with caution. La was silent for a brief moment before she said decisively, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Ken about this when he gets back.¡± Ultimately, Kendrick would have the final say over matters of the Sce family. Meanwhile, Christopher dragged Yuliana to the backyard of the Sce residence. When Yuliana saw they were far from the reception room, she dug her heels into the ground and struggled to pull her wrist out of Christopher¡¯s grip. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me, Christopher!¡± she cried. ¡°Good!¡± Christopher¡¯s steely eyes were frosty as he red at Yuliana. Finally, he let go of her wrist roughly and thundered, ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Yuliana lowered her gaze. She rubbed her wrist and pursed her lips before answering, ¡°La had me come over.¡± Christopher sneered, ¡°And you actually did as she asked? I never knew you could be so obedient.¡± Yuliana matched his sarcastic tone, snorting as she snapped, ¡°It¡¯s not like the Sce family would leave me alone otherwise.¡± Perhaps if she were to quit her job, leave Juxshire, and go somewhere the Sce family would never be able to find her, then they might just stop pestering her. That would be a petty move, but she could not afford to actually go into hiding. It would only be too easy for the Sce family to make life difficult for her. On the other hand, Christopher was momentarily stumped by what she said. He understood Kendrick and La well enough to know that they would never let an illegitimate child of the Sce family live outside the family. An awkward silenceter, Christopher uttered, ¡°Let me arrange a driver to send you home.¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 If I Marry Yuliana An awkward silenceter, Christopher uttered, ¡°Let me arrange a driver to send you home.¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± Yuliana declined his offer out of reflex. Christopher¡¯s face grew longer, ¡°You don¡¯t need a driver? Are you going to walk back home?¡± Yuliana wanted to say that she could take a taxi by herself, but suddenly she remembered that the Sce residence was located in a private residentialpound, and there were no other residents at all. When La arranged a cab to pick her up before, not a single car was found on the way, let alone a person. It was likely impossible to hail a cab here. Noticing Yuliana¡¯s silence, Christopher gave her a nce and turned around to leave. After a moment of hesitation, Yuliana followed him. In the end, Christopher didn¡¯t arrange a driver but drove Yuliana back personally. On the way back, neither of them said a word. When they arrived at the gate of Maple Garden, Christopher drove away soon after Yuliana got out of his car. It was already ten o¡¯clock in the evening when Christopher returned to the Sce residence. In the hall, all the members of the Sce family were present. It was bedtime for Zofia, so she had fallen asleep in the arms of Jared, her father. Alex, on the other hand, was finishing his homework in distress while biting the tip of his pen. The atmosphere in the hall was not as harmonious and rxing as it used to be. Instead, it was solemn. When Christopher appeared in the hall, Kendrick looked up with a stern face. Winnie¡¯s face fell exceptionally when she saw Christopher. She quickly looked away from him when their eyes met. Finally, La broke the silence. ¡°Did you send Ms. Livingstone back to her ce?¡± Christopher responded lightly. He walked to a one-person seat and sat down. His expression was indifferent, and it was hard to figure out what was on his mind. Kendrick stared at him coldly for a while before uttering, ¡°We can¡¯t keep the baby!¡± Hearing that, La froze and then turned to look at Kendrick. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Christopher frowned with cold, piercing eyes. ¡°Who do you think you are? This is not your call!¡± Kendrick put on a cial smile. ¡°Who do you think I am? Unless I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m the one in charge of the Sce family!¡± Although Winnie felt that his eldest son¡¯s words were a little too harsh, what he said made sense. Things would be so much simpler if the baby was not born. Winnie advised, ¡°Christopher, your brother is right. We can¡¯t keep the baby. It¡¯s the best choice for the Sce family and even Ms. Livingstone. After all, you still have Annabelle. Without the baby, Annabelle will be less perturbed. If you sweeten her up, there is still a chance for your marriage.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± La wrinkled her brows. She wondered if Winnie really didn¡¯t know what her son was thinking. Ignoring Winnie¡¯s words, Christopher maintained eye contact with Kendrick. ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s that easy to get an abortion in thisw-based society?¡± Christopher argued. ¡°How childish,¡± Kendrick retorted sharply. Christopher did know that what he said was childish, but he didn¡¯t seem to have any other choice but to say that. ¡°Could I really save the baby in Yuliana¡¯s womb from Kendrick? She wants to keep the baby so badly,¡± he thought. Christopher felt helpless and confused for a moment. Growing up, Christopher was not afraid of Kendrick. Christopher was only obedient toward Kendrick because he held thetter in great esteem. With Kendrick¡¯s presence, Christopher could be unrestrained and reckless. Hence, Christopher had never disobeyed any decisions made by Kendrick. But when it came to Yuliana and the baby, Christopher didn¡¯t want to listen to Kendrick. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just worried about repeating the same mistake and that the Sce family would be threatened?¡± Christopher curled his lips and sneered, ¡°If I marry Yuliana, the child in her will not be an illegitimate child. That way, will it cease to be a threat to the Sce family?¡± Kendrick stared at Christopher grimly for a while. ¡°You¡¯re going to marry her?¡± Christopher lifted his chin. ¡°Can¡¯t I do that?¡± ¡°I disagree!¡± Winnie looked at Christopher and then at her eldest son, Kendrick. ¡°That woman is tainted. Her father is Damian Livingstone, and she was once married. Her ex-husband is an illegitimate child of the Ziegler family. How can such a woman marry my son and enter the Sce family!¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 You Are Its Uncle ¡°That kind of woman?¡± Christopher¡¯s voice was soft and gentle. Those who didn¡¯t know him would never have detected the change in his emotions. However, the people in that room were also the ones closest to him. Naturally, they were very familiar with Christopher¡¯s temperament. Christopher seldom cared about anything. He was also the type to fool around all the time and always seemed nonchnt about everything in life. This time, he gazed at his mother quietly with his dull gray eyes. The look on his face seemed extraordinarily serious. If someone else other than Winnie were to say those things in Christopher¡¯s face, he wouldn¡¯t have continued sitting there calmly by now. Winnie was momentarily stunned upon seeing his gaze. Even though Christopher had been a mischievous kid since childhood and acted out rebelliously many times, he remained respectful to her. Never did he use this tone to talk to her at all. But now, he questioned and talked back to her for the sake of a woman. This thought made Winnie¡¯s heart surge with sorrow, making her eyes redden immediately. Having noticed this, La quickly shot a look at her father, Zachary. Zachary patted his wife on the back of her hand while coaxing. ¡°Christopher isn¡¯t a kid anymore. He has his own principles when ites to certain matters. We shouldn¡¯t worry too much about him. Besides, isn¡¯t Ken the patriarch of the family now?¡± Winnie red at Zachary while huffing coldly. She turned her face aside as she grabbed her handkerchief before turning away from everyone to dab her eyes. She understood what Zachary said but couldn¡¯t help but feel sad on the inside. Winnie then remembered the idiom of how a mother could no longer influence her children once they were all grown up. Sure enough, no matter how close Christopher was to her, he wouldn¡¯t prioritize her anymore once he had a wife. For a moment, no one spoke up at all. They cast their gazes on Kendrick instead as they waited for him to decide. ¡°Come with me.¡± Suddenly, Kendrick got up and shot a nce in Christopher¡¯s direction. Then, he turned on his heel and headed upstairs. Christopher sat there without the intention to move. He watched Kendrick walking up the stairs quietly. No one could tell what he was thinking about. A momentter, he finally got up to his feet and went upstairs at a leisurely pace. When Christopher opened the door and entered the study, he saw Kendrick standing in front of a floor- to-ceiling window with his back facing him. Smoke shrouded his figure, trailing all the way from the lit cigarette that was pinched between his fingers. Kendrick had always been a disciplined man. He kept himself in check even when it came to smoking and drinking. It was rare for Christopher to see Kendrick smoking on asions other than social events. He closed the door of the study as he entered. He then approached the desk to grab the pack of cigarettes and withdrew a cigarette stick to light it up before joining his brother at the window. Kendrick spotted Christopher¡¯s smoking posture in the corner of his eye, noting his familianty with the action. He remarked coldly, ¡°Christopher, I¡¯ve been very tolerant of you these years, haven¡¯t I?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he took two puffs from his cigarette and blew out a smoke ring. Then, he looked down at the burning stick in his hand, choosing to provide a different answer. ¡°This cigarette¡¯s pretty decent.¡± Kendrick nced at him for a moment before looking out the window. A moment of silence ensued afterward. ¡°Christopher, have you ever considered carefully the future challenges you¡¯ll be facing if you do end up marrying her?¡± Naturally, he was referring to Yuliana. Christopher¡¯s brows were tangled together in a slight frown. His brows soon rxed as he flicked the ash from his cigarette twice. ¡°I never thought about it.¡± It was true that he hadn¡¯t thought about it. Then again, he didn¡¯t have time to do so. If it wasn¡¯t for Kendrick saying such things in the living room earlier, Christopher might not have decided to marry Yuliana. Would she agree to it? Even if she did, it would be for the baby¡¯s sake, right? The corners of his mouth were lifted sarcastically. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Having heard Christopher¡¯s answer, Kendrick nced at him, and his gaze became stern. He then snuffed his cigarette out in the ashtray before saying, ¡°Why would you want to marry her if you never even considered this matter? Christopher, is marriage nothing but a game of make-believe to you? Haven¡¯t you humiliated the Sce family enough?¡± After that, Kendrick pointed at Christopher with the hand still holding the cigarette, with a cold expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Yuliana and the baby in her womb. I¡¯ll definitely break your legs if you dare to interfere with me!¡± Christopher¡¯s gaze snapped toward Kendrick immediately after hearing this. ¡°Kendrick, don¡¯t you dare assume that I¡¯m afraid of you just because you¡¯re my older brother. Try toy a finger on her. I dare you!¡± Kendrick just smiled. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s try it out!¡± Christopher red at Kendrick coldly for a moment before he put out the cigarette in the ashtray forcefully. Then, he strode out of the study with his long legs. After hearing the sound of the study¡¯s door being closed, Kendrick took another drag out of his cigarette. Then, he turned his gaze to the scenery outside the window. When he was done smoking that cigarette, the door of the study was pushed open from the outside once again. La was the one entering the study. ¡°Hey, Ken.¡± The smell of cigarette smoke and ash in the study made La frown. She walked over to the window and opened it immediately to allow air cirction within the room. ¡°Didn¡¯t Joyce forbid you from smoking?¡± she reminded. Kendrick shot her a look before replying lightly, ¡°It¡¯s just one cigarette.¡± La walked over to an armchair and sat down. ¡°Did the talk with Christopher go badly?¡± Kendrick approached her and replied with a question, ¡°Did you meet Ms. Livingstone earlier this evening?¡± La nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How was it?¡± La stated honestly, ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on the fact that she¡¯s Damian Livingstone¡¯s daughter. She used to be married in the past. In my opinion, she¡¯s a better match for Christopher aspared to Annabelle. She¡¯s also a suitable choice as a daughter-inw of the Sce family.¡± Kendrick met La¡¯s eyes. ¡°However, these two factors are also the ones that determined her fate. It¡¯s impossible for her to marry into the Sce family.¡± La was stunned. ¡°Ken¡­¡± Kendrick lifted a hand to prevent La from finishing her sentence. ¡°Make an appointment with her for me. I¡¯d like to meet her.¡± La¡¯s expression darkened immediately. She initially thought that Kendrick refused to keep the baby to force Christopher to speak up about it. Now that she heard his words, she realized that he didn¡¯t want the baby to be born at all. Then again, this was a matter that concerned the Sce family. Since Kendrick had made the final decision, there was no way La could change the oue. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go make the arrangements.¡± After her reply, La was about to get up and leave, but she stopped in her tracks after taking a few steps. She then turned around to look at Kendrick, who remained seated. With pursed lips, she commented, ¡°It¡¯s still Christopher¡¯s baby, after all. It¡¯s a part of the Sce family¡¯s bloodline, which makes you its uncle.¡± Having said her piece, La left straight away. When Kendrick exited the study, he got into his car and drove away from the Sce residence. He called Raymond in his car and invited him for a few drinks. Raymond had just gotten out of a social event, so he already had more than a few drinks in his system. When he received the call from Christopher, he felt like vomiting the moment the word ¡°drinks¡± was mentioned. However, he sensed that Christopher¡¯s tone was slightly off, so he asked a cab driver to drive him to Prestige. Club in the end. By the time Raymond arrived, Christopher had already downed a bottle of whiskey. The sight of his friend spurred only a nce from Christopher before he poured a full ss for him. Raymond couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue when he noticed Christopher¡¯s sour mood. However, he chose not to say anything about it. Instead, he grabbed the ss and took a small sip from it. In the end, Christopher got extremely drunk. Raymond asked the staff members of Prestige Club to take him to the lounge that was located on the top floor. Both of them proceeded to spend the night there. The meeting with Winnie and Christopher¡¯s sister, La, did nothing to soothe Yuliana¡¯s nerves. Instead, she became more anxious. The anxiety worsened steadily over time. That evening, La had made it clear that the Sce family would never give up the baby¡¯s custody. But in the next two days, the Sce family didn¡¯t say anything about that matter. Even Christopher didn¡¯t show up in her life. Yuliana had no idea what the Sce family was nning this time. On Sunday, Yuliana finally received a call from La. However, neither Winnie nor La was the one meeting her this time. It was Kendrick, the head of the Sce family. Like the previous meeting, the Sce family had arranged for a car to pick Yuliana up at her neighborhood despite her reluctance to attend the meeting. Also, she had never informed Kendrick of her address. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 That Identity Can Go To Hell The driver wasn¡¯t the only one there to pick Yuliana up. La was also in the car at that time. La wore a loose ck suit with an airy blue shirt inside. The neckline was exquisitely designed, making her look refined and fashionable. It was clearly an outfit meant for working professionals. Yuliana had heard from Xandria in the past that Christopher¡¯s sister, La, was no ordinary woman. The reason why Kendrick was able to manage Sce Corporation so well was all thanks to La¡¯s contributions. In fact, Yuliana could sense that La was a capable woman based on their previous meeting. However, thetter was dressed casually that evening. Her behavior and actionscked the swiftness she had whenever she dealt with work, which made her temperament mellower. Upon seeing Yuliana getting into the car, La gave her a slight nod. She nced at the former¡¯s abdomen, looking like she wanted to say something. In the end, she still held her tongue and turned to look out the window instead. Yuliana was skinny, so she had very little fat on her body. Even though she was only pregnant for over three months, her abdomen was significantlyrger than its usual size before her pregnancy. The weather was starting to be chilly. Yuliana wore a white Chanel style jacket and a pair of beige wide-legged pants with a light caramel shirt inside. Her fair skin allowed the simple outfit toplement her temperament, making her seem gentle andpassionate. The car had already sped down the road for a long time when a message tone red out of La¡¯s phone twice in a row. She picked it up while scanning the contents quickly. Then, she typed a quick reply to the message. Noticing Yuliana in the corner of her eye, La hesitated for a moment before opening the contact list on WhatsApp. A quick tap on a certain nk avatarter, she typed in a message before hitting the ¡°send¡± button. After sending the message, La put away her phone and asked, ¡°The baby should be around four months. old by now, right?¡± Yuliana happened to be spacing out the entire time, thinking about what Kendrick would say to her later. Suddenly, she heard La¡¯s question, which stunned her for the next two seconds. Then, she nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± La remembered that she couldn¡¯t eat nor sleep well back when she was pregnant with Zofia. The tormentsted till she had given birth to her daughter. Typically, pregnant women tend to gain weight more or less during their pregnancy. However, after La gave birth to her daughter, she got lighter by a pound or twopared to her pre-pregnancy weight instead of gaining weight. ¡°Do you have severe pregnancy reactions?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°It was pretty ufortable during the first trimester, but I¡¯m doing fine now.¡± Her nausea and vomiting episodes seemed to improve significantly when she passed the three-month threshold. Currently, Yuliana feels tired all the time. This condition was especially obvious whenever she returned home from teaching four periods every day. All she wanted was to lie down and not move the whole time. Also, she was starting to suffer from ack of sleep. La paused for a moment as she thought about Yuliana¡¯s current situation. She might be pregnant, but she still had to teach her students during the day. Whenever she had to teach, she would end up standing for over an hour per period. Once she returned home, no one was there to take care of her and coddle her. La¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but ache for her at that thought. Back when she was pregnant, Jared spent almost all of his time at home just to be with her, except for going to work. She also had three nannies taking care of her at home, so she didn¡¯t have to lift a finger at all. With thisparison in mind, La felt that Yuliana was quite pitiful. As a woman, she felt sorry for Yuliana, but as a member of the Sce family, she had no choice but to treat her harshly. The meeting with Kendrick didn¡¯t take ce in the Sce residence. Instead, it was held in a tea house that was elegantly designed. That venue was perfect for discussing business. Yuliana followed La into a private room. Kendrick wasn¡¯t the only one there. A tea master was also brewing tea in the private room. La pointed to a chair, gesturing for Yuliana to sit down. Then, she walked to the tea master and asked him to leave. After that, she took the tea master¡¯s ce and handled the remaining tasks. La looked at Kendrick. No matter howposed Yuliana was, she was still a woman in her twenties. When faced with Kendrick, a man with a domineering presence who held an authoritative position for a long time and was used to issuing orders, she couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly nervous. That feeling intensified especially when she thought of the baby in her womb, which was the subject matter of the meeting. Once La was done brewing the tea, she poured Kendrick a cup before doing the same to Yuliana. ¡°This is ck tea, which is rtively mild. You can give it a try.¡± Yuliana thanked her and took a sip of the tea. It was a little hot, but it was just right for her. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, we¡¯ve met before in the past,¡± Kendrick suddenly remarked when he lowered his head to drink his tea. His tone was quite gentle, not as distant and deterrent as his appearance. Yuliana was stunned when she heard his words. She thought for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t remember where exactly she had met Kendrick in the past. Kendrick looked over at her, not saying anything about where and when he had met her before. Instead, his gaze deepened as he continued, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, the reason I asked to meet you today is to deal with the matter of your unborn baby.¡± ¡°Deal with?¡± Yuliana thought. The mention of those words made Yuliana¡¯s heart sink into the pit of her stomach. Before she could speak, Kendrick added, ¡°I heard from La that you wish to give birth to the baby.¡± Yuliana held the teacup tightly. Her palms started to burn due to the scalding surface, but her thoughts gradually cleared up.. She nodded. ¡°Yes. I want to give birth to the baby.¡± Kendrick looked at her and pondered for two seconds. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I don¡¯t see why not.¡± He paused for a moment to take a sip from his teacup. Then, he continued lightly, ¡°Once delivered, the baby must be a part of the Sce family. It will have nothing to do with you anymore. Are you willing to ept these terms? Of course, it¡¯s not like you won¡¯t be receiving anything in return. I can give you a sum of money that allows you to livevishly for the rest of your life.¡± Hearing this, La was stunned momentarily before turning to look at Kendrick. ¡°This isn¡¯t what Kendrick saidst night,¡± she thought. Then again, it all made sense. No one could pry any information from Kendrick if he didn¡¯t want them to know what he was thinking. Yuliana¡¯s expression changed. What Kendrick said was basically the same thing that La had talked about that evening, but it was obvious that the former¡¯s statement held more decisive authority. She said in a determined tone, ¡°I don¡¯t want your money. I only want my baby.¡± Kendrick¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all, even as he listened to Yuliana¡¯s reply. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, if you disagree with these terms, you still have another option to choose.¡± Stunned, Yuliana felt a spark of hope emerging in her heart. She asked cautiously, ¡°What is it?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Kendrick didn¡¯t even bother to look at her. His tone remained neutral and indifferent. ¡°Don¡¯t give birth to it.¡± Yuliana¡¯s pupils contracted sharply. She pursed her lips tightly and remained silent for a very long time. Finally, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m the one carrying the baby, so I have the right to choose if I want to give birth or not.¡± Kendrick refuted, ¡°Of course, you have the right, but you can¡¯t choose who will have custody over the baby once it¡¯s born. That baby¡­ can only be a part of the Sce family.¡± ¡°So, I can¡¯t keep my baby with me no matter what I do? But¡­ why?¡± Yuliana thought desperately. For the first time ever, Yuliana felt so helpless and weak. When La noticed Yuliana¡¯s reaction, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her. She then raised her wrist to nce at the time. ¡°He should be here soon, right?¡± she mused. The atmosphere in the private room was slightly tense. La got up and refilled both Kendrick¡¯s and Yuliana¡¯s teacups. The sight of Yuliana¡¯s reddened eyes prompted her to look at Kendrick instinctively. ¡°How is he not embarrassed about bullying a poor youngdy?¡± she seethed mentally. When La was about to return to the brewing table, the door of the private room was pushed open, revealing a furious Christopher standing in the doorway. Yuliana stared at him,pletely bbergasted. Having noticed her reddened eyes, Christopher strode over to Kendrick and rested his palms on the long table before him. He snarled angrily and said, ¡°Kendrick, I¡¯ve warned you before!¡± ¡°Christopher, mind your identity!¡± Kendrick reminded ¡°That identity can go to hell!¡± Christopherughed harshly before lowering his voice. ¡°If you insist on making things insanely difficult for me, I¡¯ll fucking drag down the entire Sce family to hell with me!¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Marry Me ¡°That identity can go to hell!¡± Christopherughed harshly before lowering his voice. ¡°If you insist on making things insanely difficult for me, I¡¯ll fucking drag down the entire Sce family to hell with me!¡± After saying his piece, Christopher picked up the teacup in front of him and smashed it into the ground. The cup instantly shattered into numerous splinters. Then, Christopher turned to approach Yuliana. He stared at her for a moment, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing up and down slightly. He then said in his terse voice, ¡°Why are you still sitting? Haven¡¯t you had enough tea yet?¡± When she heard this, Yuliana immediately stood up and headed out. Christopher paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s in your best interests not to force me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll do anything to bring you down.¡± With that sentence hanging in the air, Christopher quickly left as well. Only Kendrick and La remained in the private room. La poured herself a cup of tea at a rxed pace. Suddenly, a chuckle escaped her lips. She looked at Kendrick, who remained seated on the main seat. ¡°Ken, you can¡¯t just use me like that.¡± If La hadn¡¯t realized the truth by that time, then she wouldn¡¯t have the right to refer to herself as Kendrick¡¯s younger sister. If Kendrick really wanted to deal with Yuliana and her unborn baby, he wouldn¡¯t have said those things right in front of Christopher the evening before, let alone have La make arrangements for him to meet up with Yuliana. He had already predicted that she would inform Christopher of this meeting. Kendrick just shot a look at La, choosing not to exin himself. La summoned a waiter into the private room to have the teacup shards cleaned up. She then grabbed a new teacup for Kendrick and filled it with more tea. After that, she sat on a nearby chair with a slight frown on her face. Then again, why would you do this? You¡¯re just making Christopher hate you for no reason.¡± Kendrick replied, ¡°Christopher is too arrogant for his own good. He will never bow his head to anyone if someone doesn¡¯t keep him in check.¡± He wanted to witness Christopher¡¯s attitude with his own eyes. It was Kendrick¡¯s first time seeing Christopher devoting so much effort to someone and something. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. La was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, she seemed to have remembered something. She asked, ¡°You just said you met Yuliana before. When and where did you meet her?¡± Kendrick paused in the midst of drinking his tea. He did meet Yuliana twice in the past. The first time he saw her was during a dinner party. Damian was present back then. He had an obedient and quiet little girl by his side at that time. She was very young, too. ording to Damian, his wife was away on a business trip, whereas his daughter was sick. The latter insisted on following him, so he had no choice but to take her with him. The second meeting urred many years ago. Christopher was still a high school back then. Christopher had gotten into trouble at school, so the headmaster personally contacted Kendrick and asked him to visit the school. Upon finishing the talk with the headmaster, Kendrick led Christopher out of the headmaster¡¯s office. While making their way downstairs, they bumped into a young girl. Yuliana¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t change much throughout the years of growing up. Only the outline of her facial features erged in proportion, so he felt she looked a little familiar then. It wasn¡¯t until he heard someone call her name that he realized she was Damian¡¯s daughter. Some matters could be traced based on the trails they left in the past, but when it came to teenagers and their crushes, no one could guarantee how long they wouldst. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. However, Kendrick felt that his thinking was wrong at the moment. At the very least, that mindset wouldn¡¯t work on Christopher. The moment Yuliana left the tea house, she trudged forward aimlessly. Christopher caught up with her and grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop in her tracks. Yuliana turned to look at him. A trace of hatred shone within her tearful eyes. Christopher was about to say something when he noticed her gaze. It stunned him on the spot, causing him. to forget his words. After a moment, his lips finally moved. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± A smile curled on Yuliana¡¯s lips as she replied sarcastically, ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about? Hasn¡¯t the Sce. family made their decision? Why do you feel the need to talk to me, then? I¡¯m a nobody, so I don¡¯t have the right to talk to the Sce family!¡± She just couldn¡¯t understand why the Sce family insisted on snatching her baby away from her despite not caring about it. Was it because she was a pushover? Christopher lowered his head to look at her for a short while. Then, he fixed his gaze on a distant spot. It was a cloudy day with gray skies. He pondered for a moment before asking abruptly, ¡°Do you really want this baby?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t reply, but the answer was obvious. If she had just discovered that she was pregnant, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have such a strong desire to keep the baby. However, since she knew she was pregnant, she could feel the tiny life growing within her every day. As she watched her abdomen start to bulge, she fantasized about giving birth to her baby countless times. Some time ago, Yuliana was stuck in a constant cycle of eating and vomiting due to pregnancy reactions. The sight of food with even a hint of grease and smell made her nauseous, but she still forced herself to swallow it. She even went to great lengths to learn how to cook for herself, not to mention she started trying out new types of food that she would never eat in the past just to maintain a bnced diet. Having done so much for her baby, how could she not want it at the end of the day? Christopher stated, ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± Stunned, Yuliana looked up at him immediately. A mixture of shock and astonishment was written all over her face. Clearly, she couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard. Christopher¡¯s expression, on the other hand, remained impassive. He exined absent-mindedly, ¡°There¡¯s no way the Sce family will tolerate the existence of an illegitimate child. If you really want this baby, you must join the Sce family.¡± Yuliana stared at Christopher silently. Tranquility was soon restored to her expression. Would she get married to Christopher? Truthfully speaking, when Yuliana first found out about her pregnancy, that idea did sh across her mind as she wanted her baby to be a legitimate child. However, she didn¡¯t have feelings for Christopher back then. All she wanted was to give her baby the best life. Currently, things were different. Yuliana knew Christopher had feelings for someone else, so how could she marry him and spend the rest of her life with him? Upon noticing the slight frown on Yuliana¡¯s face and herck of response after a long time, Christopher¡¯s eyes became cold. He stated, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I¡¯m choosing to marry you not because I want to help you keep the baby. I just don¡¯t want Kendrick to interfere in my affairs. Secondly, you know that Annabelle embarrassed me on our wedding day. I just want to teach her a lesson.¡± Christopher continued, ¡°She¡¯s not the only woman I want to marry in this life.¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 He Has Feelings For Someone Else Yuliana¡¯s expression darkened slightly after hearing Christopher¡¯s statement. She shot Christopher a nce wordlessly before walking away quickly. Christopher stared at her retreating silhouette with a look of confusion on his face. Then, he strode forward and quickly caught up with her. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± Yuliana turned the offer down coldly. ¡°No, thanks.¡± She was no longer in the Sce residence. There were cars everywhere, so she could easily g down a cab. ¡°Yuliana!¡± Christopher grabbed her hand and forced her to stop once again. ¡°Take another step. I dare you!¡± Yuliana shook his hand off and tried to walk away stubbornly. Christopher rushed up to her and scooped Yuliana into his arms. Yuliana started struggling immediately, causing Christopher to stop. He still had a firm hold on her. ¡°If you dare to move an inch, I¡¯ll toss you to the ground. Think about the consequences!¡± he threatened. The sight of his stormy expression caused fear to spark within Yuliana¡¯s heart. She made eye contact with Christopher for a moment before finally settling down in his arms. Christopher carried Yuliana into his car and put on her seatbelt for her. Then, he drove her home. No one spoke on the way home. Before getting out of the car, Christopher finally said, ¡°If you really want to keep the baby, just think my suggestion through.¡± Yuliana paused for a moment. Finally, she got out of the car without saying anything. It was already five o¡¯clock when she got home. Yuliana prepared dinner for herself, which consisted of two simple dishes. However, she still needed more than an hour toplete the cooking process. At least the dishes no longer tasted weird compared to the first time she started cooking for herself. After she was done eating, she started nning for the uing sses. During Yuliana¡¯s first year as a teacher, she faced tremendous pressure in her career. She used to spend a lot of time preparing for her sses as she was afraid she might not be able to teach well. She spent countless nights looking through PowerPoint presentations and documents, hoping that she could n every second of the sses wlessly. Thankfully, Yuliana got the hang of teaching from the second year onward. Every evening, she just needed an hour to digest the information she wanted to teach the next day. After all lesson preparations were done, Yuliana sat on a chair while hugging her legs to her chest. She couldn¡¯t help but think about the proposal Christopher had made to her that afternoon. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Yuliana had heard from Damian in the past that Kendrick was more precise and brutal when it came to dealing with matters whenpared to his father. He would never involve his emotions in work matters. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to support the Sce family through their greatest crisis in the past. If it weren¡¯t for Kendrick, the Sce family wouldn¡¯t be as sessful as they are currently. Kendrick would never waste time spouting nonsense to her. Yuliana¡¯s mind was a jumbled mess at the moment. She couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. After a slight hesitation, she grabbed her phone and dialed a number. A short whileter, the call went through. A woman¡¯s self-deprecating voice drifted through the speaker. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to call my number.¡± Yuliana took a deep breath before saying, ¡°I can¡¯t make up my mind about a certain matter, so I¡¯d like to ask for your opinion.¡± The woman on the other end of the line was silent for a moment. When she finally spoke up, her tone was gentler than before. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips together. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± ¡°Is it Harry¡¯s baby?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuliana paused for a second before filling Callie in on the gist of the events. Once Callie heard everything, she replied, ¡°Ana, I can help you out, but to be honest with you, I don¡¯t want to do that at all.¡± Yuliana asked, ¡°Why?¡± Callie exined, ¡°Do you know how difficult it is to raise a kid? As a woman with limited capabilities, it¡¯ll be extremely hard for you to raise this baby in a happy andvish environment. If you were to get married to Christopher, you¡¯d be the daughter-inw of the Sce family. On the other hand, your baby would be the precious and loved boy of the Sce family. He¡¯d be blessed with the best and the most advantageous conditions at the start of his life. However, if I do help you out, are you sure you¡¯ll be able to find yourself a husband with a simr identity and background aspared to Christopher? Can you guarantee that he¡¯ll view the baby you¡¯ve had with another man as his own?¡± A momentter, Callie continued, ¡°Yuliana, what happened to the burst of courage you had when you insisted on marrying Harry in the past?¡± The reason why Callie didn¡¯t want to marry Yuliana off to Harry was not only due to his identity as an illegitimate child. She felt that he was extremely maniptive and never had actual feelings for Yuliana.in the first ce. Instead, he chose her because of her identity as Damian¡¯s daughter. As the daughter of Damian Livingstone and Callie Xenos, Yuliana could get married to any guy she wanted. Why would she choose to get married to an illegitimate child with nothing under his name? Aside from those facts, Harry was quite a character. He was able to make a name for himself in the Ziegler family within a few years. Things changed over time. The current situation waspletely different. With her father in prison and a failed marriage in the past, Yuliana would always be scrutinized by society with biases based on these two matters. As a mother, it was natural for Callie to think about her daughter¡¯s future in a selfish way. If Yuliana could marry Christopher and be the Sce family¡¯s daughter-inw, that would be the best option for her. As for Christopher, Callie might not have met him before, but she could tell that Yuliana paused and hesitated unconsciously every time she mentioned his name. Obviously, Yuliana harbored some feelings for him. Yuliana breathed in deeply with a frown. ¡°He has feelings for someone else.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Callie smiled in response. ¡°Yuliana, are you that insecure of yourself? Even if Christopher doesn¡¯t like you in the future, you¡¯re still his wife, so you won¡¯t lose out on anything. If you¡¯re unhappy with your life in the future, you can always divorce him. I¡¯ll definitely help you get your share when that timees.¡± Callie was a very rational and realistic person who had long passed the stage where love mattered the most in a rtionship. In her opinion, Yuliana¡¯s emotional dilemma was nothingpared to the problems that manifested in real life. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Wear Them For The Time Being ¡°You are too emotional, Ana.¡± Callie¡¯s words suddenly snapped Yuliana back to reality. In fact, her thoughts were simr to Callie¡¯s at first. The only difference was that she hadn¡¯t made ns with the intention of reaping any benefits. She only wanted to give the child an identity. Everything she did was for the child. She was hesitating now because her heart had wavered ever so slightly. She was worried that she would keep falling deeper, only for it all to be a fool¡¯s paradise like her marriage with Harry. But it wasn¡¯t that big a deal, was it? She came to terms with her grief a month or two after her divorce and even fell in love with another man in just a few months. For her, the most important thing now was her baby. Her marrying Christopher was the best choice for the child. Yuliana eventually muttered, ¡°I know what to do.¡± ¡°Let me know after you choose a date,¡± Callie replied. ¡°Your father might be in prison, but you have me.¡± Yuliana hummed lightly. Callie then added, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯re pregnant now. You should get some rest.¡± Yuliana hummed again and hung up the phone. Still, she felt a little worried. ¡°Christopher might have suggested we get married, but will the Sce family agree to it?¡± she thought. With this worrisome thought in mind, Yuliana fell asleep, but she woke up early at dawn the next day because of a dream. It was not a scary nightmare. However, Yuliana sat in bed for a long time after waking up. She didn¡¯t come back to her senses until the rm rang. On Monday afternoon, Yuliana sent a message to Christopher and asked to meet him. Christopher didn¡¯t reply to her. Even though Yuliana was unsure whether he saw her message, she still regretted sending the message. Gradually growing anxious, Yuliana found it impossible for her to calm down. As thest two sses were not hers, she applied for a leave from school and left in advance to go home. She then quietly sorted out her thoughts while she waited for Christopher toe. She was supposed to meet Christopher at 6:30 p.m. However, he hadn¡¯t shown up even at 7 p.m. Half an hourter, when Yuliana was hesitating about whether to call Christopher, there was a knock on the door Yuliana immediately jumped off the couch. She even forgot to put on her slippers as she hurried over to open the door. It filled her with relief to see Christopher standing there. Lips pursed, Christopher gazed at her face for a moment before he asked, ¡°Are we going to stand here and talk?¡± Yuliana finally came to her senses when she heard that. She then quickly opened the door and stood aside to let Christopher in. As Christopher stepped over the threshold, his eyes fell on her feet subconsciously. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Yuliana had taken off her shoes and socks and put on a pair of slippers when she came home. Her petite, snow-white feet looked dazzlingly fair against the dark wooden floor. Christopher couldn¡¯t help but estimate the size of her feet, which were about the length of his palms. When Yuliana noticed Christopher¡¯s gaze, she followed it, and soon her eyes stopped at her feet. For some reason, she felt a prickly sensation on the back of her feet that made her want to hide. She finally closed the door, scurried to the couch, and put on her slippers. Christopher took off his shoes and came in with his socks on. Yuliana looked at him for a brief moment, and after she thought about it, she shuffled to the shoe cab and took out a pair of slippers. These were a pair of slightly bigger slippers she bought for the summer. They had been left in the innermost part of the shoe cab ever since she brought them home. She ced the slippers next to Christopher¡¯s feet and offered, ¡°Try them on.¡± Christopher could tell that they were much smaller than his size at a nce without wearing them. Still, he slipped his feet in. The slippers ended up feeling a little too tight for the widest part of his feet, and his heels. hung outside the slippers. He then looked up at Yuliana, who had an embarrassed look on her face. She gingerly asked, ¡°How about you wear them for the time being? I¡¯ll buy a bigger pair.¡± Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Practice First Christopher can¡¯t help but sneer. He added two secondster, ¡®Size ten.¡± Yuliana was about to sit down, but she paused and looked at his feet upon hearing this. The man had ankle-length ck socks on. She noticed how thin and slender his ankles and soles were. Compared to her legs, they were ridiculously long. Seeing him awkwardly squeeze his feet in the slippers did seem a little funny. It was no wonder that his heels were outside the slippers. She was a size five and a half, but she had always gotten slippers that were bigger because of how comfortable they were. However, Christopher¡¯s feet were too big for the slippers, and Yuliana¡¯s feet were too thin for the slippers to fit her. She left the pair in her shoe cab because she couldn¡¯t be bothered with returning them, and she thought they mighte in handy someday. She never expected that Christopher would be the one to use them. Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything. After sitting down, she pondered for a while before looking at Christopher sitting on the couch next to her. ¡°Do you still mean what you said yesterday?¡± Christopher lowered his eyes as he focused on his feet. The slippers were light pink, which he could tell at a nce that they were for women. He was still thinking about whether to mention how his favorite color was ck when Yuliana suddenly spoke. He looked up at Yuliana. ¡°Why would I be here otherwise?¡± Hearing that, Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief but soon frowned again. ¡°Will your family agree to the marriage?¡± Christopher¡¯s family included his parents and eldest brother, Kendrick. Christopher smiled. ¡°Yuliana, are you marrying my family or me? Is it so important that they agree or not?¡± ¡°Of course, it is,¡± Yuliana thought to herself. Even if Yuliana and Christopher got married, their life together wouldn¡¯t be peaceful if his family didn¡¯t give their blessing. When Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything, Christopher hesitated for a while before he told her casually, ¡°Just stop dealing with them if you are worried. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be living with them. Besides, they are not as scary as you think.¡± Unlike Kendrick, the rest of the Sce family weren¡¯t a problem for Yuliana. Christopher actually couldn¡¯t quite figure Kendrick out. However, he ended up not saying a word about it after careful consideration, despite feeling something was off. Yuliana thought that Christopher was only saying this tofort her. After all, Winnie¡¯s attitude toward her when she went to Christopher that night was pretty obvious to her. As Kendrick was the head of this generation¡¯s Sce family, every decision was based on what was best for the Sce family. They wouldn¡¯t agree to Yuliana marrying Christopher. However, what Christopher said was fairly reasonable. As long as they minimized contact, the probability of disagreement between them could be lowered. But the attitude of Christopher¡¯s family wasn¡¯t the most important. Yuliana¡¯s solemn gaze stayed on Christopher for a while before she asked, ¡°What about you and Annabelle? What if you regret it someday after you impulsively marry me to take revenge on her?¡± She remembered what Callie saidst night. Any marriage was risky, and Christopher still cared for Annabelle. Since she couldn¡¯t change, she could only defend her interests as much as she could. Christopher swiftly met Yuliana¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and replied, ¡°You have two options. One, we have an agreement to have a fake marriage for me to save my child and for you to retaliate against Annabelle. You and I won¡¯t be involved with each other in any way as long as we are married. We can have our divorce at the right time. The only thing I want is the child. Two¡­¡± She paused for a moment as her lips tightened. ¡°We marry just like all normal couples do. However, during our marriage, you cannot have any improper rtionship with other women, including Annabelle. I have the right to file for divorce otherwise. At the same time, I will have custody over the child, and you will leave the marriage with nothing!¡± Yuliana thought that Christopher would choose the first option. After all, the second one did not benefit Christopher. Yuliana felt somewhat nervous when Christopher only quietly stared at her with his cold. eyes. After a while, Christopher suddenly got up and walked to Yuliana. He then held both sides of the couch with his arms and loomed over her. Yuliana became increasingly nervous. Wondering if she had gone too far just now, she bbered, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, just pretend that I didn¡¯t say what I said.¡± Christopher continued to smile and look at her without saying a word. Suddenly, he raised his hand and rubbed her earlobe, turning her fair earlobe red in an instant. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Yuliana quickly pushed his hand away and shrank into the couch. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± She looked at him uneasily. Christopher quirked his eyebrows and said, ¡°Normal couples touch each other, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°We are not a couple yet!¡± Realization hit Yuliana as soon as she refuted his words, and she looked at the man in front of her with confused eyes. She hesitated for a moment before she asked, ¡°You mean¡­¡± As they looked at each other, Christopher¡¯s cold eyes began to darken while Yuliana¡¯s face started turning warm. ¡°How about we first practice acting like a normal couple?¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Sit Still Yuliana couldn¡¯t look away from Christopher. Even her heart beating faster and faster felt like it almost jumped out of her chest. The tension between them had reached its peak, but at this moment, someone¡¯s phone suddenly went off. It was Yuliana¡¯s phone. Yuliana suddenly came back to her senses then. Her breath seemed to hitch when she reached to press a hand against the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Let¡¯s pause for a bit. I have to take the call. We can continue with our talkter.¡± Christopher grabbed her hand and peered at her with his lowered gaze. ¡°We can pause, no problem, but you have to pay the price, hmm?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t understand what he meant. Seeing her confused expression, he pressed his thin lips together and teased with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll let you answer the phone if you kiss me.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help staring at him when she heard this. ¡°We haven¡¯t struck a deal yet.¡± ¡°We can sign a ¡®subject to contract¡¯ agreement first,¡± said Christopher. Yuliana started to grow angry and anxious as she listened to the continuous ringing of her phone. It felt like Christopher was taking advantage of the situation. But on second thought, a peck wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, considering how they had shared a bed before. ana sat up straight and raised her head before she pressed a chaste kiss at the corner of Christopher¡¯s -lips. ¡°Are we done?¡± she asked. Christopher looked at her for a while without saying a word before he withdrew his arms and sat back languidly. Yuliana didn¡¯t dare look at him again after that. She then picked up her phone and looked at the caller ID. It was from one of her student¡¯s parents. She was about to answer the phone when she nced at Christopher. In the end, she brought her phone with her to a room and lightly closed the door after she went in. She gave her students a simple quizst week, and the results came out on Monday. The parent calling her was the parent of a student who did poorly on this quizpared to the previous one. She could already guess the call¡¯s purpose before answering the phone. ¡°Jonathan has his basics down. However, he has recently seemed more distracted in ss and has not been proactive in answering questions as before. He only sits quietly in his seat after ss and does not engage with his ssmates. The unsatisfactory quiz score fromst week might have something to do with his attitude in ss,¡± Yuliana exined to the parent.. In fact, even if Jonathan¡¯s mother, Mina, didn¡¯t call her, she would have contacted her within the next two days. Yuliana had noticed how Jonathan wasn¡¯t himself after Independence Day. He was in the fourth grade now. He was more mature than kids his age, and even though he was only in his teens, he already understood many things about life. Having too much to dwell on must have been why it was difficult for the boy to focus. on studying. She was worried that Jonathan would be beyond saving if she didn¡¯t intervene in time. Mina was quiet for a moment before she whispered, ¡°Thank you for telling me this, Ms. Livingstone.¡± ¡°Did something happen to Jonathan?¡± Yuliana hesitantly asked. Mina sighed. ¡°His father and I have been handling divorce procedures recently. We kept it from him, but he somehow found out.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t know what to say to that. It was impossible for the parents¡¯ affairs not to affect the children. Just like when Damian and Callie had a divorce, she, too, had a hard time thatsted for a while. She was a few years older than Jonathan then. Yuliana eventually suggested, ¡°Jonathan is a sensible boy at school. As his parents, I hope you and his father can properly discuss It with him. He may understand where you areing from. I will also take some time tomunicate with him.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mina was grateful. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Livingstone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Jonathan is my student. This is my duty as his teacher,¡± said Yuliana. After talking to Mina, Yuliana stood quietly for a minute. A warm body suddenly enveloped her before a warm breath fanned the shell of her ear. ¡°Your phone call ended. Can we continue with our conversation?¡± The pink in her cheeks that had just faded came back again. instantly. Yuliana pulled away the palm on her waist before turning around and looking at him as sternly as she could. ¡°We¡¯ll talk if you want to talk. Don¡¯t get all handsy now.¡± She didn¡¯t understand why Christopher liked touching her so much. ¡°Is this how he acts in front of other women as well?¡± The thought put a frown on Yuliana¡¯s face, and she left him behind and walked out of the room. Christopher swiftly followed her out. Yuliana was about to sit on the couch, but the man quickly plopped down first. Seeing this, she went to sit on the double-seater couch beside them, only for Christopher to bold her by her waist and press her onto hisp. ¡°Christopher!¡± Yuliana red at him with angry eyes. ¡°Ahem. You said you want to be a normal couple with me, Yuliana. It¡¯s normal for normal couples to hug each other. I see how ufortable you are about it. I¡¯m just trying to get you used to it in advance!¡± said Christopher. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything to that, but she knew this was only his excuse to take advantage of her! Yuliana struggled against him again, but the man¡¯s strength was too strong for her to get up. Suddenly, Christopher warned in a low voice, ¡°Stop moving!¡± Yuliana nced at him, and it took her a long second to notice how tense the muscles on his thighs were. He also had a grim expression on his face. Anger and shame instantly washed over her at the moment of realization. ¡°I want to get up!¡± she said and hissed. Instead, Christopher¡¯s hold around her waist tightened as he warned, ¡°Sit still, or I¡¯ll go all the way right now. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 What About You Instead, Christopher¡¯s hold around her waist tightened as he warned, ¡°Sit still, or I¡¯ll go all the way right now.¡± In the end, Yuliana sat on hisp obediently and remained still. His leg muscles began to rx gradually after a while, and he leaned against the couch. He looked at Yuliana¡¯s slightly dropping eyelids and remarked, ¡°I choose the second.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly after she heard his response. After a while, she raised her eyes and looked at Christopher. ¡°Your choice means that you must deal with your rtionship with Annabelle before we get married, as well as any other rtionships you may have with other women. You have to promise to be loyal to me after we get married!¡± Christopher asked, ¡°What about you?¡± Yuliana replied in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Christopher lifted his fingers and lightly tapped on her chest. ¡°Do you have anyone in your heart?¡± Of course. Yuliana frowned slightly. She did not want to answer Christopher¡¯s question in this situation. After all, in a romantic rtionship, the first to fall in love would be at the losing end. It would just be like when things between her and Harry failed miserably. Yuliana continued, ¡°I just want you to be loyal to me physically, and I will naturally ensure the same in return. As for emotionally, why do you ask of it from me if you can¡¯t do it?¡± After her words fell, silence filled the room for a moment. Yuliana thought her words might have upset Christopher again, but she also had her own pride. She knew Christopher had Annabelle in his heart, so she dared not admit her slight fondness for him. Yuliana did not want to be as pitiful and pathetic as she was during her marriage with Harry. After a long time, Christopher said calmly, ¡°That¡¯s right. You have a point.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t infer his emotions from his words. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if he really thinks I have a point or he¡¯s just unbothered,¡± she thought. She said, ¡°Although you chose the second option, we still need to sign an agreement in advance, just in case. Also, I¡¯ll draw up the agreement this time, and I¡¯ll send it to you when I¡¯m done. You are wee to make any reasonable demands, and I will ask thewyer to include them.¡± Yuliana had already thought it over. She would ask Callie to contact awyer for the agreement. Yuliana could not take any risks. After all, it involved her child. Christopher nced at her. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Yuliana was confused by his sudden question. After a while, she understood what he meant. She thought about it carefully, and there seemed to be nothing else. At first, Yuliana was worried that Christopher would not agree with her terms, so she made two ns. However, she didn¡¯t expect him to agree so easily. Yuliana then responded, ¡°Nothing else for now.¡± For the sake of fairness, Yuliana asked symbolically, ¡°Do you have anything else to mention?¡± A smile appeared on Christopher¡¯s face. ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana was dumbfounded. Christopher stroked her hair and continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just kiss me? I think I should repay the favor. What do you think?¡± As soon as his words fell, Yuliana lifted her hips and wanted to run away, but Christopher held her and spun around. He had her pressed onto the couch. Yuliana nced at his handsome face from up close. A few handfuls of blonde hair were hanging from his forehead, probably because of his hairspray. Christopher¡¯s hair looked bouncy, and she could not help but want to ruffle it twice with her hands. However, he did not give her the chance. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Ana, let¡¯s practice!¡± After saying that, he put his broad palm on the back of Yuliana¡¯s head and kissed her. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 No Parsley And Red Pepper kes The man acted as if he had gotten his hands on a new toy, and he could not get enough of her. At first, Yuliana felt that Christopher was pushing his luck. But in a little while, her restless hands were gradually smoothed and shrank back. Finally, she could not help but indulge in it. Yuliana had seen somewhere before that kissing was addictive. She did not take it seriously at that time. Yuliana felt that kissing someone she liked should be a pleasant thing, but to say that it was an addiction was a little absurd. But now, Yuliana discovered that she really liked kissing Christopher and even enjoyed this kind of back-and-forth tentative provocation. Although she had been married, she had never had such intimacy with Harry. Their only kiss was just a symbolic kiss on her cheek during their marriage. Therefore, Yuliana did not have much experience and did not know if other men kissed like Christopher. Although gentle, his kiss was possessive and domineering, as if he wanted to smother all the oxygen in her body. However, Christopher softlyforted her when she was about to suffocate. She had no idea whether all men were well versed in this particr aspect, or whether Christopher was very experienced that he mastered a superb kissing skill. Christopher stopped and looked at her reddened lips profoundly when he noticed that Yuliana was distracted. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yuliana shook her head gently and calmed her breathing. She said nothing. Christopher brushed over the saliva stains on the corner of her lips with his fingers and could not help but peck them twice again. ¡°Did you like it?¡± Yuliana gradually recovered her sense and reached out to push him. ¡°Get up.¡± Christopher did not move. He pecked the tip of her nose twice and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Let¡¯s do it again, okay?¡± ¡°No!¡± Yuliana refused in a strict voice. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Christopher chuckled faintly and asked evilly, ¡°You can¡¯t even handle a kiss? What aboutter?¡± Yuliana instantly understood what Christopher was implying. She suddenly felt weak, and her face flushed. Yuliana lowered her eyelids, and her eyshes trembled. She didn¡¯t dare to look at him at all and only pushed him away with her hand. Christopher¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled restrainedly when he saw Yuliana¡¯s red face. He then whispered something in her ear. After listening to his words, Yuliana felt embarrassed and angry. She couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyes and re at him. ¡°You are shameless!¡± Christopher looked at her gleaming eyes, and he could not help but touch her eyshes with his fingers. He uttered shamelessly, ¡°How can this be called shameless? Isn¡¯t that what a normal couple is like?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and could not refute. However, she began to reflect in her heart. ¡°Did I make the wrong decision in the beginning?¡± she mused. Yuliana hurriedly covered his mouth with her hands when she saw that Christopher was about to kiss her again and blurted, ¡°I haven¡¯t had dinner yet. I¡¯m starving!¡± Christopher stared at her for a while and licked her palm to tease her. Yuliana felt her palm tingle, and she retracted it reflexively. She shouted angrily, ¡°You are disgusting!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel disgusted when you kiss me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± Christopher smiled and said slowly, ¡°Oh, so Ana likes kissing!¡± ¡°Who said so?¡± Yuliana would never admit it to Christopher. Suddenly, she remembered something and frowned at him. ¡°Who told you to call me Ana?¡± ¡°Do I need anyone¡¯s permission?¡± Looking at her slightly puffed cheeks, Christopher pinched them and muttered proudly, ¡°I can call you Ana if I want to. I¡¯ll even call you honey after getting married!¡± Yuliana smacked his hand away and didn¡¯t bother to argue with him. She was really hungry. ¡°Get up!¡± Yuliana pushed him again. This time, Christopher did not refuse to get up shamelessly. He helped Yuliana to sit up on the couch and lifted his wrist to check the time. It was almost nine o¡¯clock. Christopher asked, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Yuliana originally intended to whip up something for dinner, but it was quitete now. At her speed, It would beter than ten o¡¯clock when she finished cooking. Therefore, ordering takeout would be preferable because it would be much quicker. Yuliana picked up her phone to open a takeout app. She scrolled through it and finally decided to order seafood pasta and two side orders. When Yuliana was about to pay, she suddenly remembered something and looked at Christopher, who was looking at her. After hesitating for a while, Yuliana asked symbolically, ¡°Have you eaten yet? Do you want me to order something for you?¡± Christopher responded, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten. I¡¯ll have the same as you.¡± Hence, Yuliana ordered another set simr to her own and asked, ¡°Do you have anything you can¡¯t eat?¡± Christopher answered, ¡°Parsley and red pepper kes.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but look at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Christopher to have the same taste as me. We should be able to avoid a lot of trouble with food in the future,¡± she thought inwardly. Yuliana let Christopher stay in the living room by himself after ordering the takeout. Meanwhile, she used this opportunity to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s ss. But as soon as Yuliana sat down in front of herputer, Christopher opened the door and came in. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuliana stopped and looked at Christopher. Christopher¡¯s gaze fell on her face for a while. She wore a gray knitted coat with a white vest inside, and a topknot on her head. Some of her loose hair was strewn around her pale, slender neck. This was the first time Christopher saw Yuliana working, although it was quite different from when she was working in the school. He walked to the side of the bed, sat down, and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you wear sses before. When did you get short-sighted?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment and exined, ¡°These are anti UV radiation sses.¡± She didn¡¯t use them in the past. She only bought a pair after finding out that she was pregnant, as she thought it should be useful. Christopher grunted faintly in response and did not speak anymore. Yuliana paid no more attention to him when she saw that he was on his phone and continued to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s ss. After she was done and turned off herputer, she found Christopher lying on the bed, fast asleep. His long legs were resting on the ground. Yuliana sat in the chair and watched him quietly for a while. She quickly came back to her senses after hearing a knock on the door. She then got up to open the door to get the takeout. Yuliana put the takeout on the table and returned to the room to wake Christopher up. She stood by the bed for a long time and didn¡¯t know how to wake him up. It wouldn¡¯t be urate to say their rtionship was an intimate one now, but it would be unjustified to say they weren¡¯t. They had exchanged saliva before this too. Finally, Yuliana tugged Christopher¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°The takeout is here. Are you going to eat?¡± Christopher moved his eyebrows. After a few seconds, he lifted his eyes. He stared at Yuliana for a while before slowly sitting up on the bed. He yawned and asked, ¡°How long have I slept?¡± Yuliana tried to estimate the time. ¡°More than half an hour.¡± He hummed in acknowledgment and asked, ¡°Is the takeout here?¡± Yuliana softly hummed back in response. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat then. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Christopher got up from the bed and took Yuliana¡¯s hand subconsciously while walking out. Yuliana was slightly stunned and looked at her hand that was wrapped in his palm. Her hands were actually a little cold, possibly from using the mouse for too long, while Christopher¡¯s hands were warm andfortable. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Leave Both of them did not like to speak when eating, and they did not eat fast. However, Yuliana¡¯s appetite was much smaller than Christopher¡¯s, so she was the first to finish eating. She had ordered two portions of seafood pasta and four portions of side orders. She only ate one-third of the seafood pasta and didn¡¯t eat much of the side orders. After eating. Yuliana curled up on the couch and looked at messages on her phone. She looked at Christopher, who was still eating, from time to time. This feeling was extremely strange. It was as if they had lived together for a long time and formed a tacit understanding. They were still inexplicably intimate, even if they didn¡¯t say a word. But strictly speaking, it was the first time she and Christopher officially had dinner alone. As soon as Yuliana withdrew her gaze, she heard Christopher ask, ¡°Are you still eating this?¡± She looked at the remaining half bowl of seafood pasta. ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡± Christopher nced at her. ¡°You have a really small appetite. You¡¯re only eating this little?¡± As he said this, he took the remaining half of the seafood pasta that was left. Christopher chewed the sd slowly, then scooped the seafood pasta with a spoon and ate it. Yuliana felt this was strange and reminded, ¡°I¡¯ve eaten that.¡± ¡°So?¡± Christopher looked at her. ¡°Why can¡¯t I eat what you¡¯ve eaten? Why didn¡¯t you say anything when I ate your saliva just now?¡± Yuliana was rendered speechless and mused, ¡°Fine, you win!¡± Atst, Christopher ate all of the seafood pasta she left over as well as the side orders. He ced all the stic boxes back in the takeout bag and wiped the table clean with tissues. Yuliana observed imperceptibly. She realized that although Christopher had a bad temper, he still had some etiquette engraved in his bones. After cleaning up, Christopher sat downzily next to Yuliana. He stretched out his arm and rested it on the backrest behind her. He nced at Yuliana from the corner of his eyes and cleared his throat. He asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yuliana moved to the side of the couch. ¡°I¡¯m sending replies to my students¡¯ parents.¡± Christopher frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯re still replying to them even after work hours?¡± Yuliana responded, ¡°You don¡¯t reply to messages after work hours?¡± Seeing Yuliana¡¯s professionalism, a trace of doubt rose in Christopher¡¯s heart. He inquired, ¡°Are teachers¡¯ sries high?¡± He had heard someone say that teachers¡¯ sries were quite low, especially for public schools. Yuliana thought for a while before replying, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± The range depended on the industry and position. Her sry,pared to others in Juxshire, was not high, but it was likely to be better inparison to many teachers and other positions in other ces. Otherwise, why were there so many people who desperately took the test every year? Yuliana didn¡¯t know why they started talking about this. After replying to thest message, she checked the time and realized it was veryte. She turned to Christopher and stated, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. Shouldn¡¯t you leave?¡± Christopher lowered his eyelids and looked at her. ¡°Are you not going to let your future husband stay for the night?¡± Yuliana¡¯s irritation faded away because of his words. After a while, she got off the couch and put on her slippers. As Yuliana walked to the door, she uttered, ¡°You should treat your insanity as soon as possible.¡± She opened the door, looked at Christopher, and said, ¡°Okay. Bye. I won¡¯t send you off.¡± Christopher looked at the open door and plucked the short hair on the back of his head. Afterward, he got up from the couch and walked to the door with the takeout garbage. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± he murmured. Yuliana looked at Christopher with her chin pointed at the door, implying for him to leave quickly. Christopher did not move. After staring at her for a while, he suddenly grabbed the back of Yuliana¡¯s neck and kissed her. He pressed his hand against her forehead after a deep kiss and uttered, ¡°This is a goodbye kiss. Remember to lock the door.¡± After saying that, Christopher let go of Yuliana and left with the garbage. Yuliana lowered her eyelids and closed the door after Christopher¡¯s silhouette could no longer be seen. She was about to turn around to go back to her room when she remembered what Christopher had said when he left. Yuliana then returned to the door and locked it. It was a very strange feeling. She thought, ¡°What are we now? Is it like what Christopher said? Are we going to practice living like a normal married couple? Why do I think that normal married couples don¡¯t act as we do?¡± Yuliana ced her hand against her beating heart and felt that she was probably bewitched. After leaving Yuliana¡¯s ce, Christopher didn¡¯t go back to Oceanview Apartment but directly headed to the Sce residence. It was almost early in the morning when he arrived at the Sce residence. Zachary and Winnie were fast asleep, and only the light that was still lit on the second floor wasing from Kendrick¡¯s study. ¡°Mr. Sce, you¡¯re back.¡± Hearing the noise, a maid came out to greet him. Christopher stated, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about me. Ms. Lopez, you can go rest first.¡± The maid nodded and asked, ¡°Should I get you something to eat?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve eaten.¡± The maid didn¡¯t say anything else and went back to her room to continue sleeping. ¨Ó Christopher went back to his room to take a shower. Then, he lit a cigarette and stood by the window to finish smoking it. Yuliana¡¯s expression and behavior just now kept appearing in his mind. Christopher felt like his heart was filled, and he felt extremelyfortable. After he finished smoking the cigarette, he did not go to sleep immediately but left his room to go to Kendrick¡¯s study. Kendrick was in a video conference with the person in charge of overseas dealing when Christopher walked 1. Kendrick simply nced at Christopher when he saw him walk into the room and paid him no attention. Kendrick listened attentively to the report of the person in charge of overseas dealing. Christopher didn¡¯t disturb him. He spread his legs, sat on the couch, and sent a message to Yuliana: [Are you asleep?] It was already past one o¡¯clock in the morning, so he did not receive any response. Christopher waited for a while. Seeing that Yuliana didn¡¯t respond to his text, he opened his game. He turned down the volume and channeled his inexhaustible energy into the game. The video conferencested until two o¡¯clock. Kendrick turned off his device and looked at Christopher, who was still ying his game. He asked, ¡°Do you have something to discuss with me?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t raise his head and grunted in acknowledgment. Then, he frowned and quit the game directly. He raised his eyes to look at Kendrick and stated, ¡°I¡¯ve already thought it over clearly. I want to marry Yuliana.¡± Kendrick looked at him and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher¡¯s breathing paused slightly and continued, ¡°I¡¯m just notifying you, and I¡¯m not listening to your opinion.¡± Kendrick leaned back and rxed his arm muscles. He gazed deeply at Christopher for a moment before saying, ¡°You can marry Yuliana, but I have two conditions.¡± Christopher frowned. ¡°What conditions?¡± Kendrick exined, ¡°First, you and Yuliana can get a marriage certificate first, but the wedding cannot be held any time soon, and your rtionship cannot be announced to the public. Second, you have to go back to Sce Corporation to help me.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t answer Kendrick immediately. He lowered his eyes and pondered for a long time before saying, ¡°I can ept the second condition but not the first.¡± Kendrick went on, ¡°I know this will make Ms. Livingstone feel aggrieved. However, Christopher, you are also the descendant of the Sce family. You have enjoyed everything of the Sce family since you were a child, and you have the obligation to protect our reputation. You know better than me about Yuliana¡¯s past Even if you don¡¯t think for the Sce family, you should think for her. What would others think of her when the news. of your marriagees out when she and the guy from the Ziegler family have only been divorced for a few months?¡± Hearing thest part, Christopher became silent. Kendrick was speaking the truth. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t care, will Yuliana feel the same? I know words can be scary,¡± Christopher mused. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 1 Only Want Her In the morning, in the Sce residence. Kendrick and Christopher came downstairs one after another and entered the dining room. At eight o¡¯clock in the morning. Zachary and his wife were having breakfast in the dining room. Alex had sses at 8:30 a.m. Normally, Kendrick and Joyce go out together to send Alex to school first, and then to thepany. Today, Kendrick went outte, and Alex was in a hurry to go to school, so Joyce took Alex out first. Christopher didn¡¯t have anything special to do. He slept until noon and seldom stayed in the Sce residence. when he came back from abroad. But today, he wore a suit and a tie. Except for his blonde hair, he looked like an elite in the workce. Standing with Kendrick, who was introverted and reliable, Christopher was casual and unruly. They were not inferior to each other. It was unusual to see the two brothers appearing in the dining room together. Because of this, Zachary and his wife were a little surprised. Winnie had always been fond of her youngest son and wanted to greet Christopher for the first time. But suddenly, she remembered that day when Christopher made her feel ufortable and embarrassed just because he wanted to protect Yuliana. She thought she wouldn¡¯tpromise first. Therefore, she deliberately ignored Christopher and ordered the maid to prepare breakfast for her eldest son, Kendrick. The maid shook her head silently. She understood Winnie. Christopher didn¡¯t say anything. He pulled away the chair beside Winnie and sat down while Kendrick sat alone opposite them. Winnie nced at Christopher. He curled his lips and put his long arm around Winnie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mrs. Sce, are you still angry?¡± Winnie snorted heavily, but there was no deterrent in her tone. ¡°Stay away from me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll serve you a bowl of hot chocte!¡± With that, Christopher picked up the empty bowl in front of Winnie and took the spoon to fill it with hot chocte. Winnie had almost finished eating. When she was about to stop, she saw that Christopher had already served half a bowl of hot chocte, so she had to give in. Christopher handed the food to Winnie with both hands, but she ignored it after ring at him for a long time. ¡°Mrs. Sce, do you want me to feed you?¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows, picked up a spoon, and fed jt to Winnie. Winnie grabbed the spoon and snorted coldly. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Who wants you to feed me?¡± Seeing this, Christopher breathed a sigh of relief. He finally persuaded her. He gave Kendrick a look. Kendrick ignored him. The maid just served breakfast for him, and he ate quietly. Kendrick didn¡¯t speak until breakfast was over, ¡°Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you.¡± Hearing this, Zachary and his wife looked at him. Zachary put down the tableware, wiped his mouth with a tablecloth, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Kendrick nced at Christopher and said, ¡°I agree that Christopher and Ms. Livingstone get married.¡± Zachary was stunned for a moment, but there was no emotion on his face. It seemed that he was not surprised by the decision. The most shocked one was Winnie, ¡°Ken, what did you just say?¡± She was sure that Kendrick wouldn¡¯t agree to the marriage between Christopher and Yuliana. Unexpectedly, he agreed easily. Kendrick said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± It meant he would not change his mind even if Winnie disagreed. After all, it was Kendrick who was now in charge of the Sce family. Winnie red at Kendrick angrily for a while. She suddenly remembered something and looked at Christopher again. Seeing Christopher sitting calmly with his eyes lowered, she instantly understood. ¡°Well, you two are plotting against me in the morning! I really have two good sons!¡± Afterforting her, they announced the marriage. Winnie¡¯s face grew darker, and her hands trembled with anger. Zachary patted her handfortingly. Winnie was furious and shook off his hand. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher immediately exined and said, ¡°No, we aren¡¯t plotting against you. What are you trying to do? I really want to make you happy! If you say so, I will be sad! It doesn¡¯t matter who I am going to marry. You¡¯re still my mother, after all.¡± When Christopher was coaxing her, his voice was particrly pleasant. Even if she wanted to lose her temper, she couldn¡¯t speak out when she saw him frown and be wronged. Finally, she retorted awkwardly, ¡°What do you mean? You are the son of Zachary and Winnie Sce, the youngestd of the Sce family. You can have all kinds of women. Why do you have to find a woman who had a failed marriage?¡± As a mother, Winnie naturally hoped that her children would get married. Moreover, her eldest son¡¯s marriage made her a little worried. However, Joyce had a clean background. At least Joyce didn¡¯t have a father serving in prison, let alone a divorce. In a mother¡¯s eyes, the son was excellent and deserved the best woman. Christopher did not know Winnie¡¯s worries. He paused and said, ¡°Mom, I only want her.¡± When he said this, he looked into Winnie¡¯s eyes and said earnestly. His simple sentence made Winnie speechless. Sensing her faltered behavior, Christopher continued, ¡°Besides, you will have another grandson and granddaughter in half a year. They look the same as when I was a child. Don¡¯t you want it?¡± His words touched Winnie¡¯s heart. When Christopher was a child, he was like a clingy puppy that liked to sweet-talk others and had various funny ideas. Everyone doted on him. However, since that incident, the adorable Christopher changed his temperament. She sighed and said, ¡°Now that you have decided, it doesn¡¯t matter how I view it. Whatever.¡± She stood up and left the table. After a few steps, something suddenly urred to her. She turned around and said, ¡°What are you going to do with Annabelle?¡± She really treated Annabelle as her daughter, but it was not necessary for Annabelle and Christopher to get married. She used to only have Annabelle in her heart as a candidate, and she hoped that Christopher could settle down and build a family as soon as possible so that they could get married. But now it seemed that she didn¡¯t understand the youngsters now. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Christopher said. Winnie left the dining room without saying anything more. Zachary thought of his wife¡¯s disappointment and felt a little distressed. He looked at his sons and said, ¡°Since you decided to get married, you should deal with everything soon and live a peaceful life. Don¡¯t me me for doing something out of line if you fool around and go overboard again.¡± After saying that, Zachary also got up and left. After breakfast, the two went out together. ording to the conditions promised to Kendrickst night, Christopher went to Sce Corporation to report for duty. On the way to thepany, they took the same car. Christopher drove the car, and the driver followed behind. Kendrick told Christopher about Sce Corporation and asked, ¡°Do you know where Annabelle is?¡± Christopher can¡¯t help but sneer. Kendrick didn¡¯t say anything else. Yuliana woke up in the morning and saw the message sent by Christopher in the middle of the night. She stared at it for a while and then realized that everythingst night was not a dream, but something that had really happened. She could not believe she was going to marry Christopher soon. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Can You Pick Me Up? If it had been a few months ago, Yuliana would not have believed it. Yuliana didn¡¯t reply to Christopher. Although she knew clearly that she was not dreaming, she still felt a little surreal. As long as she was idle, she couldn¡¯t help thinking about getting married. Then, she would think of Christopher and the kissst night. She felt restless. After the morning ss, Yuliana chatted with Jonathan for more than 20 minutes during PE ss. She didn¡¯t know whether her words worked and felt that the children should understand some of their parents¡¯ decisions at some time. Back in the office, after ten o¡¯clock, she had no ss in the morning. She looked through the uncorrected homework and was ready to mark it. However, with a red pen in her hand and looking at the homework in front of her, she couldn¡¯t focus. The man¡¯s face came to her mind again. She had always been strong in self-control. She could calm down if she wanted to do anything, but she didn¡¯t know why she was so abnormal today. That situation had never urred before. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, do you know about Mr. Norris¡¯ invitation to dinner?¡± Hearing Fiona¡¯s voice, Yuliana came back to her senses and asked, ¡°What dinner?¡± Fiona said, ¡°Mr. Norris from the office next door informed the group of his dinner invitation. He¡¯ll treat all grade teachers to dinner. Didn¡¯t you read the group message?¡± Hearing this, Yuliana checked the news on WhatsApp. As Fiona said after Sawyer informed the group, other teachers agreed, but Yuliana had not responded. Sawyer had tagged Yuliana in the group several times, and Fiona told her after seeing it. Yuliana hurriedly agreed in the group chat, and then she apologized to Sawyer, saying she didn¡¯t notice the message. Socialization was a very important part of their work in academia. After all, they had to work together for most of their lives. It was inevitable for them to eat and socialize. Although Yuliana didn¡¯t want to go, she had to show others her respect. After replying to Sawyer, Yuliana finally calmed down and began to mark her students¡¯ homework. However, it didn¡¯t take long before her phone dinged. It was a text message. She nced at the screen and saw the familiar numbers. It was from Christopher. He asked her to have dinner with him tonight. Yuliana originally ignored him and continued to mark her homework. But after a while, she couldn¡¯t help but look up at her phone and finally picked it up to reply to him. ¡°I have something to do tonight. I can¡¯t have dinner with you.¡± Soon, Christopher replied, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°My colleague¡¯s birthday dinner. He invited all grade teachers.¡± Christopher wrote. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, and you can introduce them to me.¡± Yuliana responded, ¡°No¡± Christopher sat in the empty office and turned the chair. The sunlight shone through the louvers and flickered on him. He looked at Yuliana¡¯s response for a long time and asked, ¡°Why not?¡± The message was seen quickly, but Yuliana didn¡¯t reply to him. At this time, the door of the office was opened, and Kendrick¡¯s secretary came in, ¡°Mr. Christopher Sce, Mr. Kendrick Sce asked you to go to the conference room.¡± The office was temporarily vacated. It had been vacant before, and thendline had not yet been connected, so the secretary came to inform him in person. ¡°Got it.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t raise his head. He repliedzily, stared at the response for two seconds, and then put away his phone before following the secretary to the conference room. ¡°Why not?¡± Yuliana looked at the message sent by Christopher, but she didn¡¯t know how to reply, so she simply remained silent. Although she decided to marry Christopher, she hadn¡¯t made their rtionship public yet. She even felt nervous and uneasy. The ce for dinner in the evening was a Clusian restaurant, some distance away from the school. Yuliana and Fiona went there in the car of a math teacher. The teacher was Spencer Carl. Compared to Yuliana and Fiona, he joined Juxshire Primary School a year after them. However, he had previous experience teaching in a private school. In addition, when he joined Juxshire Primary School, a math teacher in their grade happened to pass away from an illness. Therefore, he handled over and taught the second grade directly. On the way to dinner, Fiona kept joking with Spencer, ¡°Mr. Carl, what kind of women do you like? Why don¡¯t I introduce some to you?¡± Spencer was two years older than Fiona and three years older than Yuliana. He was 27 years old this year. His hometown was in a city around Juxshire. His family was inferior to the wealthy families in Juxshire. However, his family conditions were already quite good. Spencer smiled and nced at Yuliana sitting in the back seat from the rearview mirror without anyone noticing, saying, ¡°Someone gentle and good-looking.¡± Fiona smiled, ¡°Mr. Carl, your requirement is too broad. How about being more specific?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t join the conversation, and she didn¡¯t even listen to what they said. Since she didn¡¯t respond to the message to Christopher in the morning, Christopher didn¡¯t send any more messages. Did he get angry again? After all, he was petty and would get angry over trivial matters. Yuliana thought. Soon, they arrived at the Clusian restaurant where they had dinner. The other teachers of other grades almost arrived. There were two big round tables in the private room, and there were three seats left. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana sat next to Fiona, while Spencer sat next to Yuliana. The three of them arrivedte. As soon as they arrived, the elderly teacher shouted, asking the three to drink. Yuliana and Fiona were not good at drinking, but even so, the nasty drinking culture was still nted within them, especially since there were many elderly teachers at the table. Atst, Spencer stood out and said, ¡°It has nothing to do with Ms. Livingstone and Ms. rk. I waste because I was slow. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll drink wine for the twodies. How about letting them drink water instead of wine?¡± Spencer emphasized that they weredies. For this, others couldn¡¯t help but listen to his arrangements. Otherwise, they would appear to bully thedies. Anyway, Yuliana and Fiona were the youngest. Most of the tables were full of elderly teachers. After drinking, they couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. They talked nonsense and smoked cigarettes. Their voices were even louder than usual in ss. Yuliana sat in the private room for a while and felt that she couldn¡¯t breathe. After saying something in Fiona¡¯s ear, she picked up her phone and left the private room. The environment in the restaurant was not very good, but there was still a rest area. Yuliana went to the couch in the rest area and sat down. Then, she took out her phone and looked at it. After hesitating for a moment, she sent a message to Christopher. ¡°Can you pick me upter?¡± After typing, she tapped to send it. Then, she kept staring at the screen of her phone, holding it tighter, and her palms were sweating. She heard someone calling her name before she could respond to Christopher. Yuliana looked up and saw Spencer approaching. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, why are you here?¡± Spencer sat down. Yuliana could sense that he had been drinking and smoking in the private room and felt a little. ufortable due to the pungent smell. However, she didn¡¯t say anything. She smiled and replied, ¡°I came out for a while for rxation.¡± Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Boyfriend Spencer smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a little stuffy inside.¡± Then, Spencer looked at Yuliana¡¯s face for a while and continued, ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t eat much just now. Are you feeling unwell?¡± Yuliana shook her head and replied, ¡°No. I¡¯m just not hungry.¡± Still, Spencer said sincerely, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself if you¡¯re feeling unwell. Make sure you speak up.¡± Yuliana nodded at his words and thanked Spencer again politely. In reality, Yuliana and Spencer didn¡¯t interact much with each other in school. After all, they taught different subjects and sses. Thus, they were nothing more than acquaintances. They had even partnered with each other a few times during meetings or activities organized by the school, but they were never alone because the other teachers were in the group too. Even when they came across each other in school, they would only nod at each other. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Even so, Spencer was quite famous in the school, mainly because he was young, single, and quite handsome. Standing nearly six feet tall, not only was he well-mannered, but he also had a good temper. Therefore, many young and single female teachers liked him either openly or secretly. In the first half of the year alone, Lexie had already been gossiping in the office about a female teacher who joined Juxshire Primary School in the same year as the former liked Spencer and even confessed to him. However, Spencer did not ept thetter. That incident was circted privately among the teachers in the school, and some people even teased Spencer about it. Having a good temper, Spencer only smiled back without feeling offended. Although Yuliana did not have much interaction with Spencer, her impression of him was indeed a warm gentleman. The two went on and talked about teaching. Being experienced, Spencer had unique insights, and Yuliana learned a lot by chatting with him for a short while. Their conversation was only interrupted when the phone rang twice. Yuliana nced at the phone, and there were two messages from Christopher. [I was in a meeting just now.] [Where are you eating at? What time will you be done?] Yuliana estimated the time, assuming dinners like that would probably end around nine or ten. Considering it was only half past eight then, it would take at least another hour. Thus, Yuliana sent the address of the Clusian restaurant to Christopher and asked him to get over there at half past nine. Christopher replied almost immediately. [Got it. I¡¯ll call you when I get there.] After reading the message, Yuliana didn¡¯t reply. She smiled unconsciously as she put away her phone and only realized that Spencer was looking at her when she looked back up. Yuliana paused for a second and said, ¡°Mr. Carl, I¡¯m sorry. Where were we?¡± Spencer smiled and didn¡¯t answer Yuliana¡¯s question. Instead, he asked, ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Yuliana was stunned, but she quickly realized what Spencer meant. Yuliana was taken aback for a moment and didn¡¯t know how to answer Spencer as she wondered if she and Christopher were in a rtionship. In the end, Yuliana only smiled. She then looked at the time and saw that it had been close to half an hour since they were out. Thus, she turned and said, ¡°Mr. Carl, I think it¡¯s almost time. Let¡¯s go back.¡± At the same time, Yuliana felt a little awkward being alone with Spencer anymore because of his question. Spencer agreed, so they got up and went back to the private room where the dinner was held. As soon as they entered, the other teachers started teasing them. However, those who had a little too much to drink went overboard with their jokes, and it only made the party in question feel awkward and ufortable. Unfortunately, since they were colleagues and were used to joking around like that, one should not take them to heart. Otherwise, one would be called petty and deemed as unable to take a joke. Yuliana had experienced those kinds of situations before, but it was the first time she was teased about being with a male teacher like that. Yuliana didn¡¯t like it. She did not mind being teased on her own, but rumors might start to spread in the school with another teacher involved. Even so, it was Sawyer¡¯s birthday that day. Not wanting to ruin the asion, Yuliana had no choice but to bear with it. Meanwhile, Spencer kept a smile without exining. Fortunately, everyone soon turned their focus to other things. The whole group went back to enjoying the food and drinks and having a great time. When it was half past nine, Yuliana¡¯s phone rang right on time. Yuliana looked at the iing call and took her phone outside of the private room to answer the call. ¡°Have you arrived yet?¡± The man hummed in a low voice and asked, ¡°It¡¯s not over yet?¡± Yuliana frowned and replied, ¡°It might take another while.¡± It turned out that Yuliana and the other teachers had ordered Sawyer a cake. Thus, it would not seem nice for her to leave before they cut the cake. After a short pause, Yuliana added, ¡°It should end soon. Have you eaten dinner?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuliana went quiet for a while. Somehow, she could hear a trace of pity and aggrievedness from the word ¡°No.¡± After a moment of hesitation, Yuliana said, ¡°How about you go and find a ce nearby and get something to eat first? I¡¯ll go find you when this ends.¡± Christopher hummed calmly in response, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. With that, Yuliana said, ¡°I¡¯ll hang up first then.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t say anything. After a long silence over the phone, Yuliana ended the call and returned to the private room. It was 10 p.m. when Yuliana finally came out of the restaurant with the other teachers. When they got to the door, one of the teachers said, ¡°Ms. rk, I remember you go in the same direction as me. You can go in my car then.¡± Fiona didn¡¯t agree immediately. Instead, she nced at Yuliana because she wanted to take the subway with Yuliana. However, the teacher immediately saw through Fiona¡¯s thoughts and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Doesn¡¯t Mr. Carl have a car? Just ask him to give Ms. Livingstone a ride back! Am I right, Mr. Carl?¡± After saying that, the teacher even smiled ambiguously at Spencer. Meanwhile, the other teachers around them also echoed. Spencer smiled and looked at Yuliana. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± Yuliana nced at the teacher and smiled politely at Spencer. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Carl, but there¡¯s no need. My friend is nearby. I¡¯ll take his car back.¡± Hearing that, Spencer said nothing else. Instead, the teacher who suggested Spencer give Yuliana a ride added, ¡°What friend? Boyfriend? Or girlfriend?¡± Before Yuliana could answer, she heard a familiar voice say coldly, ¡°Boyfriend.¡± At the sound of that voice, everyone turned to look subconsciously and saw a tall, slender, and handsome man standing not far behind Yuliana. He donned a ck suit with two buttons unbuttoned on his white-cored shirt. His tie was nowhere to be seen, and his blonde hair was very eye-catching. A pair of gray eyes swept over the crowd coldly. Yuliana was stunned, and it took her a moment before she turned around. However, she froze again when she saw Christopher in a suit. Christopher pursed his lips and called, ¡°Ana,e here.¡± Yuliana¡¯s cheeks felt hot when she heard what Christopher called her. She looked at him shyly and walked up to him after a short pause. Yuliana then whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to wait for me in the car? Why are you here?¡± Christopher lowered his gaze and replied, ¡°Can¡¯t Ie over?¡± Yuliana was a little taken aback and said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Meanwhile, the other teachers exchanged odd looks with each other as they looked at those two. After all, Christopher¡¯s demeanor and the way he dressed were as though he was from apletely different world. In their eyes, Christopher didn¡¯t look like a decent person Thus, they could not help but wonder how Yuliana got involved with such a man. Fiona was the only person at the scene who had seen Christopher before. Even so, she could only keep her silence due to the presence of other teachers. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Did Not Keep Your Word Remembering that the other teachers were still looking, Yuliana immediately stopped whispering to Christopher. Then, she turned to everyone and said with a smile, ¡°Everyone, my friend is here to pick me up. We¡¯ll leave first then. See you at school tomorrow.¡± With varying expressions, the teachers smiled stiffly and replied, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Yuliana nodded and turned back to Christopher. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, Yuliana pulled Christopher, turned, and left. Christopher looked down and nced at Yuliana. Then, he raised his arm, wrapped it around her waist, and pulled her into his arms suddenly. Meanwhile, everyone standing at the door of the restaurant was watching. Yuliana red at Christopher as she tried to pry away the hand at her waist and said, ¡°Take your hand away.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Christopher!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you call me Honey. I¡¯ll kiss you in front of them if you continue to struggle.¡± Yuliana stared at Christopher angrily, but she finally stopped as she knew he would really do what he said. Christopher then nced behind him and asked, ¡°Is that colleague of yours interested in you?¡± Yuliana was confused. ¡°Which colleague?¡± ¡°The one beside you who was standing very close to you,¡± replied Christopher. Hearing that, Yuliana realized that Christopher was talking about Spencer. She frowned and said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Yuliana found it impossible that Spencer would be interested in her. After all, they had been colleagues for several years, yet they barely interacted with each other. Still, Christopher said coldly, ¡°You must keep a distance from him in the future.¡± Yuliana felt that Christopher was being ridiculous, so she didn¡¯t bother to respond to him. On the other side, after Yuliana and Christopher had walked away, the teacher who asked Spencer to send Yuliana home said, ¡°Mr. Carl, don¡¯t be discouraged. I don¡¯t think Ms. Livingstone will be with that blondie for long. It¡¯s probably just a fling. Anyone can tell that that man is not a decent person.¡± Spencer frowned and replied, ¡°Mr. Wilson, please don¡¯t say that. Ms. Livingstone and I are only colleagues.¡± Meanwhile, Fiona suddenly realized something while she was listening on the side and saw Spencer¡¯s expression. Initially, Fiona thought the other teachers were only joking about Spencer and Yuliana. However, having noticed Spencer¡¯s reaction, it seemed that it was not just a joke. Fiona was surprised that she never noticed it before. Meanwhile, Yuliana was feeling extremely sleepy after she got in the car. Thinking of how she would have to prepare for her lessons when she returned home, she decided she might as well take advantage of the time and take a nap. When Yuliana finally woke up, the car had already parked at the apartment building. The lights in the car were not turned on, and it was very quiet. Christopher was wearing headphones and ying games on his phone. He was so focused that he didn¡¯t even notice that Yuliana had woken up. Yuliana moved and felt something slip off her body. She grabbed onto it subconsciously and found that it was Christopher¡¯s coat. Yuliana was still in a daze since she had just woken up, and she stared at the side of Christopher¡¯s face in silence for a long time. It was not until Christopher had finished his game and turned to look at Yuliana that their eyes met. Christopher took off his headphones and asked, ¡°When did you wake up?¡± Yuliana handed the coat back to Christopher and avoided his eyes guiltily. ¡°I just woke up. What time is it?¡± Christopher nced at the time on his phone and answered, ¡°It¡¯s ten more minutes to 12.¡± ¡°It¡¯s sote already.¡± Yuliana frowned and became anxious at his reply. Then, she quickly unfastened her seat belt and got out of the car hurriedly. Christopher locked the car doors and followed behind her. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana pressed the elevator and replied, ¡°I still have work to do. Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Based on the distance from the restaurant to Maple Garden, Yuliana estimated that it had been at least an hour since they arrived. As soon as Yuliana got home, she sat in front of theputer and started preparing for her lessons. Meanwhile, Christopher didn¡¯t go to her room to disturb her. Yuliana continued to work and only finished at one in the morning. Yuliana was massaging her sore neck and shoulder when she suddenly remembered something. Then, when Yuliana walked out of the room, she saw Christopher ying with his phone with his legs curled up on the couch. He had already changed his clothes, and his hair was slightly wet. Obviously, he had already washed up. At the same time, Christopher clearly hade prepared. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± asked Yuliana. Christopher looked at Yuliana and replied, ¡°Abandoning one after receiving help? Yuliana, look at the time. How could you have the heart to kick me out? I even drove halfway across town to fetch you.¡± Yuliana stared at Christopher silently for a few moments and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a ce for you to sleep here. You can only sleep on the couch if you want.¡± As soon as Yuliana finished her sentence, she left Christopher alone and went into her room feeling annoyed. Then, she took her clothes and went into the bathroom. The bathroom was still slightly wet and steamy with the smell of the shower gel Yuliana usually used. Yet, for some reason, she felt as though something was different about the smell even though it was the exact same shower gel. With that thought, Yuliana¡¯s face became hot again, and her memory of that night could not help but appear in her mind. Thus, Yuliana was spaced out throughout the entire shower. When Yuliana came out after she was done, the man who had been lying on the couch had disappeared. She was stunned for a moment and immediately entered the bedroom. Sure enough, someone was already shamelessly lying in her bed. Noticing Yuliana standing at the door, the man smiled and said, ¡°Ana, your bed is quite wide. It¡¯s more than enough to lend me half of it.¡± Yuliana red at him angrily. ¡°Stop fooling around, Christopher. I still have sses tomorrow.¡± Christopher patted the space next to him and replied, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Even so, how true could a man¡¯s words be on the bed? Thus, Yuliana didn¡¯t believe Christopher at all. Seeing Yuliana remain still, Christopher added, ¡°It¡¯s almost two already. Don¡¯t you have sses tomorrow?¡± Yuliana stared at Christopher for a while. Then, she walked to the wardrobe, grabbed a quilt from it, and ced it on the bed as she said, ¡°Move over a little bit.¡± Meanwhile, Christopher felt very disappointed as he looked at the annoying quilt. Still, Christopher moved over slightly under the pressure of Yuliana¡¯s gaze. Yuliana made sure that there was a certain distance between them before she finally tidied up the quilt andy in the bed. Then, she wrapped herself tightly like a cocoon with it. Once she was settled in bed, Yuliana turned off the light, turned her back toward Christopher, and closed her eyes. ¡°Ana¡­¡± The man behind Yuliana called out, but he was ignored. ¡°Ana¡­¡± He tried again, but still no response. ¡°Ana¡­¡± Yuliana thought it would be difficult for her to fall asleep. However, she somehow fell asleep while Christopher kept calling her name repeatedly. At dawn, Yuliana was awakened, feeling hot. Yuliana was still in a daze when she felt a tingling on the back of her neck, and something heavy was pressing on her waist. Yuliana woke up in an instant as she came to her senses. As she avoided the man¡¯s kiss, she shouted angrily, ¡°Christopher, you didn¡¯t keep your word!¡± Yuliana clearly meant that Christopher had agreed that he would not disturb her. Yet, not only did Christopher squeeze himself into the same quilt as Yuliana when she was asleep, but he also got handsy with her. Christopher pressed Yuliana¡¯s waist tightly into his arms and nibbled the back of her delicate neck. His breathing grew heavier as he said, ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t keep my word.¡± For Christopher, Yuliana was like a delicious piece of meat hanging right in front of him. Yet, he was only allowed to look at it. After enduring the whole night, Christopher felt he would not be a man if he endured any longer. At that moment, Christopher decided that even if he didn¡¯t get to eat the meat, at least he could have a little taste of it. ¡°Ana, you liked it very much the other night,¡± Christopher whispered seductively beside Yuliana¡¯s ear. Yuliana¡¯s mind went nk as it felt as though something exploded in her mind. Her body softened a little, but she still pushed Christopher¡¯s arm as she tried to use what was left of her senses and said, ¡°Christopher, no. I¡¯m pregnant¡­¡± Hearing that, Christopher¡¯s arm froze. After a while, he tightened his palm and said, ¡°Be good and stay still.¡± Then, Christopher whispered something else into Yuliana¡¯s ears. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 A Tiger And A Kitten Yuliana was a little dizzy in an instant as she felt as though all the blood in her body had seemed to gather in her head. Her limbs went weak, and she was unable to exert any strength. In reality, Yuliana wanted to refuse and resist Christopher. However, it felt as though she was ying hard to get due to how weak she was. Yuliana bit her lips and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ana.¡± At that moment, Yuliana felt that men were like two different people when they were in and out of bed. To satisfy their own needs, they could whisper the sweetest words in the gentlest tone into one¡¯s ear in order to coax one into agreeing. Meanwhile, the temperature in the room kept rising, and all that was left was the sound of Christopher¡¯s heavy breathing. Everything else felt as though it was isted in another world. By the time things had calmed down, Yuliana¡¯s whole body felt sticky. Her hair was soaked and stuck to her body. Besides that, her eyes were also red, her eyshes were wet, and there were traces of tears on her face Christopher hugged Yuliana tightly from behind. His lips pressed against the back of her neck, and he was still breathing heavily as he whispered to Yuliana in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ana¡­¡± Yuliana curled up and ignored Christopher. She didn¡¯t know whether other couples or lovers were the same in this regard, but she felt as though she was disrespected earlier. It made her feel as though she was only a tool for venting. Christopher noticed Yuliana was quiet, and her thin shoulders were trembling slightly. Stunned, he turned her around and realized she was biting her lips, her face was wet, and her nose was red. Clearly, she had been crying. Yuliana lowered her eyes and didn¡¯t look at Christopher. She even wanted to avoid his gaze. However, Christopher held Yuliana¡¯s chin and forced her to look up. Then, he asked, ¡°Was I too rough just now?¡± Yuliana remained silent, but the answer was obvious. Christopher went quiet for a moment. Then, he caressed the corner of her lips with his thumb and kissed her as he held the side of her neck. What started as a gentle kiss evolved into a passionate kiss, and it went on until the woman in his arms finally rxed. Christopher finally let go of her and pecked Yuliana¡¯s nose twice. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. Don¡¯t be angry anymore, Ana,¡± he said to please her. Yuliana had already been fooled once the night before. She knew she should not believe Christopher¡¯s words. However, Yuliana realized she was not as angry as she was before. She even felt a hint of sweetness inside of her when she listened to Christopher¡¯s words. Even though Yuliana kept her eyes down and didn¡¯t look at Christopher, she was in a different mood from before. She was aggrieved and angry earlier, but she was feeling embarrassed now as she pushed Christopher slightly. Her voice was as soft as it could be as she said, ¡°Let go of me.¡± Hearing that, Christopher got a little nervous and confused. It was then that Yuliana red at Christopher and said through gritted teeth, ¡°My legs.¡± Looking at Yuliana¡¯s expression, Christopher immediately understood and said, ¡°Lie still.¡± Then, Christopher lifted the quilt and walked out of the room. He went to the bathroom and brought back a wet towel he had wrung dry. He was about to lift the quilt to help Yuliana clean up, but she pressed down on the quilt tightly, refusing to let him do that. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself. You should go out,¡± said Yuliana as she looked at Christopher with glistening eyes. Christopher licked his lower lip and paused for a few seconds. In the end, he handed the towel to Yuliana and said, ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± Yuliana merely hummed faintly in response. After watching Christopher walk out of the room, she finally wiped herself with the hot towel. However, there was an area that was slightly raw that it even stung when the towel touched the area. At that point, the room, including the sheets and quilts, was covered with traces of intimacy. Thus, as soon as Yuliana was done cleaning, she dared not stay for another second and immediately got out of bed. Yuliana was a little dumbfounded when she saw the mess on the bed, but she quickly grabbed a clean set of sheets and changed everything. Then, she opened the window to ventte the room. After ventting the room, Yuliana brought the dirty sheets with her out of the room and threw them directly into the washing machine. She then tossed a fewundry capsules into it and finally let out a sigh of relief when she heard the sound of the washing machine running. Yuliana did not see Christopher in the living room when she came out of the room earlier, so she nced over at the small balcony used to dryundry. As expected, he was there with his back facing the room, probably smoking. Yuliana remembered a dirty joke she saw online in the past, saying how a smoke after sex gives a feeling like none other. With that thought, Yuliana could not help but think men were such fascinating creatures sometimes. After all, Christopher was like a zing ball of fire wanting to light Yuliana up in mes just moments ago. Yet, he was like the morning mist in the cold autumn now, seemingly cold and distant, as if he was free of any desire. It was gettingte after everything that had happened. Yuliana did not have the time to study men anymore, so she quickly took two potatoes and two eggs from the refrigerator and put them in a steamer. Then, she warmed two sses of fresh milk. Once that was done, Yuliana went to the bathroom to wash up. By the time Yuliana finished washing up, Christopher was already done with his cigarette and got inside. His eyes subconsciously swept over Yuliana¡¯s legs when he saw her. Yuliana did not like to wear long-sleeved clothes or long pants when she slept. Instead, she always wore loose-fitted shorts and a camisole. It was almost November at the time, and it was quite cold in the morning. She had yet to change, so she only put on a medium-length cardigan she wore at home. Because of that, the ambiguous red mark on Yuliana¡¯s fair skin was very obvious. Christopher¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled with restraint at the sight of that. Naturally, Yuliana knew what Christopher was looking at. She red at him angrily without a word, turned around, and went into the room to change. Yuliana took out a khaki knitted top from the wardrobe with a slightly higher cor. Then, she took a pair of loose-fitted, soft, andfortable long pants. She put on the pants first and took off the camisole to put on her bra when the door opened. Yuliana tilted her head to look and panicked. She was so flustered that she could not sp the bra behind her even after several tries. ¡°Get out!¡± Yuliana said angrily as she quickly turned around. Yuliana had porcin skin with a slim back and straight shoulders. It seemed as though her shoulder des would give rise to a pair of beautiful wings. Meanwhile, Christopher stopped at the door for two seconds before he walked over to Yuliana and asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you want me to help you?¡± Even though Christopher asked, he already went ahead and held onto Yuliana¡¯s hand behind her as soon as he spoke and led her hand to sp the bra just like that. The whole thing onlysted a few seconds, but Yuliana could feel as though she might stop breathing as it felt like an eternity. After putting on her bra, Yuliana immediately picked up the knitted top next to her and put it on. Then, she turned around to look at Christopher and said angrily, ¡°Who asked you toe in?¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows and took two steps forward. At the sight of Christopher¡¯s gaze, Yuliana subconsciously stepped back until her back was against the This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. wardrobe with nowhere else to go. Staring at Yuliana¡¯s flustered expression, Christopher put one hand beside her face and suddenly smiled. ¡°Yuliana, you always pretend like you¡¯re a ferocious tiger, but in reality, you are only a little kitten on the inside, right?¡± Yuliana was embarrassed as she retorted, ¡°You¡¯re the little kitten.¡± Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Sure. I¡¯m the little kitten. You¡¯re the ferocious tiger.¡± As soon as Christopher finished his sentence, the little kitten picked up the ferocious tiger and ced her on the bed. The ferocious tiger was about to bite when she heard the little kitten ask, ¡°Is there any cream for scratches at home?¡± Yuliana was stunned and replied, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s in the first aid kit in the cab outside.¡± Christopher went to get the first aid kit and went through it for a bit before he found a tube of cream. Then he looked at Yuliana with a smirk and asked, ¡°Do you want the little kitten to help you take off your clothes? Or is the ferocious tiger going to do it herself?¡± Yuliana looked like a cooked shrimp, she turnedpletely red. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Are You A Pervert? Yuliana looked like a cooked shrimp; she turnedpletely red. She pursed her lips and red at him as she tried to grab the ointment from his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Christopher stretched out his long arm, and Yuliana grabbed at nothing. ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that. It¡¯s my fault that you¡¯re hurt, so I¡¯ll take responsibility for it.¡± He sounded righteous. The two of them were in a standoff for a while. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher picked up the wristwatch at the bedside and checked the time. ¡°Ana, it¡¯s almost 8 a.m. You¡¯re going to bete for work.¡± ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t go too far!¡± Yuliana really wanted to kick him to the ground. She jumped off the bed and said, ¡°I won¡¯t apply for the medicine anymore.¡± Christopher pushed her back to the bed with a hold around her waist. One of his hands glided down to her waist and pulled her pants down to her knees easily after he undid the strings. He stared at the wound on her leg for a while, and a trace of anger shed through his eyes. ¡°Christopher, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Yuliana was so ashamed that she kept pushing away the hand on her knee and kicking him. But unexpectedly, Christopher suddenly loosened one of his hands, and Yuliana kicked him directly in the face. He rubbed at the corner of his mouth with his thumb. Yuliana suddenly froze and met Christopher¡¯s eyes. She then gulped down her saliva. ¡°You asked for it.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. I asked for it.¡± Christopher frowned and said casually. He unscrewed the ointment tube and squeezed some on his fingers. Then, Christopher held down her knee and evenly spread the ointment on the wound. The ointment was cold and relieved the prickling heat immediately after the application. Yuliana looked at his expression as he was focused on applying the medicine on her. She forgot to react and only recovered her senses once the medicine was applied, and Christopher held her feet and kissed her on the instep of her feet. She quickly pulled her foot out of his palm and frowned, ¡°Christopher, are you a pervert?¡± ¡°Who the hell kisses another person¡¯s feet? Or perhaps Christopher has a foot fetish?¡± Yuliana wondered. Meanwhile, Christopher was thinking about what he had thoughtst time. Her feet were indeed around the same size as his palm, small and soft. He coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and suddenly reminded, ¡°Did you cook something in your kitchen?¡± Yuliana was shocked and immediately remembered the potatoes and eggs. She put on her pants and shoes and immediately ran toward the kitchen. As she had been scaldedst time, Yuliana was careful this time. She turned off the stove first and then uncovered the pot with heat instion gloves. Fortunately, she added in a lot of water, so the food was not burnt. After breakfast, it was already past eight o¡¯clock. Yuliana packed her things and hurried out. Christopher stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± Yuliana looked at him and said, ¡°No need. It¡¯ll only take a few minutes for me to walk to school.¡± What happenedst night might have spread. She sometimes felt that Christopher was annoying, especially at this moment. Thus, she did not want him to send her lest she got annoyed. Christopher did not insist either. Yuliana saw him sitting on the couch and looking at his phone. She did not know what to do, so she asked, ¡°Are you not leaving?¡± Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯m in no hurry.¡± It was true. A young master like him had an elder brother and sister. He did not need to worry about business and personal affairs, so there was no rush for him. Yuliana reminded him to close the door when he left and then went to school with her bag. When she arrived at school, Fiona told her what happened after she and Christopher leftst night. Sure enough, it was exactly the same as Yuliana had expected. However, Yuliana still ignored it. Only a few older teachers persuaded her to keep her standards high, that she should not choose a man based on his looks lest she got tricked and whatnot, all in the guise of caring for her. In the end, even the school principal talked to her. He was afraid that Yuliana would provoke some bad people in society, which would affect Yuliana and even her students. Yuliana exined, ¡°Mr. Carlson, he is not a bad guy. Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing and will never affect the school, let alone my students.¡± After saying that, she was also stunned. She did not know when it started, but she was subconsciously sure that Christopher was not a bad person. In the past, the way she looked at Christopher was no different from the way the other teachers of the school and Cooper looked at him. Seeing that she was determined, Cooper could not say anything. After all, it was Yuliana¡¯s own business. He could only give suggestions, not force her to do so. Cooper smiled and said, ¡°As long as you know what you¡¯re doing, then it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just afraid that hurt. Well, there¡¯s nothing else here, so you can back to work.¡± you will get Yuliana nodded and went back to her office. In the office, neither Lexie nor Ariel were there. Only Fiona was there. Seeing Yulianaing back, Fiona immediately came over and asked, ¡°What did Mr. Carlson tell you? Is it rted to your friendst night?¡± Yuliana hummed in agreement. ¡°But I understand him.¡± Cooper talked to her mainly for the sake of the students and the school¡¯s reputation. It was reasonable for him to do so in his position. Fiona hesitated for a while and could not help but ask, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, is that man really your boyfriend?¡± She still could not believe it. After working with Yuliana for more than three years, Fiona understood some things about Yuliana. The man fromst night did not seem to meet Yuliana¡¯s criteria for choosing a partner in any way. How could Yuliana be with him? Yuliana lowered her eyes and was silent for a while. She looked up at Fiona and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing Yuliana¡¯s answer, Fiona¡¯sst fantasy was also broken. The atmosphere froze for a moment. Yuliana knew what Fiona was thinking. After all, everyone was in a different environment, so they would have a limited cognition of people and things from another environment. It was just like how Yuliana thought Christopher was not a good person before she knew him. Yuliana did not care about what other teachers thought, but Fiona was not only her colleague but also a friend. She introduced, ¡°His name is Christopher, and he and I have been ssmates from elementary school to university. In fact, he is not a bad person.¡± Hearing Yuliana¡¯s words, Fiona felt a little ashamed. Fiona smiled and said, ¡°He looks quite good.¡± To be fair, in real life, Christopher was the best-looking man she had ever met. Appearance wise, Yuliana was perfectly matched with him. Yuliana was stunned when she heard what Fiona said and remembered the few times she was dazed while staring at Christopher. She could not help but smile, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s quite handsome.¡± It was almost twelve o¡¯clock in the noon when Christopher arrived at Sce Corporation. Although he promised Kendrick to join Sce Corporation, Christopher did not promise to adhere to Kendrick¡¯s requirements after joining. Sometimes, Christopher felt that being the eldest son of the Sce family was quite pitiful. From birth, Kendrick had to shoulder the responsibility of prospering the Sce family. Even Alex had to learn all about being an heir since elementary school. However, Kendrick probably thought his childhood was too difficult, so he was quite indulgent with Alex. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Need To Sharpen Character When Christopher arrived at thepany, he was blocked by Kendrick¡¯s secretary. He did not even get to go to his office and was summoned to Kendrick¡¯s office. When the secretary knocked on the door and went in, La was also there. She seemed to be discussing something with a serious expression on her face, but when they saw Christopher, the two of them immediately stopped. The secretary said, ¡°Mr. Kendrick Sce, Ms. Sce, Mr. Christopher Sce is here.¡± Kendrick leaned against the back of his chair with his hands on the armrests and stared at Christopher, who was at the entrance, for two seconds. Then, he said, ¡°You may leave now.¡± The secretary nodded and left, not without closing the door. Christopherzily walked to the U-shaped couch and sat down. He nced at them from a distance and greeted La before he turned to Kendrick, who sat behind the desk, and said, ¡°Mr. Kendrick Sce, are you looking for me?¡± Kendrick was expressionless and only tapped on his wristwatch. ¡°Look at what time is it.¡± Christopher nce at the time and said, ¡°It¡¯s 11.50 a.m. Kendrick said, ¡°So you know it¡¯s already 11.50 a.m. Didn¡¯t the personnel from the HR department yesterday tell you about thepany¡¯s working hours?¡± ¡°They did.¡± Christopher raise his eyebrows and said, ¡°It was from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a two- hour break in between. It was also said that it¡¯s consideredte if within 30 minutes. If it¡¯s within 15 minutes, then the fine is 7 dors and 50 cents, but if it¡¯s between 15 to 30 minutes, then the fine is 15 dors. Beingte for more than 30 minutes will be counted as absenteeism, and the number of hours of absenteeism will be multiplied by three. I¡¯mte for more than two hours today. Let¡¯s round it off to three hours, so that¡¯s nine hours¡¯ sry that¡¯ll be deducted. And also, if the person is absent from work more than three times without any reason, they will be dismissed.¡± Speaking of this, he smiled at Kendrick. ¡°Oh, by the way, I have been absent from work more than three times without reason, so I will be dismissed.¡± ¡°You remember very clearly.¡± Kendrick could not help but sneer, ¡°Christopher, are you that certain I won¡¯t do anything to you?¡± Christopher propped his legs on the coffee table, ¡°Mr. Kendrick Sce, I only promised you to join Sce Corporation, but I didn¡¯t promise you to follow your requirements and standards.¡± La chuckled and shook her head. However, Kendrick told Christopher, ¡°There was an emergency meeting just now. The branch manager of Sce Corporation Romdale Branch had some physicalplications and needed surgery. It will take about half a month, so the headquarters decided to have you temporarily rece his position.¡± Christopher nced at Kendrick briefly and leanedzily on the couch. ¡°I won¡¯t go. Anyone else can go if they wish to.¡± Kendrick reminded, ¡°Christopher, you can turn this down, but then I¡¯ll have to talk to Ms. Livingstone.¡± Christopher¡¯s gaze turned dark, and he gave Kendrick a half-smiling look before he suddenly said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go.¡± It was only for half a month anyway. ¡°When is it?¡± Christopher asked. Kendrick said, ¡°Next Monday. Later, I will tell my secretary to contact the branch manager of Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. Over these two days, he will proceed with the handover process. You¡¯d better take this job seriously. If anything happens to Sce Corporation Romdale Branch during your term, you will be fully responsible for it.¡± Christopher sneered, but he did not say anything else and only asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Kendrick said, ¡°Go back to your office.¡± Christopher got up and left. When the door was closed, La frowned and looked at Kendrick. ¡°Are you really leaving the Romdale branch to Christopher?¡± Kendrick said, ¡°Do you not believe me or him?¡± It was not that La was distrustful, but she always felt that Christopher had never had experience in company management. Even if he founded Glory Corporation, the management was still left to a professional manager. However, La understood Kendrick¡¯s intention. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Sce Corporation had a history of more than 200 years. Every term was always seeded by the eldest son of the family. Although it guaranteed that Sce Corporation would continue to prosper to a certain extent, the speed of development had obviously slowed down after the setback in this century. This was especially true due to the scientific and technological revolution, where the situation of various industries had changed. Both Kendrick and she tended to be conservative in business philosophy and were greatly influenced by their father, Zachary. If Sce Corporation were to make changes, it had to break through the current situation and bring in new blood. Alex was too young. It would take at least 20 years for him to grow old enough to bear the burden of Sce Corporation. The situation might change a lot in 20 plus years, and Sce Corporation could not afford to gamble on this. However, Kendrick saw hope in Christopher¡¯s Glory Corporation. Perhaps Christophercked experience inpany management, but he had a unique vision. In recent years. almost every project invested in by Glory Corporation was profitable. Setting aside the small projects, allrge projects could only be invested in after receiving Christopher¡¯s approval. At present, although Glory Corporation was still vastly smaller than Sce Corporation, it would take no more than ten years, or possibly a shorter time within five years, for Glory Corporation to surpass Sce Corporation. Kendrick said, ¡°He seems like he¡¯s always idling around all day, but he¡¯s actually very sharp. You¡¯ve underestimated our younger brother.¡± He paused for a moment and continued in a deep tone, ¡°But he still needs to sharpen his character.¡± La did not expect Kendrick to give Christopher such a high evaluation. When she thought of her previous concerns, she could not help but smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. Chris is the most quick-witted among the three of us.¡± Especially when they were younger. Christopher had been a mischievous kid since a young age, but they had no way to deal with him. Kendrick only managed to force Christopher to follow his wishes now after ckmailing Christopher with his weakness. La remembered what she had talked about with Kendrick earlier and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted Annabelle. I¡¯ll go back to Juxshire this afternoon.¡± Kendrick pondered for a while and said, ¡°Go and arrange it. I¡¯ll have dinner with her tonight. Youe along too.¡± La nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± In the afternoon, Yorick, the person in charge of Sce Corporation Romdale Branch, contacted Christopher and sent thetter a list of work handovers as well as various follow-up work and projects. This was so that Christopher could have a general look at them first and contact him if there was any confusion. Yorick was in his forties. When Zachary was still in office, Yorick was already transferred to Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. It took Yorick nearly 20 years to be the top leader of the branch from a project manager. Now, a young man in his twenties came to rece Yorick directly. Even if it was Christopher from the Sce family, Yorick did not take it seriously in his heart. He had heard many rumors about Christopher. In short, Christopher was just an irresponsible yboy. Yorick even could not help but wonder if Christopher could understand some matters on the work handover list. ww However, unexpectedly, he received a call from Christopher less than two hours after the job handover list. was sent out. ¡°Mr. Foster, is this how your branch works?¡± Christopher spoke. After reading the work handover list and other documents from Yorick of Sce Corporation Romdale Branch, Christopher sneered on the phone. ¡°I had a rough look. Many of the projects that were followed up on were fromst year or even the year before, which had long exceeded the nned period.¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 I Won¡¯t Allow It After reading the work handover list and other documents from Yorick of Sce Corporation Romdale Branch, Christopher sneered on the phone. ¡°I had a rough look. Many of the projects that were followed up on were fromst year or even the year before, which had long exceeded the nned period.¡± From this, he knew what was happening at the branch office. It seemed the management was rtivelyx. In addition, the work handover list was quite perfunctory. The core part of the branch was inconsistent with the information given to him by Kendrick¡¯s assistant. Yorick was stunned for a moment and exined, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about that. There are many objective reasons, Mr. Christopher Sce. If you don¡¯t understand, you can refer to Mr. Kendrick Sce. He knows everything.¡± Christopher did not respond. When Yorick heard the silence on the other end of the phone, he only felt inexplicably pressured. After a while, Christopher said calmly, ¡°Mr. Foster, am I getting my work handover from you or Mr. Kendrick Sce?¡± Yorick scoffed. ¡°What do you mean by that, Mr. Christopher Sce? Are you using me of poor performance? I have been working at Sce Corporation for over 20 years. I joined thepany when Mr. Zachary Sce was around. Over the years, even Mr. Zachary Sce has never criticized me, let alone Mr. Kendrick Sce. Now, I am old and not as healthy as I used to be. I am sick, too. If you think I am useless, you can fire me.¡± Of course, Christopher understood what Yorick meant. Yorick was threatening him by mentioning Zachary and Kendrick However, Christopher was not one to bite the bait and said, ¡°Please re-draft a detailed work handover list and submit it before getting off work today.¡± After saying that, Christopher hung up the phone. Combining the information provided by Kendrick¡¯s assistant as well as the work handover list and resources given by Yorick, Christopher had roughly grasped the situation at Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. They could do whatever they pleased without fear of interference because of how far the distance was from the headquarters. In reality, the situation known to the headquarters and the actual condition of Romdale were vastly different. It looked like Romdale was not as simple as it seemed. Christopher found out Annabelle had returned to Juxshire when it was nearly time for him to get off work. Thus, he called Annabelle. After the call connected, the two fell into silence. In the end, Christopher spoke first. ¡°Can we meet tonight?¡± ¡°I have an appointment tonight.¡± Annabelle¡¯s voice was icy. She paused and added, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want to see you now.¡± Christopher said, ¡°Even if we don¡¯t get married, nothing will change between us, Annabelle.¡± Annabelle chuckled. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it change? Haven¡¯t you noticed, Christopher? You have changed since high school. Back then, we belonged in the same world. I was the most important person in your heart, now, am I still the first in your heart?¡± Christopher responded, ¡°As long as you need it, I will do anything for you, Annabelle.¡± Annabelle wanted tough after hearing that, but her heart was empty, and herugh was bitter. Finally, she smiled and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll contact you if I need to.¡± After that, Annabelle hung up the phone. At 7.30 p.m., Annabelle arrived on time ording to the address sent by La. Only La and Kendrick were in the private room. The waiter had finished serving the food, which was all Annabelle¡¯s favorite. ¡°Wee, Annabelle! Have a seat,¡± La greeted her with a smile and pulled a seat out for Annabelle. ¡°Thank you, La.¡± After Annabelle sat down, she looked at Kendrick and greeted him, ¡°Hello, Ken.¡± Kendrick nodded and asked, ¡°Where have you been these days?¡± Annabelle replied, ¡°I was at Druobridge for a while.¡± After leaving the wedding site, she sat in the car, not knowing where to go. Coincidentally, she spotted an advertisement on a taxi about Druobridge, so she bought an airne ticket to the ce. In fact, Annabelle had not nned toe back that day. La contacted her yesterday and said Kendrick wanted to meet her. La asked Annabelle to return to Juxshire, and thetter even booked her a ticket. Kendrick said, ¡°Christopher has wronged you, and so has the Sce family, Annabelle.¡± Annabelle paused and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Ken. If it weren¡¯t for the Sce family, I wouldn¡¯t be here today.¡± One could say that everything she had now was because of the Sce family. She would never think the Sce family was at fault. Kendrick asked, ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡± Annabelle was stunned and could not help but nce at Kendrick, but she said nothing. La looked at Kendrick and then at Annabelle. She interrupted, ¡°Shall we eat first? We can chat while we eat. The dishes are getting cold.¡± The three lifted their utensils. Annabelle lowered her gaze as she picked up a piece of fish on her te. La nced at her and put a piece of pork ribs into the te in front of her. ¡°I remember pork ribs are your favorite. I specially ordered the chef to make them beforeing here. Have a try.¡± ¡°Thank you, La.¡± Annabelle smiled at her. La felt inexplicably saddened when she saw her smile. Annabelle was right, but also wrong. She would not have what she had right now if it were not for the Sce family. However, Annabelle would not have be like this if it were not for the Sce family, too. In the end, the Sce family and Christopher were indebted to her. Therefore, when Christopher wanted to marry Annabelle, the family did not agree or oppose it. During the meal, Annabelle put down her fork and looked at Kendrick. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it, Ken.¡± Kendrick also ced his fork down. ¡°Annabelle, if you got married to Christopher sessfully, you would have be the Sce family¡¯s daughter-inw. I will always stand on your side, yet you chose to leave on the wedding day.¡± Annabelle understood him. At the end of the day, she was not one of the Sce family. Kendrick continued, ¡°You grew up with Christopher. No matter what happens, he¡¯ll protect you. Although that is what he should do, he now has to take responsibility for another woman, his children, and his family. He cannot protect you from everything I won¡¯t allow it, too.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Annabelle¡¯s face was pale, and the white lights illuminating her face made her seem paler. La thought she could not hold on any longer Kendrick added, ¡°You may think I¡¯m selfish for saying this, but Christopher is my only younger brother. I raised him by myself, and I don¡¯t want him to take any risks for you anymore. That incident wasn¡¯t his responsibility, but the Sce family¡¯s. If you want to me, then me the family.¡± A trace of hatred shed across Annabelle¡¯s eyes. She looked up at Kendrick as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not Christopher¡¯s responsibility, but what use is there in ming the Sce family? Will my father be revived? Can I go back to how my life was before? On the other hand, your family lives harmoniously. What about me? What do I have?¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Go Abroad The atmosphere in the private room turned tense. Annabelle had always felt conflicted. On the one hand, she was able to escape from her painful past and live a new life because of the Sce family. She was also able to study abroad and be the person she wanted to be. On the other hand, the better she lived, the more miserable she felt. That was because everything she had now was in exchange for her father¡¯s life. Every time she thought about this, she felt tormented. She knew the Sce family treated her well and fully paid their debts to her. She knew she should be grateful, but she could not do it. Likewise, she felt contradictory toward the Sce family. Whenever she visited the Sce family, seeing the loving parents, the kind grandchildren, and the harmonious siblings, Annabelle felt upset and unjust. She wondered why it was not someone from the Sce family who died. She thought, ¡°Why wasn¡¯t it Christopher but my dad?¡± On the other hand, she regarded the Sce family as her family. She thought the Sce family would feel the same toward her even if she did not marry Christopher and be the Sce family¡¯s daughter-inw. She pondered, ¡°Were those feelings fake all these years?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what he means, Annabelle.¡± La looked at Annabelle¡¯s pale face and exined, ¡°I do this not only for Christopher and the Sce family but also for you. It has almost been 20 years since the incident. You and Christopher should move on. If you continue this, you and Christopher will only diverge more in the future. You are only 26 years old and have a long future. No matter if it¡¯s me, Ken, or any other member of the Sce family, everyone wishes you to live a good life.¡± Although they were not rted by blood, La truly thought of Annabelle as her own sister. Annabelle was not even ten years old when she came to the Sce family. For ten years, La saw her grow from a weak and timid little girl to a beautiful and mature woman. It would be impossible for La to have no affection for her. At this point, Kendrick was not wrong. Tears rolled out of Annabelle¡¯s eyes, and she quickly raised her hand and wiped them away in a panic. She inhaled slightly, and her full lips curved into a smile. ¡°My apologies. I lost myposure.¡± La handed her a tissue. ¡°No matter if you¡¯re married to Christopher or not, you are still our sister, Annabelle.¡± Annabelle did not respond as she lightly dried her tears with the tissue. After she regained her composure, she looked at Kendrick and asked, ¡°What do you want me to do, Ken?¡± Kendrick asked, ¡°Do you want to go abroad?¡± Hearing this, Annabelle immediately understood. Kendrick wanted to send her abroad to stay away from Christopher and never disturb his life again. She smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± Kendrick looked at her, paused a little, and then said, ¡°I will make arrangements for you, whether it¡¯s life or work. Of course, you can contact La or me if you have any trouble. We won¡¯t abandon you.¡± Annabelle grinned and gazed at the two. ¡°Thank you, Ken, La.¡± After Annabelle got in a car and left, La looked at Kendrick and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t our actions to her too cruel?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Although Annabelle had been abroad for three years, Christopher had apanied her then. Now, they wanted to send her abroad alone to live in a foreign country without family or friends. Kendrick asked, ¡°Do you know what your biggest problem is, La?¡± La froze and nced at him quietly. You are soft-hearted.¡± That was why Kendrick wanted to train Christopher. In fact, La had always been capable at work, but she was too kind and could not make cruel decisions. This was a fatal thing for a manager. Kendrick continued, ¡°There will always be a price to pay. Otherwise, you can¡¯t gain anything. Since Christopher chose Yuliana, he must cut ties with Annabelle. Likewise, if he had chosen Annabelle, Yuliana would have to be let go.¡± He looked at La and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t need to exin so much to Annabelle just now.¡± For Annabelle, the exnation just now made them seem like hypocrites. From the beginning, Kendrick aimed to protect Christopher and simultaneously give Annabelle the best arrangement. La frowned. ¡°Regardless, she is our sister, too.¡± ¡°How can I be heartless to her? La thought. Kendrickforted, ¡°Transportation is very convenient now. If you miss her, you can often fly abroad to see her¡¯ La knew what Kendrick meant and nodded. At the same time, La¡¯s driver had driven the car over, and she said to Kendrick, ¡°I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Kendrick nodded, watched La get in the car, and then followed his assistant to another car. Soon, both cars left the entrance of the restaurant. After Annabelle left, she did not immediately return to Grand Ind Mansion but requested the driver to take her to Highfield Manor. It was dark in Highfield Manor. It seemed that the owner had not returned. She sat on the steps at the door and leaned her head against the wall, feeling drowsy She had woken up at 6 a m. that day to catch the ne. After a two-hour flight, the airnended at the airport, and she waited another hour to board the ne. The flight took about two hours before it reached Juxshire. She had just finished showering when she received La¡¯s call. On that day, she had not stopped to rest, both physically and mentally. Now that everything was settled, she rxed and felt a wave of fatigue. Atst, she fell asleep as she sat there. After falling asleep, she had a dream. In the dream, it was a cold winter. There was snow and rain at night. A little boy dragged a girl as they sprinted on a never-ending pathway. Only the whistling cold wind and their rapid, fearful breathing could be heard. It was as if they were the only ones in the world. ¡°Who are you, miss?¡± A woman¡¯s gentle voice suddenly sounded. Annabelle woke up from her dream. She lifted her eyes and saw a pair of men¡¯s leather shoes and a pair of women¡¯s high heels appearing in her sight. She looked up and saw Harry and a delicate, dignified woman standing in front of her. Annabelle stared at the woman. She was very young, and her eyes were clear and innocent. She was probably in her early 20s. Judging from her dress and temperament, she was obviously anotherdy from a prominent family. ¡°Yes. She is a good match for Harry,¡± Annabelle thought. Thinking of this, she looked at Harry, who was also looking at her. His eyes were as cold as ever, and she could not read his emotions. Yet, a few years ago, she could¡¯ve seen through those eyes with ease. It was tiring looking up and it did not suit Annabelle¡¯s style. She wanted to stand up, but her legs were numb from sitting for too long. She tried to stand up but fell miserably. Her tailbone hurt. She frowned and took some time to calm down before standing up gracefully. She looked at Harry and the woman before her and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve gone the wrong way.¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 When Are We Getting A Certificate? After saying that, she nodded gently to the young woman and walked outside the mansion. Throughout the whole thing, Harry never once spoke a word. When she was about to reach the door, she heard Harry saying to the woman beside him, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the woman responded softly. Annabelle quickened her pace, and soon she couldn¡¯t hear anything anymore. It was November, and the night in Juxshire was freezing with a slight drizzle. Highfield Manor was located in a rtively quiet area. Almost no one except for one or two cars would pass by asionally at night. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She recalled that night once again. Her heartbeat intensified, and her steps became more uneven. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help but run in fear. Annabelle¡¯s hair got tangled after a long run. Her shoe¡¯s heels had broken off, which caused her to sprain her ankle. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore as they rolled down her cheeks. She looked up and saw that the road formerly covered with nts on the side now resembled a terrifying abyss, and the street lighting on both sides resembled a pathway to it. Annabelle panicked and took out her phone to call Christopher. However, something suddenly came to her mind. Her fingers on the phone suddenly stiffened. In the end, she locked the phone screen. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she bit her lower lip, crouched down to remove the high-heeled shoes on her right foot, and put them back on after she broke the heels on the ground. Then, she endured significant pain in her left foot and went ahead andunched a taxi-hailing app. Some time had passed, but there was no driver around. Suddenly a bright light came from behind. It was followed by the screeching sound of tires. Annabelle subconsciously turned around and flinched to the side of the road, but the car stopped in front of her. ¡°Get in,¡± the man said coldly as he lowered the car window. Maple Garden. It was already ten o¡¯clock when Yuliana finished preparing for her ss. She walked back and forth in the room twice. She felt that she had forgotten about something. Finally, she remembered. She went to the bathroom and turned on the washing machine. When she was about to take out the washed quilt cover to dry, she found the washing machine empty. Yuliana was stunned and went outside to look at the balcony. As expected, the quilt cover had been dried on the patio, but it wasn¡¯t correctly ced, so only parts were dry. Yuliana took it down and hung it up appropriately. Then she went back to her room and paced around. For some reason, she found it hard to concentrate tonight. She would remember what she would do in the first second, but she would forget immediately after. Finally, she remembered that she should wash up and go to bed. She went to bed after taking a shower. She had changed into a clean nket, but she still got the feeling that there was some peculiar odor in it. She tossed and turned in bed for a long time but couldn¡¯t sleep. When she looked at the time, it was almost early in the morning. Yuliana stared at the ceiling for a while, closed her eyes, and forced herself to fall asleep. But the more she tried, the harder it was to fall asleep. As time went by, there was a sudden knock on the door. She immediately opened her eyes and listened carefully. It was true that someone was knocking on the door. She lifted the quilt and got out of bed immediately. She walked to the door and peeked outside through the peek hole but couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Ana.¡± Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this voice. She didn¡¯t think that Christopher woulde tonight. She hesitated for a while, bit her lips, and opened the door. After she opened the door, Yuliana only nced at him, then turned around and returned to her bedroom. There was a slight noise outside, and after a while, she heard a faint sound of water. Sleepiness was starting to hit her Yuliana felt the bed sink and a warm body wrapped around her when she was about to fall asleep. She jolted awake. She tried pushing the arm around her waist twice but failed. Finally, she growled, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a home? Can¡¯t you go back to your own home to sleep?¡± Christopher sniffed her neck from behind and said in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t your home my home?¡± Yuliana was stumped for words. She couldn¡¯t believe that he was this shameless! Then, Christopher kissed her neck again and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Yuliana was dumbfounded for a moment before she realized what he was asking. As she thought of this, she couldn¡¯t help but get annoyed again. Although she was wearing loose and soft pants today, she still felt a bit ufortable when walking. ¡°Go away.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but push him again. Instead of letting her go, Christopher held her tighter. ¡°I checked online today, Ana. It said it¡¯s fine to be intimate during the first three months of pregnancy if your condition is good.¡± ¡°Christopher!¡± Yuliana stretched out her hand to push his abdomen. ¡°Shame on you!¡± She wondered to herself, ¡°Why¡¯s Christopher always on heat like an animal? Is it just him, or is every man like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time. Why do I have to be ashamed about it? Besides, we¡¯re sleeping on the bed together now.¡± Christopher grabbed Yuliana¡¯s hand, blew into her ear, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ana, please help me.¡± In the end, through Christopher¡¯s coaxing and pestering, he was able to have his way with her. After helping Yuliana clean up, he kissed her shoulder. ¡°Ana, your skills need to be improved.¡± Yuliana kicked him and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless person like you.¡± Christopher chuckled and whispered some dirty words in Yuliana¡¯s ear. When Yuliana heard this, her face reddened, and she felt like pping him. He sighed with happiness as he embraced Yuliana in his arms and asked, ¡°When are we going to get a marriage certificate, Ana?¡± Yuliana was taken aback for a time. She had previously contacted Callie about the prenuptial agreement, and Callie had also arranged for her to meet with awyer. By this weekend, thewyer would arrive in Juxshire. ording to the procedure, they could get a marriage certificate after they signed the prenuptial agreement But the thought of getting a marriage certificate made Yuliana feel uneasy. Yuliana asked, ¡°Did your family really agree to it?¡± ¡°Of course, Ana. They will like you,¡± Christopher answered. Yuliana didn¡¯t say a word to this answer. When she thought of Winnie¡¯s attitude towards her that night, Yuliana felt Christopher was too optimistic. Yuliana hesitated momentarily and said, ¡°We¡¯ll get the certificate first and n the other thingster?¡± The other thing she meant was the wedding. She had just divorced a few months ago, and Christopher almost married Annabelle not long ago. If they held the wedding now, there might be some controversy. Although Yuliana didn¡¯t care about others¡¯ opinions, she would rather avoid their nasty remarks. Moreover, a wedding would be meaningless to her if Christopher didn¡¯t love her. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Are You A Dog? Christopher was silent for a while before he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± He nipped on Yuliana¡¯s shoulder bone while he said this. She shrieked and couldn¡¯t stop herself from hitting him. ¡°Are you a dog?¡± Although he didn¡¯t bite hard, Yuliana was skinny, which was why it hurt when his teeth rubbed on her bones. Christopher was not annoyed when he heard Yuliana¡¯s words. Instead, heughed in her ear and sighed. ¡°Ana, I want to mark you so that other men dare not covet you.¡± His words made Yuliana heartbeat race. She held her breath and struggled. ¡°You¡¯re sick.¡± Christopherughed. It was quiet for a moment. When Yuliana was about to fall asleep, Christopher suddenly said, ¡°I will definitely give you a perfect wedding, Ana.¡± She didn¡¯t hear it at all. She had missed Christopher¡¯s words when she awoke. Yuliana asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡± Christopher answered, ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± Yuliana pressed her lower lips and closed her eyes again. On Saturday, thewyer introduced by Callie arrived from Jeahron. Before thewyer came with the prenuptial agreement, he had sent her the document through email. Some of the terms in the agreement were determined ording to her requirements. Thewyer proposed some more after discussing them with Yuliana. After all, they were professionals. The agreement reduced the likelihood of Yuliana¡¯s loss in the marriage. Although there was no trap for Christopher, it was a little harsh to him. When she saw the documents, Yuliana got worried Christopher would have a problem with the agreement. She hesitated if she should let thewyer change it again. But in the end, she decided not to change it. She didn¡¯t expect that when Christopher signed the agreement, he wouldn¡¯t read the content but immediately sign. Yuliana asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to look at the agreement¡¯s content?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t even hesitate and answered, ¡°No. What¡¯s mine is yours.¡± When he said this, he smiled and looked up at Yuliana. ¡°Of course, what¡¯s yours is mine too.¡± Yuliana¡¯s face suddenly turned hot when she heard this. She red at him and motioned him to stop. Yesterday was a Friday, and she didn¡¯t have to wake up early the next day. Christopher pestered her all night, so she didn¡¯t wake up until almost ten o¡¯clock this morning. The prenuptial agreement was signed, and thewyer was dismissed. ¡°Can we get our marriage certificate now that the prenuptial agreement is signed? Christopher said while he hugged Yuliana¡¯s shoulder. Yuliana was sitting on the sofa and replying to WhatsApp messages. She answered, ¡°We¡¯ll go next week.¡± Christopher frowned when he heard this. ¡°Can¡¯t we go today? It¡¯s only three o¡¯clock now. There¡¯s still time.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at him. ¡°Mr. Sce, do you have common sense? How can the City Hall work on weekends?¡± Christopher frowned and asked, ¡°Does the City Hall not work on weekends?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t bother to answer Christopher¡¯s silly question. Christopher was a little upset about this. He was going to Sce Corporation Romdale Branch next Monday. It would take at least half a month for him toe back In other words, it would take half a month to get the certificate. Half a month was quite some time. He turned to face Yuliana. She was replying to WhatsApp messages at the time. Since this morning, there had been a flood of texts from the students¡¯ parents. Some inquired about their children¡¯s situations at school Othersined that their children misbehaved at home and refused to do their schoolwork, so they requested her to discipline them. Christopher stood at the side, watched for a while, and thought it was quite interesting. He sneered, ¡°They can¡¯t even manage their child. How do they expect the teacher to manage their child?¡± When she heard this, Yuliana immediately hid her phone, pushed Christopher away, and said, ¡°Sit over there.¡± But Christopher suddenly took the phone from her hand, threw it on the sofa, and said, ¡°You should rest on the weekend. Why bother about them?¡± Yuliana red at him. She was about to get her phone back when she was pressed down on the sofa by Christopher She red at Christopher above her and growled, ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher suddenly said, ¡°Ana, I¡¯m going on a business trip to Romdale next Monday.¡± Yuliana was taken aback. ¡°What trip?¡± Christopher always looked so free that it didn¡¯t cross Yuliana¡¯s mind that he went to work too. So she was caught off guard when he said he was going on a business trip. ¡°Sce Corporation branch in Romdale, Christopher answered. Yuliana nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Oh, okay¡± Seeing that she was so calm about it, Christopher smiled in exasperation. ¡°Are you excited for me to go?¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes flickered, and she asked, ¡°How long will you be away?¡± ¡°Half a month?¡± ¡°Half a month? It was a little long,¡± she thought to herself. Yuliana frowned slightly before she turned to face Christopher above her. She felt her heart soften when she saw the faint sadness on his face. She lifted her hand and petted him before her gaze rested on his lips. She held his shoulder, lifted her upper body, kissed him on the corner of the mouth, and said, ¡°When youe back, we will get the certificate, okay?¡± Christopher couldn¡¯t help but feel lust in his heart as he looked at her lovely and sweet face. He grabbed her hand, looked her in the eyes, and kissed each of her fingers passionately They had been intimate several times, so even if they didn¡¯t say anything, they knew each other¡¯s thoughts with only one look. Yulianaid back on the sofa. Perhaps the half-month separation or the pitiful look on Christopher¡¯s face made Yuliana ept this time. So much so that she even took the initiative. The temperature in the room was rising. Yuliana felt the lust filling her entire body. Then, there was a knock on the door. Yuliana immediately came back to her senses. She looked in the direction of the door, pushed Christopher away, and said softly. ¡°Someone knocked on the door.¡± Christopher held her hand and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. It must be a mistake.¡± What Christopher said could be the case, too, but Yuliana was still a little wary. ¡°Get up first¡± Christopher ignored her Since no one had opened the door, the knocker outside suddenly shouted, ¡°Yuliana, are you at home?¡± Yuliana shuddered when she heard this voice. She couldn¡¯t help but pat Christopher on the shoulder and anxiously said, ¡°It¡¯s Xani. Get up.¡± Instead of doing what she asked, Christopher covered her mouth. Yuliana stared at him and tried to push him away in a hurry. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. She hadn¡¯t told Xandria about her and Christopher. She didn¡¯t know what Xandria would think if she saw Christopher at her house. When no one answered her, Xandria couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Is she not at home?¡± She thought for a while, took out her phone, and called Yuliana. Right then, she heard the sound of a phone ringing. She was taken aback and leaned against the door. The noise came from inside. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Does He Like You? Right then, she heard the sound of a phone ringing. She was taken aback and leaned against the door. The noise came from inside. Xandria was stunned for a moment and suddenly became anxious. She knocked on the door hard and yelled. ¡°Yuliana, are you at home? Open the door for me! Did something happen to you? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find someone to help you right away!¡± Xandria would not have been so worried before. But Yuliana was a pregnant woman now. She was alone at home, and no one would know if she hit her head and fainted. Not long ago, she saw a piece of news online that a pregnant woman slipped when taking a shower. No one was at home, and when they found her, she was already dead. Xandria was so terrified that she began to sweat. She took out her phone. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and she had no idea who to contact. When she calmed down and was about to call the police, the door suddenly opened. However, it was not Yuliana who opened the door. Xandria was taken aback by Christopher standing in front of her. Her face was pale from the panic earlier, but her eyes were immediately filled with shock when she saw Christopher. She hadn¡¯t had time to think about anything that was going on. Christopher coldly looked down at the uninvited guest in front of him with a sour look on his face. Xandria was shocked for ten seconds before she gained her senses. She asked harshly, ¡°Why are you here? Where is Yuliana?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Yuliana appeared behind Christopher. When Xandria met Yuliana¡¯s eyes, she could see the glint in her eyes, and her cheeks and ears were still red. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Xani,¡± Yuliana called Xandria in a low voice. Xandria was shocked when she saw the two standing together. Although she had never experienced a rtionship, she was not an idiot. There was obvious tension between Yuliana and Christopher. She could imagine what might have happened between them before she came. Suddenly, Xandria¡¯s face darkened. She nced at Yuliana, didn¡¯t say a word, and turned to leave. Yuliana hurriedly chased after Xandria and grabbed her, ¡°Xani.¡± Xandria shook off Yuliana¡¯s hand and asked angrily, ¡°Do you even see me as a friend, Yuliana?¡± Yuliana was at a loss. ¡°I can exin it, Xani.¡± Xandria pointed to Christopher, who was still standing at the door, and said, ¡°Are you going to exin that nothing is going on between you and Christopher? Yuliana, do you think I¡¯m blind or stupid?¡± Yuliana had nothing to say She knew very well that it was more difficult for Xandria to ept that she got married to Christopher than when she married Harry. In truth, Yuliana had been in a dilemma since she agreed to marry Christopher. She didn¡¯t know how to tell Xandria. At first, she wanted to talk to her before they went to get a marriage certificate, but she didn¡¯t expect Xandria to suddenlye and bump into her and Christopher together Yuliana grabbed Xandria¡¯s hand again. This time she exerted some force, and Xandria failed to shake it off. ¡°Xani, can we sit down and talk? I have something to tell you.¡± Xandria¡¯s face darkened, and she refused coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± ¡°Xani,¡± Yuliana begged. After a pause, Yuliana added, ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been your best friend since I was a child. There are some things. that I can only say to you.¡± Xandria¡¯s face softened a little when she heard this. Christopher was kicked out a few minutester. Xandria and Yuliana sat on the sofa. Xandria nced around the room. The most obvious sign was the men¡¯s slippers at the door. It wasn¡¯t there when she came here before, and the shoes were new. It was the same as Yuliana¡¯s but in a different color. Even though Xandria had guessed it, she still couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you together with Christopher?¡± Yuliana looked at her and nodded calmly. Xandria didn¡¯t know how to react, so she smiled ironically and said, ¡°Yuliana, have you thought about it. thoroughly? Don¡¯t you know what kind of person Christopher is? You can be with anyone in this world. Why Christopher?¡± Yuliana was silent for a moment before she gazed at Xandria and said, ¡°Xani, I¡¯ve fallen in love with Christopher.¡± Her voice was soft, but she was serious. That was what she wanted to tell Xandria. Just like when she fell in love with Harry, the only person she told was Xandria. When Xandria heard Yuliana¡¯s words, her face fell, and she went quiet. ¡°So this is why Yuliana chooses Christopher. Besides, she¡¯s having his baby, so it¡¯s reasonable that she got together with him,¡± Xandria thought to herself. Xandria didn¡¯t know what to say because she really hated Christopher. year of high Because of Christopher, she became the school¡¯sughingstock in high school. Her senior school was a living nightmare. Yuliana was her best friend, yet she was with someone she despised. It was really hard for her to ept it. It might be childish for her to think that way. She shouldn¡¯t have made things difficult for Yuliana simply because she despised him, but Yuliana was her best friend, so Xandria felt betrayed. Besides¡­ Xandria sneered and asked, ¡°Does he like you?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said nothing. Xandria continued, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯ve married a man who didn¡¯t like you before. Haven¡¯t you learned a lesson yet? After all, whether it was Harry or Christopher, there was always Annabelle between you and them. Have you ever considered that Christopher, like Harry, may one day ditch you for Annabelle?¡± Xandria thought that by hurting Yuliana, she would be happy, but when she saw Yuliana¡¯s expression, she felt sad. After a while of silence, Xandria suddenly said, ¡°There are many men in the world, Yuliana. Since you can forget Harry and fall in love with Christopher, you can also forget Christopher and fall for other men.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°Xani, you¡¯re right. Maybe one day I can fall in love with others. In this case, what should I worry about?¡± She paused and continued, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Christopher, but he might not be what you think, Xani.¡± Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Burden Yuliana had always been a very decisive person like her mother, Callie. Once Yuliana made a decision, she would never change her mind. Just like when she chose to marry Harry back then. No matter how the people around her had persuaded her, she still married that man without deliberation. Simrly, no matter what Xandria had to say, it would be impossible to change Yuliana¡¯s decision. Nevertheless, Xandria was Yuliana¡¯s best friend. Throughout Yuliana¡¯s entire life, she did not have that many people who were important to her Especially after Damian had been imprisoned, Yuliana began to really cherish the people who she cared about. Because of that, Yuliana hoped to receive Xandria¡¯s acknowledgment and blessings for her marriage. Never would she wish for her rtionship with Xandria to be affected because of Christopher. ¡°Xani, I hope I can have your blessings,¡± uttered Yuliana. When Xandria heard those words, she thought that Yuliana sounded even more hrious and absurd. ¡°Does it make any difference whether I give my blessings or not? If I don¡¯t offer you any of my blessings, would you stop being together with Christopher?¡± Xandria figured she herself must be too childish to have dropped that remark. She could feel that Yuliana actually cared more about Christopher than her. ¡°Even with the 20 years of friendship with Yuliana, how am I still notparable to Christopher?¡± she questioned inwardly. Xandria stood up with her reddened eyes and went on with her somewhat choked-up voice, ¡°You can be with whomever you want. You¡¯ve only yourself to me if you ever get dumped. I¡¯ll never get involved in your affairs again.¡± Xandria walked off instantly upon finishing her sentence. As she turned around, she wiped her tears away. That time around, Yuliana did not stop Xandria. She pursed her lips tightly and watched Xandria¡¯s back as thetter left. It seemed that Yuliana and Xandria had always been getting into arguments when it came to matters about men N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Meanwhile, Christopher stepped out of Yuliana¡¯s ce, went to Prestige Club, and then headed to Annabelle¡¯s studio. However, when Christopher reached the studio, the studio workers were already tidying up the ce and packing up all the paintings. A wrinkle formed between Christopher¡¯s eyebrows. He grabbed one of the staff members and asked, ¡°Why are you guys putting all these paintings away?¡± That staff had known Christopher from thetter¡¯s frequent visits and responded, ¡°I also have no idea, Mr. Sce. Ms. Johnson instructed us to do so.¡± Christopher furrowed his brows even more tightly as he listened to that answer. ¡°Where¡¯s Annabelle?¡± he asked again. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ms. Johnson hasn¡¯t been here for a very long time already,¡± revealed the staff member. Christopher fell silent for a brief moment before he said, ¡°All right. You should get back to work.¡± The staff nodded and moved the painting downstairs. Christopher stood there momentarily and looked at the others who got themselves busy. After that, he went downstairs, departed from the studio in his car, and made his way to Grand Ind Mansion. Truth be told, Christopher did go to Grand Ind Mansion the night before. He had waited there for quite a long time, but Annabelle did not return. Christopher dialed Annabelle¡¯s number, but the woman did not answer the phone. Christopher became worried, so he spared some time to visit and take a look. When Christopher reached Grand Ind Mansion, he rang the doorbell several times, but no one answered the door. He then entered the password and got inside. The mansion was quiet, but there was a pair of broken high heels and a bag casually thrown next to them by the shoe cab at the door. Christopher stopped and swept a nce at the surroundings before he set foot inside. After he looked around downstairs, he went up to the second floor and headed straight to the room at the end of the corridor. He pushed open the door and stepped in, only to see nothing but pitch ck in the room. Christopher quickly found the switch and turned on the light in the room. The sudden brightness made the woman who was lying in bed frown instinctively. After a while, she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± When Annabelle heard Christopher¡¯s frosty, deep voice, she was still in a daze for a couple of seconds before finallynding her gaze on Christopher who stood beside the bed. She frowned deeper at that sight. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Christopher shot Annabelle a nce and voiced nonchntly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer any of my calls? I even waited outside for a few hoursst night but didn¡¯t see youe back. I was also at the studio just now, and those workers were all busy packing up your paintings. What are you up to, Annabelle?¡± Annabelle could not help but smile cynically at Christopher¡¯s words. ¡°What am I up to? How does that have anything to do with you?¡± Christopher looked Annabelle in the eye with his deep eyes and said nothing. Annabelle slowly sat up from the bed, only to reveal obvious hickeys all over her shoulders and neck. Christopher froze for a bit and asked, ¡°Did you go to Harry again?¡± Annabelle hummed lightly in response. Then came Christopher¡¯s reminder. ¡°I heard that he¡¯s now spending more time with the youngdy of the Lynch family. Looking at how things go, I think the two of them are nning to get married.¡± Harry had quite an awkward identity and position in the Ziegler family. No matter how capable he was, as long as the Ziegler family patriarch led the Ziegler family, Harry could never rise to the top and be the head of it. Still, things would be different if he had the support of the Lynch family. ¡°I know that. I met Ms. Lynchst night. That¡¯s all.¡± Annabelle curled her lips into a faint grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. though. I¡¯m not going to do anything or have any rtionship with him in the future. Last night was thest time¡± ¡°Well, as long as you know what to do,¡± Christopher replied. The Lynch family only had one daughter, and she was the family¡¯s treasure. If Annabelle were to remain entangled with Harry, the Lynch family would never let the matter slide that easily once they found out about it Annabelle smiled again as she looked at Christopher and asked, ¡°Back when we just came back from abroad, why didn¡¯t you say any of these to me when I hooked up with Harry?¡± Once again, Christopher kept mum. ¡°I guess you must¡¯ve wished for me to drive a divorce between Harry and Yuliana at that time, right? That way, you can then swoop in and reap the benefits.¡± Annabelle¡¯s eyes turned chilly. Christopher paused for a while before he gave a response. ¡°I can¡¯t deny my feelings for Yuliana, but I didn¡¯t think you would do that at that time, let alone expect Harry and Yuliana to get a divorce.¡± A brief silence ensued in the room. Suddenly, Annabelle stated, ¡°He didn¡¯t get a divorce because of me.¡± Harry was no longer the same man as he had been in university. Back then, not only was he aloof and cold, but he also valued his dignity and pride more than anything. Yet, a man like him was willing to kneel in front of her and plead with her. Things had changed, though. Not a trace of his younger self could be found in Harry¡¯s current appearance. Harry had be money-minded. A utilitarian man through and through. In Harry¡¯s eyes, benefits were more important than anything. That was why Harry abandoned Yuliana without hesitation when she was no longer useful to him. On the contrary, considering that Ms. Lynch could be of some value to him, he naturally would not give up such a good opportunity. Christopher observed Annabelle¡¯s indifferent expression. ¡°Do you regret it?¡± That made Annabelle curl her lips into a grin. ¡°What¡¯s there to regret? If I hadn¡¯t dumped him then, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten to where he was today. I couldn¡¯t have really suffered in poverty with that poor man, could I? Besides, I¡¯ve always been coveted by many. It¡¯s not that hard to get myself someone better than Harry-¡± Annabelle paused abruptly and eyed Christopher before she continued, ¡°Or maybe someone even better than you, Christopher. So, don¡¯t worry about me anymore. I¡¯m no longer that young and naive girl I used to be. I won¡¯t let anyone bully me that easily. I can protect myself¡± With her legs retracted, Annabelle leaned against the headboard, and stared nkly ahead of her. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything anymore, Chris. The Sce family has given me everything I needed to be where I am today. Whatever debt there might be, the Sce family has already paid it all back to me. In the past, I was really afraid that you would leave me, so I really hated Yuliana. I feared that she might one day take you away from me. Actually, I¡¯m just as scared now, but I know you can¡¯t stay with me forever. I thought that as long as we got married, we¡¯d stick together forever and keep each other¡¯s company. But then I realized that you didn¡¯t need mypany.¡± It was then that Annabelle stopped to ponder for a bit and went on, ¡°I¡¯m nothing but a burden that you can¡¯t get rid of.¡± Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 A Dog That Bites It was then that Annabelle stopped to ponder for a bit and went on, I¡¯m nothing but a burden that you can¡¯t get rid of.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see you as a burden,¡± refuted Christopher. Annabelle gave noments on that. All she did was smile before she pursed her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m going abroad for some time, Chris.¡± That made Christopher frown slightly. ¡°How long would that period be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It may be a year, a few years, or a lifetime. It depends.¡± Annabelle shook her head gently. ¡°Why did you suddenly decide to go abroad? I¡¯ve never heard of you mentioning that you intend to go abroad. Is it because of Harry? Or am I the reason?¡± asked Christopher. His eyes turned sharp. Then came Annabelle¡¯s answer. ¡°What if I say it¡¯s because of both of you?¡± With that said, Annabelle shed yet another smile and added, ¡°You¡¯d be marrying Yuliana, right? Judging from Yuliana¡¯s personality, do you think she wouldn¡¯t mind my rtionship with you? As long as I¡¯m still in this country, can you hold yourself back and leave me alone? You won¡¯t be able to do that.¡± Annabelle knew Christopher too well. Over the years, Annabelle had always been fearless. Sometimes, when she had nowhere to vent her resentment, she would always get Christopher involved by troubling him with something. Because of that, it was reasonable for Kendrick to ask her to leave Christopher. She was always creating trouble for Christopher. ¡°Let¡¯s just let each other go,¡± said Annabelle in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to go separate ways.¡± Christopher then raised a query. ¡°When are you going to leave?¡± ¡°It should be pretty soon,¡± answered Annabelle. ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip for half a month. Can you wait until then? I¡¯ll see you off when I get back.¡± asked Christopher. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Annabelle directed her line of sight to Christopher. ¡°I beg you, Christopher. If you can¡¯t always be there for me for the rest of my life, you can simply let me be from now on.¡± Christopher pursed his lips. After a long time, he parted his lips and agreed, ¡°All right.¡± Annabelle averted her eyes right away. ¡°Leave me. I still want to catch some sleep.¡± Christopher did not say anything more. His gaze lingered on Annabelle for a couple of seconds before he wheeled around and left the bedroom. The night fell sooner in November. It was only a little after 6 o¡¯clock, yet the sky had turned dark. The city lights were lit up brightly in the bustling streets A bone-chilling breeze wafted inside through the open window. Even so, Christopher looked ahead expressionlessly as if he could not feel the cold air. Only his lips seemed a little tight. When Annabelle was young, she was very timid and always cried very easily. When she encountered any sort of trouble, she would panic and could only hide behind that man while she gripped his clothes with all her might. Her eyes were constantly inundated with fear and caution. Sometimeter, Christopher took Annabelle to be one of the Sce family. When Annabelle first joined the Sce family, she was still very anxious and uneasy. No matter what happened, she would hide in a corner and keep her head down without saying a word. She always seemed out of ce with anything or anyone rted to the Sce family. After about two or three years, Annabelle¡¯s personality gradually changed as she went to middle school. However, she had been reluctant to live in the Sce residence ever since she was in middle school. Instead, she chose to live in the dorm. She would only return to the Sce residence during the winter and summer vacations. When she got into university, Annabelle had be unwilling to even ask the Sce family for money. She would rather make a living and pay her tuition fees by working part-time jobs. Christopher knew what Annabelle was thinking, so he never forced her to go against her will. When Christopher returned to Maple Garden, Yuliana just made dinner. Yuliana did not know that Christopher woulde back so early, so she merely whipped up something light. She had prepared some rib roast and sd. Both dishes did not look that good and appetizing, but Yuliana had already tasted them and thought they were good enough. At least, the dishes did not taste awful. Be that as it might, they might not suit Christopher¡¯s taste. ¡°Or maybe you can order a takeout yourself,¡± suggested Yuliana as she picked up the fork and looked at Christopher. Christopher sneaked a peek at those two dishes on the coffee table and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already cook these? Why must I still order takeouts?¡± When he finished his sentence, he got up and went into the kitchen to fetch himself some bread. He then sat down and enjoyed the meal with Yuliana. Yuliana did not utter a word. All she did was observe Christopher while he ate. She felt relieved when she saw that Christopher still had his usual and normal expression on his face. It was then she suddenly gained more confidence. She thought, ¡°The food must taste good, I guess.¡± After dinner, Christopher took the dishes to the kitchen and washed them. Thest time he did it, he had identally smashed a te. Although there was still a series of nking sounds in the kitchen, at least Christopher did not break anything that time around. Compared to Monday to Friday, Yuliana had more leisure time during the weekends. Especially at night, she did not need to prepare lessons or do any other work. With all that spare time, she could simply watch movies or TV series. However, it would take too much of her time to finish any long TV series. Hence, she would usually choose not to watch TV series if they were not her favorites. Because of that, she would watch movies most of the time. There were not many good movies in recent years. Of course, those movies were all full of special effects, but they could never appeal to people like Yuliana, who had no interest in seeking novelty and excitement. She took out her tablet and searched online for a while, but she did not find any of them to her liking. Eventually, she chose the movie ¡°Flipped¡±, which she had watched countless times. It was the summer vacation after graduating from middle school when Yuliana first watched that movie. That could be considered an early stage of enlightenment about love and romance between a couple for her during puberty. Christopher exited the kitchen after washing the dishes and found that the lights in the living room were all turned off. Yuliana turned on the projector, and a film was being yed on the wall. She wore a woolen shawl. Yuliana was all curled up on the couch as she enjoyed the movie and appeared ever so rxed. Christopher stood silently for a few seconds before he walked over to Yuliana and carried her from the couch altogether. At that point, Yuliana was too immersed in watching the movie. Therefore, she was frightened as she screamed in a panic. Yuliana looked up and met Christopher¡¯s gaze. Annoyed, she shot that man a re. Christopher broke into a smile and sat down on the couch. ¡°What movie are you watching?¡± he asked as he made Yuliana sit on hisp. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Yuliana, in turn, did not struggle to get off Christopher¡¯sp. She leaned quietly in his embrace and voiced, ¡°Flipped¡±.¡± Christopher grunted a faint response and asked again, ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice. I can¡¯t even remember how many times I¡¯ve watched it already,¡± answered Yuliana. Not a word came out of Christopher¡¯s mouth then. He silently apanied Yuliana to enjoy the movie. Yet, in the end, Christopher¡¯s visage gradually darkened. He tilted his head and nced at Yuliana in his arms. When he noticed that she was still focusing on the video ying on the wall, Christopher suddenly lowered his head and bit her earlobe. Yuliana felt a sharp pain, and her attention instantly shifted from the film to Christopher. ¡°Are you a dog? Why do you always bite me for no reason?¡± Yuliana could not read Christopher¡¯s expression clearly, probably because the living room was too dark. Plus, Christopher¡¯s hair hung loosely downward, casting a shadow over his eyes. All Yuliana could feel was that his eyes were quite deep at that moment. ¡°So what if I¡¯m one? I¡¯ll only bite you,¡± replied Christopher coldly before he lowered his head to bite Yuliana¡¯s lips. Yuliana was baffled. She had minded her own business and watched the movie peacefully. She had no idea how she even managed to draw Christopher¡¯s attention. Finally, Christopher went out of control and began to give Yuliana a big smooch. It was still early, and the movie had yet to end. Yuliana did not wish for her lovely weekend to be ruined by Christopher again. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished watching the movie yet.¡± Yuliana nudged Christopher. Instead of letting Yuliana go, Christopher picked her up in his arms and headed to the bedroom. ¡°Who cares if you haven¡¯t finished it? You¡¯ve watched it so many times already. Haven¡¯t you had enough of it?¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 It Is Pointless To Regret The sound of the movie in the living room had stopped for a long time. The movie should be over by then. In the bedroom, Yuliana was facing Christopher as she fell asleep on his arm. Her breathing was even while her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Christopher sat on the bed, leaning against the head of the bed frame. He looked at the person in front of him in silence for a long while and smoothed the knit between her eyebrows with his fingertip. Nheless, the light knit appeared between her eyebrows in no time again. It seemed to tell the sorrow of its owner¡¯s heart. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened. He twitched the corner of his lips and touched her eyshes yfully. Yuliana¡¯s eyshes trembled and the knit between her eyebrows became deeper, but there was no sign of awakening Then, Christopher pinched her nose again, causing Yuliana to have a hard time breathing. She finally moved her eyes and slowly opened them. However, before her eyes werepletely opened, a shadow engulfed her sight and her lips were sealed. Yuliana was already in a state of suffocation. With the kiss that came all too sudden, she subconsciously wanted to resist although she was notpletely awake. As such, she pushed Christopher¡¯s shoulder forcibly with both hands. After a while, Christopher let go of Yuliana and looked down at her face which was blushing red. He flickered the loose strand of hair that fell on her lip with his fingers. ¡°Ana, will you regret it?¡± he asked. Yuliana was a little confused. She did not understand why Christopher woke her up and asked such a clueless question. She frowned and asked, ¡°What should I regret?¡± Christopher gazed at her for a while, and then he suddenly twitched the corner of his lips before saying. ¡°Nothing Two secondster, he chuckled and seemed to talk to himself. ¡°It¡¯s pointless to regret it, anyway. Yuliana frowned even more. She had no clue what was going on with Christopher in the middle of the night. Christopher kissed between her eyebrows, turned off the light, andy down beside her while hugging her tightly. He blurted, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± Yuliana struggled slightly and protested, ¡°Christopher, I can¡¯t sleep with you holding me like this.¡± Christopher did not say anything. After a few seconds of hesitation, he loosened the strength of his arm which was holding Yuliana. It was only then thetter felt better. However, she did not fall asleep when she closed her eyes. She was still thinking about what Christopher said just now. After pondering for a while, she seemed to figure out something but notpletely. The next morning, Christopher apanied Yuliana to the supermarket and came back with a few big bags of fresh fruits, some vegetables, and meat that could be kept fresh for a while. It was enough for a week. Yuliana only needed to buy some fresh vegetables after that. Yuliana put the fruits, vegetables, and meat into the refrigerator ording to the types and red at Christopher resentfully. ¡°I told you not to buy so many. The refrigerator can¡¯t fit all.¡± She was used to hoarding food for three or four days, and she would basically go to the supermarket twice a week to buy food. It was as though something was unusual with Christopher that day as he was so eager to bring everything back from the supermarket. Christopher replied casually, ¡°It¡¯ll be no issue if we buy another refrigerator, right?¡± Yuliana nced at him speechlessly. ¡°If we buy another one, where should we put it then? Besides, is it really necessary?¡± The refrigerator was enough for her to stock up on food for three or four days. Christopher looked around at the size of the house and thought that there was really no ce to put a refrigerator if he were to buy one. He could not help but nce at Yuliana¡¯s belly. ¡°Or you can move to my ce?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana immediately refused. ¡°No way.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened as he asked, ¡°Why not?¡± Yuliana looked at him and paused for a while before saying. ¡°It takes 40 to 50 minutes to get to Juxshire Primary School from your ce without traffic jams Mymuting time is always during rush hour, so it¡¯ll take at least an hour. If I live here, it takes only a few minutes to walk to Juxshire Primary School. Why should I create trouble for myself?¡± Christopher could not help coughing lightly. ¡°What about we hire a caretaker?¡± Yuliana was even more confused at that. ¡°What for?¡± Christopher nced at her belly. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you being home alone.¡± Yuliana tried every means to stuff thest few fruits into the refrigerator before she managed to close the refrigerator door atst. ¡°What¡¯s there to be worried about? I¡¯ve been fine these months staying alone.¡± In fact, it was because her house was too small. Having an additional caretaker made Yuliana feel a little troublesome even if she did not stay home. However, she had difficulty moving around during theter stage of her pregnancy, so she had to find a caretaker regardless. Therefore, she had to move to a bigger house first. Thinking of that, Yuliana felt a headache. House moving was a big project. Even if there was a moving company, she still had to clean up everything after moving in. When she moved there from Highfield Manor a few months ago, it had taken her a few days to settle everything down. After lunch, Christopher answered a phone call. Yuliana was listening from aside. It should be Christopher¡¯s brother Kendrick calling. They were talking about something rted to work. Shortly after answering the phone, Christopher left Maple Garden. He went back to the Sce residence first to talk to Kendrick for a while, and then greeted Zachary and Winnie. Winnie was still angry, so she ignored him. Christopher did not stay at the Sce residence for a long time. He left soon after. Aftering out of the Sce residence, he gave Raymond a call. It was rare for Raymond to have a rest that weekend, but he was forced to date Xandria. Xandria was not in a good mood either. After the two met, they found a ce for lunch but none of them spoke. It was still early after finishing the meal. She would definitely be scolded if she went home at that hour. Leonard was not in Juxshire those few days, and Christopher also totally ignored her. After sending a message, she did not receive any response for a long while. The person could not be reached at all. Since there was nowhere to go, Xandria agreed unexpectedly when Raymond casually suggested having a coffee somewhere else. When they arrived at the ce, he really drank the coffee. Nheless, Xandria did not even touch it. She ignored him and yed games on her phone with a gloomy face. Looking at her aura, Raymond did not dare to speak at all. Fortunately, a call from Christopher came to his rescue. ¡°Hey, Mr. Sce, how could a busy man like you call me?¡± Raymond said with a funny tone. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m quite busy today and don¡¯t have time to entertain you!¡± Christopher chuckled and replied, ¡°I won¡¯t waste your time. Do you have Xandria¡¯s phone number? Share it with me.¡± Hearing that, Raymond was stunned. He raised his eyelids and looked at Xandria. To his surprise, Xandria had stopped ying games and stared at him coldly. He frowned and asked, ¡°Why do you want her phone number?¡± Christopher said, ¡°Just send it. Stop asking nonsense.¡± Raymond was rendered speechless instantly. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°She is with me. What do you want from her?¡± Christopher was silent for a moment and said, ¡°Send me the location.¡± With that said, he hung up the phone. Looking at the screen that turned dim, Raymond looked at Xandria for two seconds and asked, ¡°Did you for him?¡± Xandria red at him. ¡°He¡¯s the one looking for me.¡± Raymond rubbed his nose. Thinking of Christopher¡¯s temper, he was worried that things would go out of controlter. As such, he suggested, ¡°He ising. Do you want to leave first?¡± Xandria snorted, ¡°Why should I leave? Am I afraid of him?¡± look Raymond remembered how timid Xandria was when she met Christopher earlier. He could not help but touch his lips, thinking, ¡°You¡¯re being stubborn now. I bet you¡¯ll be a coward when you see himter, won¡¯t you?¡± Then, he opened WhatsApp and sent the location of the caf¨¦ to Christopher. Half an hourter, Christopher finally arrived at the airport. Seeing the two people in the private room, he nced at Raymond and said, ¡°You go out first.¡± Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Busy Being A Father Half an hourter, Christopher finally arrived at the airport. Seeing the two people in the private room, he nced at Raymond and said, ¡°You go out first.¡± Raymond shifted his gaze between Christopher and Xandria. He asked, ¡°Is there anything I can¡¯t listen to?¡± Christopher blurted, ¡°Yes.¡± Raymond looked at Xandria again. She was pursing her lips. Her face turned pale as she stared at Christopher angrily. After a few seconds, he finally stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out to have a smoke.¡± When he passed by Christopher, he raised his hand and patted thetter on the shoulder. When the door was closed, there were only Christopher and Xandria left in the private room. Despite Xandria being stubborn earlier that she was not afraid of Christopher, she was still a little scared. when she was facing him alone. The first time she saw Christopher fighting was in the second semester of her sophomore year. She wrote a love letter to Christopher during the first semester of sophomore year. During the summer vacation of freshman year, she was enthusiastic about a boy band. Her idol had blonde hair and could sing and dance well. Moreover, his appearance was cute and handsome, looking very charming especially when he was performing on the stage. To her surprise, Christopher had the same blonde hair soon after themencement of their sophomore year. He looked even more handsome than the boy band she idolized. Instantly, she fell hard for Christopher and soon forgot about her previous idol. Unable to contain her affection, she wrote a love letter to Christopher and asked someone to put it in his book. In fact, writing love letters was quite old-fashioned at that time. Nheless, in order to express her sincerity, she wrote it by herself regardless. Never did she expect the result of her love to be trampled mercilessly. Therefore, her love for Christopher turned into annoyance. At that time, she was not so afraid of Christopher. She just felt ashamed to meet him every time, so she avoided him as much as possible in school. What really scared her was that she saw Christopher fighting with several gangsters outside the school during the second semester of her sophomore year. The head of the gangsters had a certain influence in her school area. They often wandered around her school in groups. Many people in the school were afraid of them as they often harassed girls who were alone nearby. She and Yuliana had bumped into those people before. Fortunately, they were together at that time. Nheless, there were a few girls who got harassed, and it was said that Annabelle was one of them. In fact, she thought that Annabelle might not be harassed. It could be out of her own will. There was once she saw Annabelle and the head of the gangster sitting outside the school drinking coffee. The head of the gangster treated Annabelle tteringly like a pug. It was said that Christopher fought with those gangsters because of Annabelle. It was at night that time. Because of the power outage in the school, she and Yuliana finished the evening self-study session one hour ahead of schedule. When they came out of the school, the driver who was supposed to pick them up had not arrived yet, so they walked near the school. Unexpectedly, many students rushed in one direction heading the same way. She and Yuliana were curious and also ran over together. In an alley, those gangsters, who had been wandering around the school for a long time, were beaten by Christopher with blood covering their faces. At that time, Christopher¡¯s face was particrly gloomy. He This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. looked like a monster that came from hell. After that night, Xandria had nightmares for nearly half a month. The scene continued lingering in her mind until now. That was why Xandria was afraid of Christopher. Xandria could not help gulping twice. The muscles of her entire body were tense. She looked at Christopher vigntly and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Christopher took a seat and stared at Xandria for two seconds. Then, heughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t beat you up.¡± Xandria fell into silence. Christopher poured a cup of coffee and took a sip. Then, he opened his mouth and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to apologize to you.¡± Xandria was stunned. ¡°Apologize? What for?¡± Christopher gazed at her. ¡°For the love letter you wrote to me in high school. When I was in the studio with Annabelle at that time, the love letter fell out of the book suddenly. We didn¡¯t know that the equipment in the studio was turned on at that time.¡± Xandria looked at him in a daze and forgot to react. Christopher paused before continuing. ¡°Although it was not my intention to embarrass you in front of all the teachers and students, I did cause you trouble. Therefore, I want to apologize to you.¡± Xandria was still silent, or perhaps, she did not know what to say. After so many years, Christopher actually apologized to her. It was incredible. She pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly apologize to me?¡± ~ Christopher pondered for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to marry Yuliana soon. Aren¡¯t you her friend? We will be meeting very often in the future. I don¡¯t want her to be caught in a dilemma between us. Besides, I do owe you an apology.¡± The apology had gotten dyed for a few years. At first, it was because of the arrogance of the youngsters who could not put their pride aside to say ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± As time went by, it seemed that it did not matter anymore. Although Xandria had figured out the answer in her heart, she was still moved by Christopher¡¯s words upon hearing him. However, what surprised her more was when she heard that Christopher was going to marry Yuliana. She asked in surprise, ¡°Are you going to marry Yuliana?¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t she tell you yesterday?¡± Xandria pursed her lips without saying anything. Maybe it was not that Yuliana did not tell her, but that she did not give Yuliana a chance to do so. After pondering for a while, she frowned and asked, ¡°Are you marrying her because of the baby in her belly or because you like her?¡± Christopher replied, ¡°That¡¯s between Yuliana and me. I don¡¯t need to exin it to you, do I?¡± Hearing that, Xandria got angry again. ¡°What a jerk!¡± she cursed inwardly. Thinking of the way Yuliana looked when Yuliana told her yesterday that she liked Christopher, Xandria felt the urge to blow Christopher¡¯s head off. She thought, ¡°Why would such a person like Christopher deserve Yuliana¡¯s love?¡± Before Raymond finished smoking a cigarette, Christopher came out of the room. ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡± Christopher looked at him with a smile. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m as idle as you?¡± Raymond scoffed. ¡°What keeps you so busy?¡± Among them, Christopher was considered to be the idlest person. Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯m busy being a father, okay?¡± ¡°Who are you fathering?¡± Raymond thought that he was joking. Christopher said, ¡°Not you definitely. I don¡¯t have a stupid son like you!¡± Raymond raised his leg and kicked him but it was in vain. Christopher dodged it easily. He smiled and turned around to walk away. Raymond stared at his back for a while and felt that there was something unusual with what Christopher just said. After smoking, he went back to the private room and saw Xandria sitting there, frowning with a darkened face. She was holding a cup of coffee in her hand but did not drink it. He asked, ¡°What did Chris just say to you?¡± Xandria came back to her senses and red at him. ¡°Chris? Don¡¯t you feel disgusted calling him that?¡± Raymond raised his eyebrows and teased, ¡°What? Are you jealous? I can also call you Xani!¡± Xandria¡¯s face became warm as she roared, ¡°Get lost!¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Register For A Marriage Certificate Yuliana sometimes had an illusion that she had been with Christopher for a long time. Although Christopher often annoyed her, he knew how to deal with it and would not make her really pissed. Even if she was angry, he would soon make her happy. That was why she never really felt that he was annoying, even if she was angry sometimes. However, the truth was that they had been together for less than a week. In fact, when Christopher told her that he was going to Romdale on a business trip for half a month, Yuliana had no feelings. Yet, on the weekend night, she could not sleep. Since she decided to marry Christopher, thetter clung to her tightly. She could not get rid of him. At first, she was not used to it. There was an extra person in the house, and he inexplicably upied her bed. Unexpectedly, in less than a week, she got used to Christopher¡¯s existence. Thinking of the next half a month, no one would wander in front of her when she came back, and no one would annoy her. Somehow, she felt a little lonely thinking of her empty house. In fact, for most of the three years of marriage with Harry, she was on her own. Highfield Manor was muchrger than this house that was around 400 square feet. At that time, there was no one else besides the maids in the house, but she had never felt like this before. Feeling a little annoyed, Yuliana turned over and faced the bay window. Christopher beside her, who was sleeping, also cooperated with her movements. After she stopped moving, he adjusted his posture and leaned up from behind. It seemed that some kind of habit had formed. Yuliana¡¯s mind was in a mess. She did not know when she had fallen asleep. The following day, while it was still dark, Christopher beside her moved. Although he moved lightly, Yuliana woke up immediately. She did not open her eyes, but she kept her ears on. Christopher did not turn on the light as he put on his shoes and walked out of the room. After a while, there was a faint sound of water. It was soon followed by another sound simr to the vibration of a shaver. It was quiet in the morning. The wholemunity was still sleeping, and the sound instion was too poor. Therefore, even through the door, the slight sound was clear. Yuliana could not fall asleep anymore. She turned on the light and sat up from the bed. At that moment, her eyes were heavy. She also felt a littlezy, so she sat on the bed in a daze. After washing up and going into the room to get dressed, Christopher saw that Yuliana was already awake. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± he said. Yuliana nced at him. Christopher was naked and only wore a pair of ck sticated trousers. The trousers were stuck on his narrow waist, disying his Apollo¡¯s belt clearly. Even though his abdominal muscles were not hard concave, they still looked distinct but not exaggerated. Christopher was one of the few men with perfect figures that she had ever seen. His face was undoubtedly beautiful, and his figure seemed to be natural. His neck was thin and long, his shoulders were wide and straight, and his hands and legs were long. He looked very thin when he put on his clothes. Yet, when he took off his clothes, his figure looked extremely good. Usually, he was quitezy. If he could lie down, he would not sit. If he could sit, he would not stand. She had never seen him exercising, so she wondered how he kept his fitness. It was the first time that Yuliana seriously admired his body. She had slept with him before. She just thought he had a good figure and physical strength. Now, she found that he was better than she had imagined. Christopher followed her gaze and stared down at his body. He disyed a smile. ¡°How is it? Do you think. your husband is in good shape?¡± After saying that, he showed off in front of Yuliana. Yuliana came back to her senses and felt her ears burning instantly. She did not look at him as she said insincerely, ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Christopher could not help but feel unhappy to hear that. Getting into bed, he approached Yuliana, smiled evilly, and asked, ¡°Say it again. It¡¯s all right?¡± Looking at Christopher who suddenly leaned over, she could still smell his shaving water, which was very light and fresh. His eyes suddenly became dark and bright, with an evil intention within. Yuliana looked into his eyes and was somehow attracted. She moved her lips and wanted to say something, but she seemed mystified and forgot what she was going to say.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. After a while, she became a little conscious. She turned her eyes in a panic and lifted the quilt to get out of bed from the other side. Christopher stretched out his arm and pulled Yuliana back. Pressing her on the bed, he looked down at her. ¡°Make it clear. It¡¯s all right?¡± Yuliana¡¯s ears were getting hotter and hotter. She pursed her lower lip lightly, not wanting him to be proud. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Only not bad?¡± Christopher leaned close to her ear as he repeated her words. His voice was low and a little bit hoarse, as he just got up. Yuliana actually felt that his pronunciations had a fatally sexy feeling to them. Moreover, probably because he had stayed abroad, his pronunciation was very pure. As Yuliana was thinking nonsense, she did not dare to look at him. Looking at her stiffened body and trembling eyshes, Christopher knew that she was nervous. Actually, Yuliana did not know how to disguise herself, so she could be seen through at a nce. Pulling Yuliana¡¯s red ears, Christopher raised her chin and kissed her lips. He kissed her gently and long without any trace of lust. She raised her arm and held his shoulder to respond. After a while, Christopher let go of her and stroked her hair with his fingers. ¡°Ana, can you ask for two hours off from school?¡± Yuliana was stunned and raised her eyes to look at him. ¡°Why?¡± Christopher said, ¡°We¡¯ll get the certificateter.¡± ¡°Certificate?¡± Yuliana was confused. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to catch a ne to Romdale?¡± Christopher said, ¡°Two hourste is not a big deal.¡± Yuliana nned to sign a prenuptial agreement before getting the marriage certificate, but she did not expect Christopher to suddenly go on a business trip. Hence, she thought they would go to get the certificate after he came back from a business trip, but she did not expect him to suddenly ask for it. Yuliana was not prepared at all. After hesitating for a while, she said, ¡°Okay.¡± After a pause, she remembered something and asked, ¡°Did you bring your household registry?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Christopher smiled. When Yuliana and Christopher came to the City Hall, the staff of the City Hall had not yete to work. They waited for about half an hour before the door opened. As it was Monday and it was not a good date, there were not many couples who came to register for a marriage certificate. Yuliana and Christopher were the first to go through the formalities. They did not prepare their photo for the ID card. It was taken on the spot. When taking photos, both of them were very restrained, and their hands and feet were stiff. The staff who took the photos reminded them several times to get closer and smile naturally. They took a long time to take the photo, and the staff became frustrated in the end. In the end, the photo showed that although they were very close to each other and their faces were smiling, they seemed to be faking it as if they were being threatened. The procedures for getting the certificate were quite fast, and theypleted it in about an hour. After getting the certificate, Christopher sent Yuliana to the school gate, and he rushed to the airport. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Yulian¨¢ The next few days felt like a dream to Yuliana. She only got rid of the sense of surrealism when she saw the marriage certificate. She could not believe she had actually married Christopher. From the moment they got the marriage certificate, Christopher officially became Yuliana¡¯s husband and the man in her life. The realization gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling. It was as if everything around her was filled with vitality and instantly became vivid.. Perhaps things had been busy for Christopher after he went to Romdale, as he hardly had time to contact her during the day. They could only make video calls in the evening or eventer, but Yuliana was used to sleeping early, so they barely had enough time to talk over the phone. Moreover, Yuliana was yet to adjust to her new identity. Each time she saw Christopher¡¯s face through their video call sessions, she could not help but feel shy when she got reminded that they were legally married. In fact, she was not a person who would get shy easily. Soon, it was the weekend again. Fiona asked Yuliana to go shopping with her, and Yuliana happened to need to buy something. Yuliana was pregnant for almost four months. After her morning sickness got better, even though her appetite had not changed much, her body still weighed a few pounds more, and her baby bump would only be more and more visible over time. Hence, she nned to buy somerger-size clothes and maternity wear. Moreover, Yuliana knew she could no longer hide her pregnancy during theter stage, so she did not intend to keep it a secret. Besides, she and Christopher had already gotten their marriage certificate, so she no longer had to hide her pregnancy because she was already his wife. Yuliana apanied Fiona to some women¡¯s boutique shops. Then, when they happened to pass by a maternity store, Yuliana walked in without hesitation. Fiona was startled upon seeing that, and she followed Yuliana inside. Seeing that Yuliana was looking at clothes and essories for babies and even studying them carefully in her hand from time to time, Fiona hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to ask, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, do you have a friend who¡¯s expecting?¡± Yuliana nced at her and smiled. ¡°No.¡± After a pause, she put the milk bottle back on the shelf and said to Fiona, ¡°Ms. rk, I¡¯m the one expecting a baby. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you before this.¡± Fiona did not look too surprised. There had been rumors going around in their school that Yuliana had recently gained weight, and her waist looked thicker than before. Most of them guessed she was pregnant; some of them were very confident with this spection. But then, Fiona did not dare believe the rumors and did not ask Yuliana, too. After all, they were only colleagues, and colleagues might not always be friends. Naturally, friends could easily talk about personal matters, but there were certain boundaries between colleagues. Fiona asked, ¡°Is Mr. Sce the father of the baby?¡± Yuliana nodded and said nothing else. Naturally, Fiona did not ask more questions about that. She apanied Yuliana and spent a long time in the maternity store. In the end, she even bought some maternity and baby products for Yuliana and her unborn child. They walked out of the maternity store with numerous shopping bags. Ever since Fiona learned that Yuliana was pregnant, she was worried about exhausting her, so she refused to let Yuliana carry any shopping bags and took everything from her. After shopping for a while, they found at ce to sit and rest Later, when they passed by a men¡¯s clothing store, Yuliana stopped in her tracks. She remembered that most of Christopher¡¯s clothes belonged to this particr brand. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she still went inside the store with Fiona. There were several customers inside at that time. Yuliana looked around and spotted a brown coat. The color might not look good on ordinary people, but Yuliana thought it would look great on Christopher when she pictured him in it. With that in mind, Yuliana waved at a sales assistant to take the coat down from the shelf for her to have a look. Right then, a familiar voice sounded from beside them. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment. Then, she looked over and saw a youngdy dressed in an expensive outfit standing there, looking at her with a smile. The youngdy walked toward her after seeing that Yuliana had noticed her. ¡°When I heard your voice earlier, I thought I misheard it, but it¡¯s really you.¡± The youngdy scrutinized Yuliana from head to toe, and her eyes shone with apparent malice. The youngdy¡¯s name was Margaret Ziegler, Harry¡¯s half-sister who should be in her senior year. Margaret and Harry shared the same father. Yuliana nodded at her in response. Right then, the sales assistant came over and took the brown coat off the shelf for Yuliana. She took it and touched the coat. It was thick and stylish, and the material was soft rather than rough. Margaret sneered as Yuliana ignored her. She nced at the coat Yuliana was holding. ¡°This coat is quite expensive. Yuliana, I don¡¯t think you can afford it with your current ie.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Fiona was a little annoyed upon hearing that. However, since the youngdy addressed Yuliana by her first name, Fiona could not figure out her rtionship with Yuliana. Thus, she found it inconvenient to speak up and defend Yuliana. Still, Fiona felt very ufortable seeing how the youngdy looked at Yuliana. It felt like the young lady. regarded herself as superior to everyone else. Yuliana ignored Margaret¡¯s words. Margaret was the daughter of Waylon Ziegler¡¯s second wife, and she was also his youngest child, so she grew up spoiled and had an arrogant attitude. She never respected Harry as he was Waylon¡¯s illegitimate child, so she also looked down on Yuliana, especially after Yuliana¡¯s father, Damian, was imprisoned. Each time they met, Margaret would always mock Yuliana. However, Harry barely contacted the Ziegler family except for business affairs. Hence, after he and Yuliana married, they rarely kept in touch with the Ziegler family. Yuliana would only attend some important family asions with Harry when necessary. Yuliana never liked starting a fight, so she would never publicly argue with Margaret. Hence, Yuliana would ignore Margaret¡¯s sarcasm and mockery each time they met. Despite that, Margaret was still very displeased with Yuliana. As the noble daughter of the Ziegler family, she felt humiliated that Yuliana always ignored her. Even when Yuliana said nothing, just like this encounter at the men¡¯s clothing store, Margaret was still annoyed and wanted to find some trouble with Yuliana. ¡°Marge.¡± Right then, another female voice rang out. Margaret¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. She quickly turned around and smiled brightly at thedy. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m here.¡± Then, a youngdy dressed sweetly and elegantly walked over. She was simr to Margaret in age. However, thedy named Scarlett looked more mature andposed than Margaret in terms of how they dressed and their temperament. Her face was also more delicate than Margaret¡¯s. Margaret inherited her father¡¯s looks, so her face was rounder, and her features were more in line with the Epean¡¯s beauty standards toward the Aplothians. The youngdy, Scarlett Lynch, walked over and soon noticed Yuliana standing before Margaret. She felt that Yuliana looked a little familiar, but she could not recall where she had seen Yuliana. ¡°Marge, who is she?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Margaret deliberately said. Then, she looked at Yuliana meaningfully and continued, ¡°She¡¯s Yuliana, my sister-inw.¡± Scarlett frowned. ¡°Yuliana?¡± She looked at Yuliana again because she knew that Margaret only had one sister-inw previously. Thinking of that, she could confirm thedy standing before her was Harry¡¯s ex-wife, Yuliana. No wonder she felt that Yuliana looked familiar. Before Scarlett dated Harry, someone showed her pictures of Yuliana. In fact, Yuliana was not too photogenic, so Scarlett did not take Yuliana seriously after seeing the pictures. However, upon seeing Yuliana in person, she felt an intuitive sense of crisis. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 I Need Your Help Yuliana was a natural beauty as her facial features were exquisite, elegant, and graceful. She had a unique aura that resembled the morning mist, radiating a clean and refreshing feeling while cooling simultaneously. Yuliana even looked unlike others when she frowned or lowered her eyes. Scarlett, an upper-ss socialite, was a beauty. She, too, possessed a charming aura. However, Scarlett felt like she had lost to Yuliana when she stood before thetter. Margaret nced at Scarlett and sighed abruptly. Her words hinted at something when she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Scarlett. I¡¯m used to calling Yuliana that way, so I misspoke.¡± Margaret paused for a moment, nced at Yuliana, and smiled. ¡°I forgot that Harry had already divorced Ms. Livingstone, so it¡¯s not appropriate to refer to her as my sister-inw anymore.¡± Margaret was not a fan of Yuliana. She had to treat Yuliana with respect even though she despised the latter before since she had to consider Damian¡¯s identity. Margaret thought, ¡°But now that Damian has been sent to jail, Yuliana is just an inmate¡¯s daughter! How dare she act arrogantly before me? What¡¯s more? Even Harry is still trying to protect her!¡± Yuliana ignored Margaret¡¯s words for she knew Margaret was trying to get a rise out of her. She meticulously checked the coat¡¯s quality, materials, and size of the coat in her hands to ensure it had no defects. Yuliana wanted to pass it to the sales assistant so she could pay the billter at the checkout counter when she was done shopping. However, Scarlett greeted her suddenly, ¡°Hello, Ms. Livingstone!¡± Yuliana nced at her, nodded, and answered indifferently, ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m guessing you are not aware of this!¡± Margaret gave her an implicit smile. ¡°Scarlett is Harry¡¯s current girlfriend. They are talking about getting married now. Maybe a few monthster, she will be my sister-inw.¡± Margaret thought her words would anger or agitate Yuliana. Yet, Yuliana remained calm after listening to her remarks. She even congratted Scarlett with a smile. ¡°Congrattions.¡± Margaret snorted coldly. She mused, ¡°Yuliana is just pretending to be gracious and calm. She must be hiding her jealousy!¡± Scarlett thanked Yuliana before she looked at the coat in Yuliana¡¯s hands, asking, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, are you here to purchase some clothes for your boyfriend?¡± Even though Scarlett had not shown any hostility toward Yuliana with her words, Yuliana was an observant woman. She could feel that Scarlett was being unfriendly to her. Yuliana hummed in acknowledgment as she nodded at Scarlett. Then, she walked elsewhere with the coat. Margaret snorted coldly as she watched Yuliana and Fiona walk away. ¡°Even though she always looks aloof and elegant in front of me, Yuliana is still a bitch! She had just been separated from Harry for a few months, and now she has found a rich old man.¡± Scarlett was made ufortable by Margaret¡¯s harsh words. However, she didn¡¯t betray her emotions. Instead, she was stunned when she thought about Margaret¡¯s remarks. ¡°How do you know?¡± Margaret was unfazed. She smirked. ¡°What else could have happened? She was a married woman. Who else would fall for her? Yuliana is destined to be another man¡¯s mistress now!¡± Scarlett frowned. Her intuition indicated that the truth should be different from Margaret¡¯s words. She thought, ¡°The coat that Yuliana was holding just now is meant to be worn by young men.¡± She pondered for a moment before asking. ¡°Marge, do you know why Harry divorced Ms. Livingstone?¡± Scarlett had asked Harry the same question before, and he had told her that they had an ipatibility of temperaments. Scarlett was confident that Harry treated her differently from the rest of his women, and she didn¡¯t wish to probe into Harry¡¯s previous rtionship before she met Yuliana. However, Scarlett¡¯s confidence level dropped when she met Yuliana. She thought, ¡°If Harry could give up on a woman like Yuliana just like that, why would he fall for me?¡± ¡°Why? Have you seen Yuliana¡¯s father? It¡¯s only normal for Harry to divorce her sooner orter.¡± Margaret giggled. Even though she hated Harry for being an illegitimate child, Margaret wouldn¡¯t try to talk badly about him before Scarlett. Margaret continued, ¡°You got to be cautious, Scarlett. Don¡¯t be fooled by Yuliana. She is a maniptive woman. Who knows what dirty tricks she would use to seduce Harry again?¡± Scarlett smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± After leaving Margaret and Scarlett behind, Yuliana continued browsing around the shop. However, she didn¡¯t see anything nice other than the brown coat, so she went to pay for the brown coat at the cashier. At that time, Scarlett was queueing up to pay for the men¡¯s clothing in her hands while Margaret was chatting with her. When Margaret noticed Yuliana and Fiona walking over, she paused.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Scarlett noticed something was amiss, so she followed Margaret¡¯s sight. That was when she saw Yuliana and Fiona. The two women¡¯s eyes met mid-air before Yuliana retracted her gaze. They acted like strangers and did not greet each other even after Yuliana and Fiona walked closer. Scarlett paid the bill first and left the ce with Margaret, holding a few branded store shopping bags in her hands. Soon, Yuliana and Fiona stepped out of the men¡¯s clothing shop. They went shopping for a while before finding a restaurant near the mall for dinner. Shortly after Yuliana and Fiona sat down, Scarlett walked in with her arm through Harry¡¯s while Margaret trailed two steps behind them. Fiona was the first to notice them. She patted Yuliana¡¯s arm, telling her to look in the direction of the entrance. The moment Yuliana looked over, Harry happened to look in their direction too. He paused when he saw Yuliana. Without any change in his expression, Harry moved his gaze away. However, Scarlett was sensitive enough to catch on to Harry¡¯s reaction in that brief moment as she tightened her arm around Harry¡¯s subconsciously. Fiona watched as the couple walked into a private room and closed the door, and then she peeked at Yuliana. Yuliana remained calm as though Harry was not her ex-husband but an irrelevant man. Yuliana went to the restroom halfway through the meal. When she exited the restroom, she saw Harry walking toward her while talking on the phone. Yuliana retracted her gaze when Harry¡¯s met hers. She mused, ¡°I don¡¯t want to greet or talk to him. It¡¯s better for us to be strangers.¡± Harry suddenly grabbed Yuliana when she was about to walk past him. He voiced into the phone, ¡°Contact. meter,¡± before ending the call. Yuliana nced at the part of her hand where Harry had grabbed her. He quickly let go. Harry¡¯s gazended on Yuliana¡¯s face for a moment. ¡°Yuliana, I need your help.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and asked, ¡°Can I say no?¡± Harry didn¡¯t answer yes or no. He stated casually, ¡°Grandma wants to see you. She has been asking about you a lottely. If it¡¯s okay with you, please allocate some time to visit her, as she doesn¡¯t know that we are divorced. The doctor told me that her condition was worsening. She might not remember any of us soon.¡± Yuliana did not have the heart to say no to Harry¡¯s request. She thought, ¡°Harry¡¯s mother died when he was young, and he grew up under his grandma¡¯s care. She is a pitifuldy, for she became widowed at a young age. Even though she managed to raise her only daughter after much difficulty, life didn¡¯t treat her well. Her daughter died of illness several years after giving birth to Harry. Fortunately, Harry apanied her, giving her the motivation to live.¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Do You Regret Divorcing Her Harry¡¯s grandma had Alzheimer¡¯s disease, which was also known as dementia. The first sign of the disease happened when Harry had just gotten into university. Back then, their family¡¯s financial situation was poor, so they did not have the money to get aid for her disease. She was worried that her sickness would be a distraction in Harry¡¯s studies. Hence, she hid the truth from Harry, missing out on the best time to get help. By the time Harry found out, her situation had turned grave. In recent years, Harry had ced her in the best nursing home in Juxshire. Although she was taken care of by doctors and nurses every day, they could only keep her disease under control, not reverse it. Yuliana only found out about the existence of Harry¡¯s grandma, who was staying in a nursing home, after she got married to Harry. Harry had just returned to the Ziegler family¡¯s side at that time. He was facing some life difficulties and had to leave home early ande homete, having no time to apany his grandma at the nursing home. Once, Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯s disease had gotten hold of her. She only remembered Harry, so she kept on requesting to see him. The staff at the nursing home had no choice but to contact Harry. However, he was on a business trip abroad, and they couldn¡¯t reach him. In the end, the staff called Highfield Manor. The maid picked up the call, and in turn, she informed Yuliana of the matter. That was when Yuliana found out about Harry¡¯s grandma. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Then, Yuliana went to the nursing home and met Harry¡¯s grandma. Harry¡¯s grandma was only in her 60¡¯s. Yet, her hair had gone all grey. She was so skinny that only bones seemed left on her body. She sat in the wheelchair with her back hunched, staring into the distance with her dull and demented eyes while mumbling Harry¡¯s name repeatedly. Since then, Yuliana would go to the nursing home to visit Harry¡¯s grandma every once in a while. She wanted to spend more time with Harry¡¯s grandma on behalf of Harry since he could not find the time to do so. Before divorcing Harry, Yuliana would be with Harry¡¯s grandma two or three times every month and once every weekend when she was not busy. She had grown attached to Harry¡¯s grandma after such a long period. Besides, Harry¡¯s grandma doted on Yuliana very much when she was in a sane state of mind. She would keep the delicious foods others gave her in the nursing home, and she provided all of them for Yuliana whenever Yuliana visited her. Even thought those things would be consideredmon to Yuliana, they were exquisite items in Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯s eyes. Since the end ofst year, Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯s health had indeed been getting worse and worse, and there were fewer and fewer instances where she was in a conscious state of mind. Yuliana wanted to visit Harry¡¯s grandma at the nursing home in the past few months. However, she had just divorced Harry, so she was in a low mood. She did not have the heart to care about anything else. Moreover, Yuliana did not know what right she had to visit Harry¡¯s grandma after separating from Harry. Yuliana was silent. She did not respond to Harry¡¯s words. Harry looked at her without saying anything more. He said, ¡°You can also say no to me.¡± With that, he walked into the men¡¯s restroom. Yuliana stood there for two seconds before walking away. She did not have the mood to eat anymore after her encounter with Harry, so she waited for Fiona to finish up before they went their separate ways. The night breeze was a little chilling. After a phone call arrived, Margaret left abruptly in the middle of the meal. Harry was sending Scarlett home after their meal was done. Scarlett didn¡¯t know whether she was being sensitive or not. The atmosphere between her and Harry had turned awkward after Margaret left When she met Harry, Scarlett knew he was not a talkative man and was not the kind to put on a show to deliberately make his woman happy. However, at the same time, he was not an aloof man that didn¡¯t understand romance. Harry was a gentleman who knew how to win a woman¡¯s heart. The thing was, Scarlett noticed that Harry wasn¡¯t paying any attention to her anymore after they ran into Yuliana that night. The atmosphere in the car made Scarlett tense. On the spur of the moment, Scarlett eximed, ¡°I ran into Ms. Livingstone this afternoon when I was shopping with Marge.¡± Harry nced at her without saying anything. Scarlett paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I saw her at the men¡¯s clothing shop. Remember that I dirtied your clothes before? I was thinking of buying you a new one. While shopping with Marge today, I noticed that the shop carries nice clothes, so I went for a stroll. Who would have expected Ms. Livingstone to be there with her friend too? She was holding a man¡¯s coat, saying she was buying it for her boyfriend.¡± Scarlett stared at Harry¡¯s face, not missing any changes of emotions as she finished speaking. However, Harry did not even move his eyebrows, let alone say anything. Seeing that, Scarlett felt more uneasy. She thought, ¡°Harry is an intelligent man. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t understand what I¡¯m trying to achieve here. I wouldn¡¯t feel like aplete clown now if he had just said a word tofort me earlier. Perhaps the situation is the same for all women. At first, I thought I would feel satisfied if I got to be with him. But then, now that we are together, I wish to get something more from him.¡± Staring at Harry¡¯s stern side profile, Scarlett felt he was distant from her. Without a chance to think things. through, she blurted out subconsciously, ¡°Ms. Livingstone is such a beautiful woman. Harry, do you regret divorcing her?¡± Anxiety overwhelmed Scarlett after she finished speaking as she clenched her fists tightly. Harry finally replied in a frosty voice, ¡°No.¡± Hearing his response, Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief. So, she changed the topic without mentioning Yuliana anymore. The car arrived outside the Lynch residence. Scarlett unfastened her seat belt, asking, ¡°Harry, the night is still young. Would you like toe into my house?¡± Harry replied, ¡°Nope. I have something else to doter.¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes dimmed. She nodded without speaking further. Then, she stared at Harry for a while before slowly leaning closer and kissing him on the corner of his mouth. Harry did not dodge, nor did he respond. Scarlett¡¯s cheeks were burning. Her parents had been strict with her since she was a child, and she was still- a young woman. Even though Scarlett had stayed overseas for many years, she had never gotten that intimate with a man. She dared not look at Harry again. ¡°Harry, I¡¯m going in first.¡± After saying that, she pushed the door open, got out of the car, and hurried into the mansion. Harry watched her enter the mansion and drove away. It was only eight o¡¯clock at night when Yuliana arrived home. She sorted out the things she bought during the day, took out the brown coat, and scrutinized it. She thought, ¡°Christopher would look amazing in this!¡± Yuliana brought out the hanger, hung up the coat, and put it into the wardrobe. She did not know when did it begin, but her wardrobe did not just contain her belongings. Somehow, there were many men¡¯s items in the wardrobe now. From pajamas and lounge pants to men¡¯s underwear, those items were ced beside her clothing. The men¡¯s items were distinctive enough to be differentiated from Yuliana¡¯s. Yet, their belongings ovepped each other in a flirtatious manner. Yuliana stared at them for a while. Then, she folded several misced men¡¯s underwear stuffed in the corner, put them into the drawer, and closed the wardrobe door. Yuliana sat on the bed to read a book after washing up. She was feeling exhausted after spending the whole afternoon shopping with Fiona. Yuliana forced herself to flip through two pages without recollecting what was written on them. Her phone rang when it was nearly 11 o¡¯clock at night. Yuliana closed the book and put it on the bedside table. She picked up her phone and answered it. Soon, Christopher¡¯s face appeared on the screen. It looked like he was trying to get hold of something, for his face. was close to the camera. Two secondster, a mineral water bottle appeared in Christopher¡¯s hand. Christopher unscrewed the bottle cap with one hand. Then, he raised his head to drink water. He was gulping down the water in a hurry as he stared at the phone screen with his light gray eyes. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Thank You Christopher unscrewed the bottle cap with one hand. Then, he raised his head to drink water. He was gulping down the water in a hurry as he stared at the phone screen with his light gray eyes. Christopher was still wearing a shirt. He had undone several buttons on his cor. His tie was hanging loosely around his neck. Apparently, Christopher just came back from outside. Yuliana did not speak and looked at him across the screen. Christopher gulped half of the water in the bottle in one go and put the empty bottle down. Then, he smiled at Yuliana. ¡°Are you waiting for my call?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°No.¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows and looked slightly proud. ¡°Then, why are you on the bed and still awake?¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I was reading just now.¡± Christopher grunted in acknowledgment and asked, ¡°What kind of book did you read? What is it all about?¡± Yuliana was stupefied. She seemed to have read a book rted to literature just now, but she could not remember the content. Just now, she could not read all of it at all. However, she did not want Christopher to be too proud, so she said, ¡°I was reading an elementary school textbook.¡± Then, she casually mentioned the contents of the textbook. Christopher looked at her with a half-smile. Yuliana¡¯s face was slightly hot. Yuliana was not sure whether he believed it or not. After a while, Christopher lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Do you miss me?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°No.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Upon hearing this, Christopher¡¯s mouth turned up into a smile. He said in azy and hoarse voice, ¡°Ana, I miss you.¡± After that, he shamelessly added another sentence, which made Yuliana blush. Yuliana could not help but scold him for being a pervert. Christopher said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, can you think of something new? You only know how to repeatedly scold me for being a pervert. Why don¡¯t I teach you something else, okay?¡± Yuliana stared at him without saying anything. Christopher was amused by her expression again, and his chest moved because he wasughing. The two of them chatted for a while, and Christopher asked Yuliana what she had done today. Yuliana said that she went shopping with her colleagues. Christopher asked her about the things she bought. Although Yuliana replied casually, she avoided talking about the coat she bought for him. Both of them talked for half an hour. The weariness between Christopher¡¯s eyebrows was apparent. Yuliana said, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Christopher paused and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll hang up since you¡¯re sleepy.¡± They looked at each other across the screen for a moment. Then, Yuliana hung up the phone. She put down her phone and pulled the quilt. Then, she turned off the light andy on the bed. The room was quiet, and there was only the sound of Yuliana¡¯s breathing. The bed that was six feet long seemed to be too spacious. Everything was just right. Suddenly, Yuliana felt a little not used to it. The next morning, Yuliana decided to visit the nursing home. Months had passed since Yulianast saw Harry¡¯s grandma, and thetter¡¯s health had indeed been getting worse. Upon seeing Yuliana, Harry¡¯s grandma stared at her for a long time but did not recognize her. She was mumbling about Harry¡¯s name at one moment, then, at another moment, she mumbled about Yuliana¡¯s name. The nurse who took care of Harry¡¯s grandma said, ¡°She was awake a few days ago, and Mr. Ziegler came to see her.¡± Yuliana nodded and stepped forward to pull up the nket on Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯s leg. Yuliana squatted in front of her and grabbed her hand. Then, Yuliana said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m Yuliana.¡± Upon hearing her words, Harry¡¯s grandma stared nkly at her. After a long time, she opened her mouth slightly and said, ¡°Yu¡­ Yuliana.¡± The nurse stood aside and smiled. ¡°She still remembers you.¡± After hearing this, Yuliana felt a little sad. The nurse said, ¡°Mrs. Ziegler, please stay with her for a while.¡± Yuliana nodded. Then, she paused and nced at Harry¡¯s grandma, who was sitting in a wheelchair. Yuliana whispered to the nurse, ¡°You¡¯d better call me Ms. Livingstone. Harry and I are divorced.¡± The nurse was stunned for a moment but soon regained her senses. She nodded and turned around to leave. It was a nice day in Juxshire. Yuliana pushed Harry¡¯s grandma outside to bask in the sun for a while, and then Yuliana talked with her. Although Yuliana was the one who did all the talking, she believed that Harry¡¯s grandma could still understand it. It was almost lunchtime when the nurse came back and informed Yuliana that it was time to push Harry¡¯s grandma back for lunch. Yuliana and the nurse pushed Harry¡¯s grandma back to the ward. No one knew when Harry arrived, and he was cing something in his grandma¡¯s cab. After seeing Yuliana, Harry held his gaze sternly. Then, he walked over to take the wheelchair from Yuliana. The nurse found a reason to leave. Yuliana made ast-minute decision toe to the nursing home in the morning and did not tell Harry in advance. It was a coincidence for them to meet one another. Yuliana had been at the nursing home for several hours. Since Harry had arrived, she did not need to stay any longer. ¡°You can have lunch with grandma. I¡¯m leaving,¡± Yuliana said. ¡°Wait.¡± Harry stopped her. Yuliana looked at him. Harry said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get a taxi around here. Stay for a bit longer. I¡¯ll send you backter.¡± The nursing home was located in a remote area. The people could afford to stay here because their families were not short of money. In the past, Yuliana would ask the driver to pick her up. This time, she came here by taxi, but she might not be able to hail a taxi easily if she wanted to go back. If Yuliana took the bus or subway, she had to walk for a few miles. Yuliana refused indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± After saying that, Yuliana turned around and left. Aftering out of the nursing home, she stood at the entrance for more than ten minutes, but she did not get a taxi. Finally, she did not bother to wait anymore and walked to the nearby bus stop. Yuliana checked the map and found that the nearest bus stop was nearly two miles from the nursing home. The distance to walk there was not far as it would only take about half an hour. At noon, there was no one on the road. Very few vehicles passed by as well, and the sun was hot and shining. After Yuliana walked for a while, she started to sweat. It was not easy for her to get to the bus stop. After waiting for half an hour, she did not see a bus. She did not have lunch during noon and walked for more than half an hour. Now, she was hungry, and she sweated a lot. Yuliana felt her blood sugar go low and began to feel dizzy. She leaned against the bus stop sign and felt a little relieved. Yuliana took out her phone again and tried to hire a taxi on the taxi-hailing app. After the order was sent out for a few minutes, there were no drivers who responded to it. Just as she canceled the order and was about to ce another order, a ck sedan slowly stopped in front of her. Harry lowered the window and said, ¡°Get in.¡± Yuliana was stunned. She stared at him for a while, and finally opened the door and got in the car. Harry nced at her and saw her pale face. He handed her a bottle of soda. Yuliana did not refuse. She took it and unscrewed the cap to take two sips of it. She felt better after swallowing the cold drink. The car was running smoothly on the road. Harry said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuliana looked ahead and replied in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I¡¯m not doing it for your sake. Grandma is kind to me. It¡¯s only right that I go to see her.¡± After that, both of them did not speak. Yuliana was a little sleepy. As she was looking out of the window, she unknowingly fell asleep. When she woke up again, she was already outside the residential area. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Nothing As soon as the car stopped, the phone rang. Yuliana was woken up by the ringtone. She opened her eyes and was in a daze. She was still stunned when she stared out of the window. After a few seconds, she realized that she had arrived. Harry nced at the caller and nced at the passenger seat again. Then, he touched the screen to answer the call. ¡°Harry, are you busy?¡± The woman¡¯s gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. Harry responded indifferently. Then, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Scarlett said happily, ¡°Well, my dad wants to go fishing this afternoon. He wanted me to ask if you wanted to go with us?¡± Harry stared at the front with his stern gaze for a while and, with moderate strength, tapped the steering wheel with his fingers. He did not answer immediately. After a long silence, Scarlett could not help but feel a little anxious. Scarlett was afraid Harry would be in a dilemma, so she said in a considerate manner, ¡°Harry if you are busy. it¡¯s okay.¡± Harry said, ¡°I have time to spare in the afternoon. What time will Mr. Lynch be leaving?¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice was full of joy. ¡°It¡¯s a little hot today, maybeter, at three or four o¡¯clock.¡± Harry said, ¡°I¡¯ll be thereter.¡± Scarlett said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait for you at home.¡± Harry gave his acknowledgment and did not say anything after that. Then, he hung up the phone. As soon as he was done answering the phone, Yuliana waspletely awake. She thanked Harry. Then, she unfastened her seat belt, so she could open the door to get out of the car. Yuliana took a few steps toward the entrance of the residential area when she heard Harry calling her name. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Yuliana stopped and turned around. She saw Harry open the car door and got off the car. He strode over and stopped in front of her. The sunlight was a little blinding. Yuliana frowned and stared nkly at him. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± She looked at him indifferently. There was neither warm love nor lingering hatred in it. There was only calmness and aloofness, as if the person in front of her had not left any trace in her heart. Harry¡¯s gaze sank slightly. After two seconds, Harry said, ¡°Grandma is very happy to see you today. If you are free in the future, go and see her often.¡± After hearing this, Yuliana frowned and wanted to say something, but after pondering for a short while, she still did not say anything. In fact, there was no point in saying those words when there was no love or hatred. Besides, even though she and Harry were strangers to one another, his grandma treated her very well. The nurse who took care of Harry¡¯s grandma said that the olddy had been in poor health in recent months and might not have many days ahead of her anymore. Harry was humbled when he spoke to Yuliana. It must be for the sake of his grandma. Yuliana said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go when I have the time.¡± Harry said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuliana lifted the corner of her mouth and said coldly, ¡°I have said it before. You don¡¯t have to thank me. I didn¡¯t do this for your sake. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After that, Harry did not say anything. Yuliana turned around and was about to walk to the entrance of the residential area. Perhaps she exerted too much strength when she turned around, and on top of that, she was not feeling well, so Yuliana became dizzy for a short while and almost fell to the ground. Harry subconsciously reached out and helped her. Yuliana closed her eyes and paused for a few seconds. She did not open her eyes until the dizziness passed. She nced at Harry, who was holding her, and immediately withdrew her hand. After Harry noticed that she was not feeling well, he asked, ¡°Do you want me to walk you in?¡± ¡°No,¡± Yuliana replied. Yuliana left immediately. After walking for less than two steps, she suddenly stopped and looked ahead from afar. At the entrance of the residential area, Christopher was standing there in a white shirt and ck pants. His blonde hair was especially eye-catching in the sunlight. She did not know how long he had been standing there or how long he had been watching. Even if nothing was going on between her and Harry, she felt a little guilty. She thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t he in Romdale? When did hee back?¡± Perhaps because of the distance, Yuliana could not see the expression on his face. She could only see a pair of his eyes staring at her coldly. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. They looked at each other across the air for a moment. Then Christopher walked over with his long legs. After getting closer, Christopher did not look at her again. His gaze fell on the person behind her, which was Harry. His gaze was as cold as ice, but a smile formed on his lips, and he said nonchntly, ¡°Mr. Ziegler, I haven¡¯t seen you for a while, and you¡¯re looking more decent.¡± Harry¡¯s gaze was calm. He smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sce.¡± Sometimes, Christopher admired Harry very much. Christopher looked at him coldly and snorted contemptuously. ¡°Mr. Ziegler, I heard that you are getting married soon. I would like to congratte you first. Remember to let me know when the wedding reception is. I will definitely attend with Ana!¡± Then, he pulled Yuliana into his arms. Yuliana felt a dull pain in her wrist because Christopher exerted too much strength. She frowned and struggled twice. But she did not manage to break free. Christopher tightened his grip and did not give Yuliana the slightest chance to resist. Harry nced at Yuliana, and there was a faint glint in his eyes. He reminded, ¡°Mr. Sce, you¡¯re hurting Yuliana.¡± Christopher lowered his eyes and looked at Yuliana. ¡°Oh? Did I hurt you?¡± Yuliana¡¯s face was pale, and there was a thinyer of sweat on Yuliana¡¯s forehead. Yuliana frowned and pursed her lips while looking at him coldly. She said in a low voice, ¡°Let me go.¡± They looked at each other silently for a moment, and in the end, Christopher loosened his grip. Yuliana was in no mood to pay heed to the childish tricks of the two men, so she walked toward the residential area. Christopher stared at her back for a while. Then, he turned his head and looked at Harry coldly. ¡°Harry, I was just ttering you by addressing you as Mr. Ziegler, so don¡¯t even think that I¡¯m taking you seriously! Yuliana is my woman now. You¡¯d better get away as far as you can. She¡¯s not someone for a person like you to get. your hands on her.¡± After saying that, he strode toward Yuliana. After she reached home, Yuliana washed her face with warm water. Then, she ate a small piece of chocte and drank more than half a ss of warm water. After she sat down and rested for a while, the symptoms of low blood sugar gradually disappeared. When Christopher came back, he walked to the balcony and smoked. Both of them ignored each other. Yuliana was not feeling well, and on top of what Christopher said, she was a little emotional and did not take the initiative to exin to him. After ordering takeouts, she went back to her room andy down. A few minutester, the bedroom door was pushed open, and footsteps were approaching. Finally, it stopped by the bed. ¡°Do you have nothing to exin to me?¡± Christopher asked. Yuliana just closed her eyes and did not fall asleep. After hearing his words, she opened her eyes after a few seconds and looked at him indifferently. ¡°Nothing.¡± Yuliana responded. They looked at each other silently for a few seconds again. Christopher turned around and left the room. After a while, the sound of the door being mmed came from outside. Yuliana closed her eyes, and it was difficult for her to control her emotions. She knew that she also had a big problem. She should exin it clearly to Christopher. But sometimes, people were like this. What one thought would be contrary to what one said. In the end, it would hurt others and oneself. As Yuliana gradually calmed herself down, she picked up the phone from the low cab by the bedside and hesitated whether to call Christopher. After a few minutes, she still did not make the call. Atst, she put her phone back. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Say It Again After emerging from Yuliana¡¯s house, Christopher sat in the car and smoked one cigarette after another. Suddenly, the phone rang. His calm eyes nced across the screen. In an instant, his eyes darkened again. Before the ringtone was about to end, he finally picked up the phone and answered the call. ¡°Christopher, do you really believe the Sce family is noble and prominent enough for you to decide others¡¯ lives at your own will?¡± Yvette cursed angrily on the other end of the line. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such despicable people like your family! Did Annabelle even hinder or cause you any trouble? When you cheated on Annabelle you and your and got the mistress pregnant, what right do you have to send Annabelle abroad? It is shameless mistress who should be sent packing! I swear you¡¯ll get what you deserve!¡± With a dark expression, Christopher refuted coldly, ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t think I won¡¯t dare to hit you just because you¡¯re a woman. I dare you to say it again!¡± Yvette sneered, ¡°What? Did I hit your sore spot? I was just about to say that you, Christopher Sce, are a shameless and disrespectful coward. You¡¯re lucky to have been born into a prominent family and a brother who cleans up your mess! Is the Sce family not ashamed to bully a poor woman?!¡± Yvette hung up the phone after cursing loudly. Her heart was racing quickly. There was a banging sound when Christopher smashed his phone against the storage rack on his right. Taking a few deep puffs of a cigarette, he stepped out of the car, tossed the cigarette butt, and then returned inside. Then, he picked up the phone again and began to dial a number on it. The mechanical beeping sounded for a long time before the call went through. ¡°Where are you?¡± Christopher asked. Annabelle was silent for two seconds. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Christopher replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Annabelle then said, ¡°I¡¯m almost at the airport.¡± Christopher said, ¡°Wait for me! You¡¯re not allowed to get on the ne before I get there.¡± After saying that, he hung up the phone. He then left Maple Garden and sped toward the airport. Meanwhile, Annabelle arrived at the airport with Melinda. Yvette was already there when both of them arrived. After they met, Yvette and Annabelle hugged each other. Yvette¡¯s expression still seemed displeased. She stared at Annabelle for a while and said, ¡°Annabelle, why do you have to treat yourself unfairly?¡± From Yvette¡¯s perspective, Christopher was the one who betrayed Annabelle, so she did not understand why Annabelle should be forced to leave for a foreign country. Annabelle smiled and said, ¡°I was the one who wanted to leave.¡± Yvette sneered, ¡°You¡¯re just lying to yourself.¡± She knew Annabelle extremely well. Annabelle appeared to be strong and proud. The truth was, she was only outwardly strong but inwardly weak. Annabelle was afraid of being alone. While she was still studying, she had to ask someone to apany her to the bathroom. She could not have made the decision to travel alone to a foreign ce. It was difficult for Annabelle to exin the rtionship between her and Christopher to Yvette. In fact, she was not clear about what their rtionship actually was. Yvette hesitated for a while before she told Annabelle that she had called Christopher to curse him angrily. ¡°No wonder Christopher had called me so suddenly and spoke angrily,¡± Annabelle thought. Annabelle nced at the time and noticed that there was still about an hour before boarding time. She then went to settle the check-in procedure and proceeded to check in her luggage as well. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After Annabelle found a ce to sit, she sent Christopher her location before chatting with Melinda and Yvette. Half an hourter, Christopher finally arrived at the airport. Yvette¡¯s face darkened immediately. ¡°What are you doing here? Are you here to make sure Annabelle got on the ne?¡± Annabelle looked at Christopher silently without trying to interrupt Yvette. On the other hand, Melinda pulled Yvette aside and said, ¡°Yve, why don¡¯t you apany me to the bathroom?¡± Yvette looked at Christopher coldly for a while and finally left with Melinda. Christopher sat across from Annabelle and asked, ¡°Did Kendrick tell you to go abroad?¡± Annabelle lowered her gaze and said nothing. After a few seconds of silence, Christopher said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to leave. You can¡­¡± ¡°I want to,¡± Annabelle interrupted him as she smiled. ¡°Although Kendrick indeed wanted me to go abroad, he couldn¡¯t force me if I didn¡¯t want to. You¡¯re right. I really didn¡¯t want to leave. However, there is a difference between wanting to leave and having to leave. I just think that I needed to leave.¡± Annabelle smiled at him again. for Frowning slightly, she added, ¡°What I said to you thest time you came to see me was serious. Christopher, it¡¯s impossible for you to control me for the rest of my life, and it¡¯s also impossible for me to rely on your the rest of yours. I have to learn to be alone, and you need to learn to let go and live your own life. Kendrick did this for our sake as well.¡± In the end, Annabelle boarded the ne and flew toward Zai. Meanwhile, Christopher left the airport and called the Sce residence. A maid answered the phone. ¡°Is Kendrick at home?¡± The maid immediately recognized Christopher¡¯s voice and replied cheerfully, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Christopher Sce! Yes, Mr. Kendrick Sce is at home. Do you need me to get him to answer the call?¡± Christopher replied, ¡°No, I¡¯ming back home now.¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Embarrassing To Lose Kendrick went to the office in the morning to settle some work, and the original schedule in the afternoon was supposed to be a meeting with apany president from Jeahron. However, the other party was unable to attend the meeting due to some inconvenience. Hence, Kendrick had some spare time in the afternoon. After checking on Alex¡¯s homework in the afternoon, Kendrick noticed the pleasant weather and decided to bring Alex to y at the tennis court. Alex had taken an interest in tennis after attending elementary school. Joyce then found an instructor who woulde to their ce and conduct lessons twice a week. After more than a year, Alex had learned to y quite well. However, with Kendrick as his opponent, Alex was only inviting defeat. All three siblings from the Sce family yed tennis really well. Thus, Kendrick would not show leniency toward Alex just because his son was still young. After a few rounds, Alex¡¯s face was flushed, and he was sweating profusely. Just picking up the tennis ball exhausted Alex, who kept panting heavily. When Alex saw his father being calm and collected, he lost his temper and threw the racket angrily on the ground. ¡°I quit!¡± ¡°Pick it up.¡± Kendrick pointed to the racket on the ground. His voice was very gentle, but his tone left no room for objection. Alex pouted his lips stubbornly. After a while, he replied reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I need to rest!¡± Kendrick then said, ¡°Pick it up. Alex, don¡¯t make me repeat it for the third time.¡± It was a long standoff between Alex and Kendrick before the little boy eventually bent down and picked up the tennis racket. Kendrick¡¯s expression gradually softened a little. He then took a bottle of water, walked toward Alex, and opened the bottle cap before handing it to the boy. Before Alex reached out to take the bottle, he hesitated for two seconds as he stared into his father¡¯s eyes. Then, he lifted his head and gulped the water down quickly. Kendrick frowned slightly and reminded him, ¡°Drink slowly.¡± Alex drank half of the water in the bottle before handing it back to Kendrick. As he tightened the bottle cap, Kendrick asked, ¡°Can you tell me what you did wrong?¡± Alex pondered for a while before he murmured, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have thrown the racket.¡± Kendrick wiped the sweat off Alex¡¯s face with a towel. ¡°Although you appeared to throw a racket, in reality. you threw your manners away. Losing a match is normal. It¡¯s not embarrassing at all. However, it¡¯s embarrassing if you can¡¯t afford to lose.¡± Alex pondered what his father said as if he understood what Kendrick meant. After a while, he pouted and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to lose.¡± Kendrick replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to lose, you should practice hard and defeat your opponents ording to your abilities.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy!¡± Alex scoffed inwardly. Alex was still feeling upset when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. He waved excitedly after taking a closer look. ¡°Uncle Chris!¡± After hearing Alex¡¯s shout, Kendrick turned around to find Christopher walking up to them after entering the tennis court. Once Christopher was near them, Kendrick asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you in Romdale? Why did youe back?¡± Christopher pinched Alex¡¯s face and said, ¡°So you¡¯re allowed to spend the weekend, but I can¡¯t?¡± He then nced at the racket in Alex¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°How about a match?¡± Thest time both brothers yed tennis together was when Christopher was still in college. Kendrick said, ¡°Come on.¡± Christopher took off his shirt and threw it aside, wearing only a white undershirt. After he took the racket from Alex, he picked up the tennis ball on the ground. Seeing that Kendrick was ready, Christopher arched his body like a bow as the green tennis ball shot out into the air like an arrow, creating a long, green swirl behind it. The serve was so strong that he did not intend to give his opponent any chance at all. Christopher¡¯s temperament was simr to his ying style. With immense confidence and pride, he would usually attack andpletely subdue any opponent that he faced. Despite that, Christopher was extremely weak and useless in defense. Kendrick knew Christopher¡¯s techniques and skills well. He also saw Christopher was already in a foul mood ever since thetter arrived at the tennis court, which was why he had mentally prepared himself for the strong attacks. Thus, he returned the ball wlessly. Likewise, Christopher was familiar with Kendrick¡¯s ying style. Kendrick was a meticulous and tenacious person who was used to both offensive and defensive y in tennis. He could only try his best to resist and wait for the ideal moment to strike while facing such a strong offensive opponent as Christopher. However, if both parties were evenly matched, time and physical strength were key factors in determining the winner. It was evident that Christopher, who was in his twenties, had a huge advantage over Kendrick, who was already in his forties. After half an hour of high-intensity exercise, Kendrick¡¯s stamina was clearly wearing thin. Meanwhile, Christopher was drenched in sweat to the point that he could even wring a bucket of sweat from his undershirt, but his form still appeared powerful, as if every cell in his body had been activated. The ball whizzed past the racket in Kendrick¡¯s hand and finallynded on the ground far away. Panting, Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Ken, it¡¯s fine to admit defeat if you can¡¯t win against me.¡± Alex chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s not embarrassing to admit defeat; it¡¯s only embarrassing if you can¡¯t afford to lose. You¡¯re awesome, Uncle Chris!¡± Alex then gave Christopher two thumbs-ups. Kendrick was speechless. After leaving the tennis court, Christopher returned to his room to take a shower before heading to the study. to look for Kendrick. It was as if Kendrick expected his brother toe looking for him as he made coffee and waited for Christopher. After sitting down, Christopher picked up the cup of coffee, observed the dark, golden color of it, and took a whiff of the scent before taking a sip of the freshly brewed coffee. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Despite being slightly bitter, the aftertaste was mellow and smooth. After setting the cup down, Christopher leanedzily against the chair and casually stretched his long. slender legs before saying, ¡°The reason you sent me to Romdale isn¡¯t as simple as temporarily recing Mr. Foster, is it?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Without making any changes in his expression, Kendrick sipped the tea and said, ¡°Do tell me how hard it is.¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Make My Own Decision ¡°Oh?¡± Without making any changes in his expression, Kendrick sipped the tea and said, ¡°Do tell me how hard it is.¡± Christopher nced at him and replied, ¡°Before I headed to Sce Corporation Romdale Branch, I studied the documents given to me by the headquarters and a man named Yorick Foster. I realized there were many discrepancies between the two sets of documents. However, when I got to Romdale and learned about the actual situation, I noticed that it was entirely different from the situation reported to me by the headquarters and Yorick.¡± In other words, the reality in Romdale¡¯s branch differed from what was known at headquarters. Christopher was also trying to point out that Yorick merely pretended to obey orders, and it seemed then that Kendrick knew about that, too. Kendrick took a nce at his brother and praised, ¡°I thought you had spent most of your time there indulging in alcohol and pleasure. I didn¡¯t expect you to remember your primary goal.¡± Upon hearing that, Christopher chuckled coldly. ¡°Since you already had your man monitoring the situation in Romdale, why did you send me there?¡± Kendrick lowered his eyes, toyed with the cup, and exined, ¡°Sce Corporation Romdale Branch is one of the earliest branches established by Sce Corporation. Besides, the economic growth of Romdale cannot be underestimated since the government is inclined to develop the southwest region of the country based on the national industrial policy. In such a circumstance, Sce Corporation willPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org. focus on expanding Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. However, the situation you witnessed in that branch will be a hidden danger to the headquarters¡¯ n.¡± Sce Corporation had gradually lost control of Sce Corporation Romdale Branch in recent years. It appeared that the employees would rather listen to Yorick¡¯s orders than the orders of the headquarters, which was absurd. Whenever the headquarters formed new policies, they would be implemented smoothly in other branches. However, the headquarters always received feedback regarding the difficulty of implementing them at Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. Yorick had worked in Sce Corporation Romdale Branch for twenty years and had been the leader of that particr branch for nearly ten years. The executives, as well as the employees who held important positions in thepany, were loyal to Yorick They would do whatever Yorick told them and disregard the headquarters¡¯ orders. Kendrick had tried to arrange for someone to rece those people, but Yorick was not a fool. He wouldn¡¯t promote them. Hence, it was hard for Kendrick¡¯s people to get into the management level. After all, Yorick had a say in everything, and it was hard for Kendrick¡¯s men to sneak past him ¨C not to mention that Kendrick couldn¡¯t turn against Yorick openly yet as it would lead to chaos in Romdale and eventually cause problems for Sce Corporation. Kendrick¡¯s mission then was to clean the nasty dirt while not affecting the stability of Sce Corporation. Romdale Branch. There was no doubt that such a mission would not bepleted in two weeks. Christopher shrugged and said, ¡°I can¡¯t do it. You have to find someone else.¡± Kendrick looked at him and said, ¡°Only you can do this.¡± Christopher was part of the Sce family. Hence, Yorick was forced to put up an act and treat Christopher well before the former fell out with the Sce family. Moreover, it was also a good opportunity to train Christopher. Christopher pulled the corners of his mouth into a sarcastic smile after hearing his brother¡¯s words. ¡°Physically, Kendrick couldn¡¯t catch up with me, but he is one sneaky jerk. He told me that it was an easy task and tricked me into epting it, but it turned out to be a bottomless pit. I can¡¯t even crawl out of it even though I wanted to,¡± thought Christopher. After discussing Romdale¡¯s situation for a while, a maid came to inform them that dinner was ready. Christopher stood up, ready to go downstairs. Kendrick suddenly stopped him and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to ask me?¡± Kendrick was referring to Annabelle. Annabelle had flown to Zai that day, and there was a high possibility that Christopher¡¯s nasty mood when he appeared at the tennis court was due to her departure. When Christopher entered his study just then, Kendrick thought the former would question him about Annabelle¡¯s departure, but Christopher didn¡¯t mention anything about it. Christopher had his back to Kendrick at that moment. After a slight pause, Christopher said, ¡°Do not make any decision for me in the future.¡± After saying that, he walked out of the study. Honestly, Christopher was incensed when he found out that Kendrick had sent Annabelle overseas. That was why he kept attacking Kendrick and ensuring that thetter had no opportunity to fight back on the tennis. court in the afternoon. In the meantime, the attacks he directed at his brother also helped him to vent his anger. After calming down, Christopher realized that Kendrick had sent Annabelle away for his own good. Moreover, as Annabelle had said, her departure might not be a bad thing for them. Hence, to return the favor, Christopher was willing to help Kendrick solve the issues in Romdale¡¯s branch. Meanwhile, Yuliana was napping in Maple Garden¡¯s residential area after eating her lunch. She didn¡¯t sleep well, unfortunately, because she kept thinking that someone was knocking on the door. However, when she went to open the door, no one was standing outside. That scenario repeated itself several times until she was unable to sleep. In the end, she got out of bed and went to prepare the Powerpoint presentations for theing week¡¯s ss. When she was immersed in her work, everything that bothered her previously was thrown to the back of her mind. It took her four to five hours toplete the Powerpoint presentations, but she would save a lot of time in theing week because she hadpleted all of them. After turning off herputer, she checked the time and noticed that it was already nine o¡¯clock. Yuliana wasn¡¯t hungry despite the fact that she hadn¡¯t eaten dinner because she had had ate lunch and eaten some nuts and fruits while preparing the Powerpoint presentations. After letting her mind drift for some time while sitting on the chair, she took her phone and opened WhatsApp. She then clicked on a profile picture and made a call after hesitating for a short while. However, no one answered after a long time. Eventually, the system disconnected the call. When Yuliana was thinking about calling the person again, someone sent several messages in the all- grade. teacher group chat and even tagged Yuliana. Yuliana casually opened the group chat, and a photo appeared before her. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 The Person Sleeping Next To You The blonde hair in the photo was particrly eye-catching. Yuliana paused for two seconds when she saw it. She then clicked on the screen to erge the photo. The photo was taken from the side, with a man and a woman hugging each other. The camera seemed to have been zoomed in, and only the upper bodies of the couple were photographed. Although the picture quality was not very good, one could still clearly see the man¡¯s facial features. Meanwhile, the woman¡¯s head was buried on the man¡¯s shoulder. Besides, her lengthy hair covered her face. Hence, no one couldn¡¯t see her face. But, based on her figure and outfit, one could predict that she was a prettydy. Besides the man and woman who hugged each other, there were many people walking past them in the photo as well. They appeared to be a couple who were lost in their own world while hugging each other in a crowded ce and were reluctant to part ways. Yuliana stared at it for a while. With a click, the photo was retracted to its original size. Lexie was the one who had sent the message in the group chat. She had sent three photos as well. The first two photos were taken from a distance. The first photo showed the man and the woman standing face to face. They were very close to each other and were talking about something. The second photo depicted the man raising his hand and caressing the woman¡¯s hair, which indicated they had an intimate rtionship. As for the third photo, it was the one that Yuliana had erged. After posting the photos in the group chat, Lexie tagged Yuliana and asked: [Ms. Livingstone, the man with blonde hair in the picture is your boyfriend, right?] After Lexie had sent such a message, the group chat soon became lively. A teacher said in the group chat: [This is Ms. Livingstone¡¯s boyfriend. Didn¡¯t we meet himst time at Mr. Norris¡¯ birthday party? He is handsome and looks like a TV star. Ms. Anderson, where did you see him?] Lexie replied: [I saw him at the airport when I sent my friend there this afternoon. I was a distance away from them. I took this photo because I felt he looked a lot like Ms. Livingstone¡¯s boyfriend.] Then, another teacher asked: [But who is this woman in the photo? She doesn¡¯t look like Ms. Livingstone] Lexie replied: [She isn¡¯t Ms. Livingstone? I didn¡¯t even notice that. Anyway, she was in good shape and dressed well. She appeared to be a perfect match for Ms. Livingstone¡¯s boyfriend. She¡¯s probably also a beautiful woman.] The messages in the group chat kept popping up at a rapid pace, but Yuliana didn¡¯t read through each and every one of them. Instead, she left the app. The WhatsApp notifications continued to ring after she had exited the app. Yuliana then opened her phone¡¯s settings and turned off the notification sound. After sitting there in a daze for a while, she got up, took off her clothes, and went to the bathroom for a shower. When the warm water poured down onto her head, Yuliana had to close her eyes, but she could see an image. appear in her mind. It was the image of a man and a woman hugging each other. The photo was pleasant to the eyes as the man was handsome and the woman was beautiful. When Yuliana came out of the shower, she heard her phone ringing. She picked her phone up and found that it was Fiona¡¯s call. She answered the call. ¡°Ms. rk, it¡¯s sote. Why haven¡¯t you rested yet?¡± Fiona was caught off guard by Yuliana¡¯s calm tone. ¡®I¡¯m about to sleep. After hesitating for a few seconds, she asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, have you read the messages in the group chat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana then hummed lightly and said nothing else. Fiona had no idea what Yuliana was thinking after hearing such a response. There was no doubt that the man in the photo was Christopher, and if they could easily recognize him, Yuliana would, too. Fiona had only noticed the tons of messages in the group chat when she was about to sleep. After looking. through all the messages and realizing that Yuliana had said nothing, she called thetter out of worry. However, based on the circumstances, it seemed that that call was totally unnecessary. Fiona remained silent for a moment. She then said, ¡°You should take a rest now, Ms. Livingstone. I¡¯ll see you at school tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. Good night.¡± Yuliana paused and added, ¡°Ms. rk, thank you!¡± Fiona was surprised to hear that. Slowly, she smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, do you? Get some rest.¡± After ending the call with Fiona, Yuliana poured half a ss of warm water and went to bed after finishing it. After dinner, Christopher yed games with Alex. As the phone didn¡¯t have much battery, it automatically turned off after they had yed a few rounds of the game. Upon charging it, Christopher was invited to the study by Kendrick to discuss work. Christopher only pulled out the charger when he came downstairs and was about to leave the Sce residence. He then casually checked his WhatsApp. His gray eyes were fixed on one ce when he saw a call log. ¡°Yuliana called me?¡± he thought. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened, and he pressed his tongue against his cheeks. He then returned Yuliana¡¯s call, but no one answered it. After checking the time, he noticed it was almost eleven o¡¯clock. ¡°Yuliana would have fallen asleep at this hour, I guess,¡± he thought. Hence, Christopher stopped dialing her WhatsApp. He then strode toward his car with his long legs and drove out of the Sce residence. The temperature in Juxshire was particrly high during the day, but it was a little cold at night. Yuliana had crawled into bed for a while, but her feet were still cold. Yuliana was somewhat healthy, and her feet would hardly turn cold. Since she was afraid of the cold and her body was still chilly, she couldn¡¯t sleep. Yuliana figured she should change to a thicker quilt, but she waszy to move since she was already in bed. She reasoned that if she stayed in bed a little longer, her body would begin to warm up. However, her body didn¡¯t warm up. Instead, she was getting sleepier. When her mind was in a daze and she was about to fall asleep, a knock on the door woke her up. When she regained her senses, she remembered the illusions she had had when she was trying to have a nap in the afternoon. Hence, she dismissed it as an illusion. She ignored it and closed her eyes to continue sleeping. After a while, the phone on the low cab next to the bed rang. Yuliana frowned and reached out to take the phone. She lifted her eyelids and looked at the caller ID on the screen. When she had a clear look at it, she froze for about two seconds, and her sleepiness left her in an instant. She stared at the caller ID for a long time before answering it. After the phone was connected, both of them remained silent for a moment. Then, Christopher said in a faint voice, ¡°Open the door.¡± Yuliana fixed her gaze in one direction quietly and didn¡¯t say anything. After a while, she hung up the phone, turned on the lights in the room, and got up to open the door. After opening it, Yuliana went back to her room without looking at him. Christopher changed his shoes by the door and stared at her thin figure for a moment. He then asked, ¡°Did you call me on WhatsApp not long ago?¡± Yuliana ignored him. She returned to her room, took a quilt and a pillow, and put them on the couch. She then headed back to her room. When Christopher saw her actions, his face darkened immediately. He stepped forward, grabbed Yuliana¡¯s arm, and asked in an angry tone, ¡°Yuliana, what are you doing?¡± Upon hearing such, Yuliana turned to look at him with a calm expression on her face. Her gaze was cold. when she looked at hirn, though. ¡°I opened the door for you because I didn¡¯t want to wake my neighbors at midnight, but I didn¡¯t want to sleep in the same bed with you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to sleep in the same bed with me? If so, who do you want to sleep with?¡± In a sarcastic tone, Christopher added, ¡°Harry?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°Christopher, I don¡¯t want to argue with you.¡± ¡°Do you think I want to argue with you?¡± Christopher tightened his fingers which were grabbing Yuliana. ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t forget that we¡¯ve gotten the marriage certificate. You¡¯re my wife now. There¡¯s nothing wrong with us sleeping in the same bed! What¡¯s wrong? Are you nning to wiggle your tail like a dog at Harry if he waves at you again?¡± Yuliana¡¯s face instantly turned grim. Without hesitation, she raised her hand and pped Christopher in the face. She used so much force that she could feel her palm burning after she pped him. Her fingers couldn¡¯t stop trembling as well. Meanwhile, the left side of Christopher¡¯s face instantly turned red. His expression had turned sullenly grim, and he kept ring at Yuliana. When Yuliana noticed his gaze, she started to panic. She subconsciously wanted to run away, but Christopher pulled her, causing her to crash into his arms.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 You Cannot Force Me Before Yuliana could react, Christopher kissed her profusely. Yuliana fought back violently. Christopher grabbed the back of her neck with one hand and slid another hand into her neckline. He pulled her pajamas apart with little force, and the buttons began to scatter on the ground. Yuliana clenched her teeth and kept avoiding his kisses. She even pushed and scratched him with both her hands. It was not the first time Christopher had kissed her forcefully. In the past, she would be angry and feel disgusted. But this time, she felt humiliated. Yuliana opened her eyes wide and stared at the man in front of her. At that moment, she suddenly didn¡¯t understand why she fell in love with him and wanted to marry him. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher also did not close his eyes. His usualzy eyes, however, had turned cold and grim. They stared at each other like two trapped beasts fighting each other. Neither of them was willing to take a step back. When Christopher wasn¡¯t paying attention, Yuliana bit him hard. Feeling the pain, Christopher had no choice but to stop kissing her for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Yuliana quickly dodged away from his kiss. While struggling to break free, she shouted, ¡°Christopher, you can¡¯t force me to do it!¡± Christopher sneered. ¡°Why not? Yuliana, it¡¯s your duty as a wife to sleep with me!¡± Yuliana red at him and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s also against thew to force your wife to make out with you!¡± Christopher smiled after hearing that. ¡°If so, go ahead and sue me!¡± After saying that, he lifted Yuliana, strode into the room, put her on the bed, and took a phone cable by the bedside to tie her hands. Yuliana didn¡¯t want to cry in front of Christopher, but she couldn¡¯t help it in the end. She didn¡¯t wail. She just let her tears flow down her cheeks silently. She even curled her body up and sobbed. She didn¡¯t know if it was her tears or sweat that had wet her hair, causing the strands to stick to her face. She looked weak and pitiful at that moment. Christopher stopped his actions and stared at her for a while. He untied the cable from her wrist, turned over to get out of bed, and covered her with the quilt. He then left the room and closed the door behind him. He could hear sobsing from the room. Christopher stood quietly by the door for a while and went to the balcony with a cigarette box he took from his pocket. Yuliana fell asleep crying. The next day, she was woken up by the rm she had set on her phone. She suddenly regained her senses and felt some difort in her eyes as they were swollen. After remaining dazed for two seconds, the memories of the incident from the night before appeared in her mind. Even though Christopher had stopped his actions, Yuliana still found what had happened the night before hard to ept. She was not in the mood to cook breakfast that day. Hence, she nned to eat outside. With such a n in mind, she stayed in bed despite being wide awake. It was quiet outside. Yuliana wasn¡¯t sure if Christopher was still around. However, she figured he was probably gone, considering what had happened the night before. At half past seven, Yuliana got up from the bed and opened the door to go out. The quilt she had put on the couchst night hadn¡¯t been touched. Meanwhile, a pair of men¡¯s slippers were neatly ced by the shoe cab next to the entrance. Yuliana stood in a daze for a while before going to the bathroom to wash up. When she brushed her teeth, she inexplicably felt that the toothpaste tasted strange. She looked at the toothpaste on the toothbrush and found that the toothpaste was white, and she remembered that the toothpaste she used had the color of olives. She then realized that she had mistaken the facial cleanser for toothpaste. Yuliana immediately rinsed her mouth with water and brushed her teeth again with the correct toothpaste. That week, the school had a mid-term exam a rather important test in the semester. The teachers, students, and parents took that exam seriously. Therefore, aside from preparing the materials for the regr sses, the teachers also needed to prepare for the mid-term exam. They had to mark the papers, discuss the questions with the students, and prepare for a parent-teacher conference to inform the parents of the exam¡¯s results. There was no doubt that Yuliana would be very busy. She rarely worked overtime, but during that time, she almost always left school at seven or eight o¡¯clock in the evening. The other teachers in the school were as busy as her. Hence, they had no energy left to gossip about her situation. Yuliana didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else at the time. She was exhausted every day ¨C not to mention that she had to prepare the presentations when she got home. She would typically finish her work around eleven o¡¯clock and immediately fall asleep when she rested her head on the pillow. When she opened her eyes, she would be greeted with another hectic day. Finally, when Friday arrived, Yuliana could rx after being tense for a week. After school, she walked out of the school with Fiona. They said goodbye to each other at the entrance, and Yuliana slowly walked to her residential area. Suddenly, she realized that she hadn¡¯t been in touch with Christopher for nearly a week. Actually, two days ago, she saw that Christopher had posted a two- to three-second video on Instagram. She figured that he must be in a nightclub or a bar as the lighting was quite dark, but various colorful lights shed in the background. The music was also loud, and there were diverse types of alcoholic drinks on the table. Christopher didn¡¯t show his face in the video, but she could hear hisughter in a split second at the very end of it. One wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if they didn¡¯t pay close attention. She also noticed some men nearby talking to him and women calling him ¡°Mr. Sce¡± in a gentle voice. Yuliana had been taking a short break between sses when she saw that post. When the video ended, the ss bell rang. She exited Instagram and hurried toward the ssroom. She had thrown the video to the back of her mind. She only remembered that post when she thought of Christopher out of nowhere. When Christopher posted the video on Instagram, he also pinned a location on that video. It showed that he was in Romdale. ¡°Previously, Christopher told me he needed to go to Romdale for a business trip and it may take two weeks, but he suddenly returnedst weekend. He must have done it because of Annabelle,¡± Yuliana thought. All of the issues that had previously bothered and tortured Yuliana reappeared in an instant now that she had free time. She was irritated by them, but they had little effect on her emotions. ¡°Yuliana.¡± When Yuliana was about to arrive at the entrance of her residential area, she seemed to have heard someone calling out her name. She turned around and saw a woman walking toward her. Yuliana froze for two seconds when she saw the woman. When the woman got close, Yuliana regained her senses and nodded at thetter. ¡°Ms. Sce.¡± La looked at Yuliana for two seconds and said with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Christopher married? Wouldn¡¯t it sound distant to call me ¡®Ms. Sce¡±?¡± Yuliana met La¡¯s gaze calmly and said nothing. La then said, ¡®Please call me ¡®La.¡± Yuliana remained silent for a moment. She then said, ¡°La.¡± The smile on La¡¯s face broadened. She then asked, ¡°Did you just leave school?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°School just ended¡± La then said, ¡°I bet you haven¡¯t eaten yet. Can I take you to dinner with me?¡± Unlike thest time La had arranged for Yuliana to meet with Kendrick, this time, La had asked for Yuliana¡¯s permission to join her for dinner. La¡¯s attitude made it clear that she would respect Yuliana¡¯s decision this time. Since Yuliana didn¡¯t feel averse to being with La, she nodded in agreement. She then followed La to the Mercedes-Benz parked by the roadside. La opened the door to the backseat and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit with Zofia?¡± Yuliana bent down to get in the car and saw a little girl sitting in the backseat. The girl seemed to be four or five years old. She was wearing a kindergarten uniform, had a topknot, and sported various colorful hairclips on her hair. Her skin was fair and wless like porcin. Her eyes were exceptionally bright, too. When she saw Yuliana, she grinned brightly and said, ¡°Aunt Yuliana!¡± Yuliana froze for a moment when she heard that. After getting in the car, La turned around and introduced Zofia to Yuliana. ¡°This is my daughter, Zofia. She is five years old and goes to a kindergarten ss.¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 I Will Consider It Seriously The little girl was lively, cheerful, and brilliant at socializing. She couldn¡¯t stop calling Yuliana ¡°Aunt Yuliana.¡± La told Zofia that Aunt Yuliana was a teacher in an elementary school. Zofia wanted to be a teacher when she grew up because her father was one, and he knew everything and was intelligent. Therefore, Zofia had a good impression of her Aunt Yuliana even before she met thetter in person. After seeing her Aunt Yuliana in person, Zofia fell deeper in love with Yuliana because thetter was gentle and beautiful. Zofia loved gentle and beautiful teachers. The little girl had a strong desire for knowledge and a lot of strange ideas in her mind. She kept asking Yuliana questions when they were heading toward the restaurant. She would ask anything about astronomy, geography, history, literature, and modern science and technology. Yuliana found that the little girl knew a lot of things. Although she spoke childishly and some of her questions didn¡¯t make sense, it was rare for a five-year-old girl to know so many things. La knew her daughter well. She feared that Yuliana would be ufortable with her, so she took Zofia with her as she figured it would be easier for Yuliana to mingle with Zofia since Yuliana worked face-to-face with children almost every day. However, when she saw Zofia asking Yuliana questions nonstop, La worried that Zofia might irritate Yuliana. Hence, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Yuliana, you can ignore her. The more you answer her, the more she will ask.¡± Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s quite cute.¡± Upon hearing that, Zofia nced at La proudly and said, ¡°Mommy, Aunt Yuliana likes me. You¡¯re the only one who thinks I¡¯m annoying.¡± Yuliana was amused when she saw that the little girl had so many expressions. La didn¡¯t know how her daughter could be so confident when saying that. La said helplessly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Everyone loves you! Are you happy now?¡± Zofia was a little unhappy. ¡°Hmph! You are so perfunctory! I¡¯m not happy with you!¡± Yuliana was stumped for words. She stared at Zofia for two seconds. In fact, the little girl didn¡¯t look much like La. Hence, Yuliana figured that she must look more like her father. However, her eyes and behavior were the same as La¡¯s. The only difference was that La¡¯s pupils were darker in color. When she stared at a person intensely, she looked like Kendrick, which was rather domineering. Zofia¡¯s pupils were light and crystal clear, like a beautiful amber. Whenever Yuliana looked into Zofia¡¯s eyes, she would think of Christopher. Christopher¡¯s eyes were also light-colored. When he wasn¡¯t staring at something, he would lookzy and as if he cared about nothing. If someone else had the same eyes, they would look dull and lifeless, but since Christopher had stunning looks, such eyes made him look decadently handsome. When Yuliana found herself a little distracted, she quickly pulled herself back to reality. When they arrived at the restaurant, the little girl became very quiet. She didn¡¯t make loud noises and sat quietly in the chair, unlike other children who would run around the restaurant. When eating, she held the forks and spoons in a proper posture and fed herself in an unhurried manner. She didn¡¯t need any adult to watch over her. La chatted with Yuliana while eating. She asked about Yuliana¡¯s physical condition, talked about being pregnant, and asked about Yuliana¡¯s work La had a good sense of boundaries. Hence, she didn¡¯t ask anything that made Yuliana feel ufortable. When they were chatting away, La suddenly made a suggestion. ¡°Yuliana, Christopher will not be in Juxshire for some time, and there will be a lot of inconveniences to staying alone when you¡¯re pregnant. Why don¡¯t you hire someone to help you?¡± Kendrick had the intention to hire someone to help her as well. After all, Christopher couldn¡¯t resolve the matter in Romdale in a short period. As Yuliana¡¯s tummy grew larger, she would need someone to look over her, or else no one would know if something had happened to her. However, La couldn¡¯t decide for Yuliana as Yuliana didn¡¯t have a close rtionship with the Sce family. La worried that Yuliana might feel offended if she didn¡¯t ask for thetter¡¯s opinion and decided for her. La figured it would be best to ask for Yuliana¡¯s opinion. Yuliana didn¡¯t object to such a suggestion. ¡°I will hire someone in the near future.¡± Recently, Yuliana was looking for a new house. She figured she should only hire someone to help her after she had moved as her current ce was too small. It wouldn¡¯t have much issue if she stayed alone, but it would be too small for two people. La smiled and said, ¡°Okay. If you need help, remember to talk to me. We are a family. You don¡¯t have to worry about bothering me.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After dinner, La sent Yuliana to the entrance of her residential area. Instead of driving into the residential area, she parked nearby, took Zofia out of the car, and apanied Yuliana to thetter¡¯s apartment building. ¡°La, do you want to have a seat at my house?¡± Yuliana invited. Even though she had invited La and Zofia, she feared they might feel as though she wasn¡¯t a good host if they indeed visited her house as the ce she had rented was very much smaller than the Sce residence. Besides, she had nothing to entertain them with. La replied, ¡°Let¡¯s take a rain check. I need to take my daughter to her grandma¡¯s house. I¡¯lle and visit you next time!¡± Yuliana nodded and sighed with relief. La was good at observing people, and she noticed Yuliana¡¯s unease. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After saying goodbye, Yuliana was just about to turn around and enter her apartment building when La suddenly called out to her again. Yuliana stopped and turned to look at La. After pausing for a moment, La asked, ¡°Did you quarrel with Christopher?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said nothing. La continued, ¡°Christopher called me this afternoon. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, he hoped I coulde to check on you. He¡¯s worried about you but was too arrogant to ask you about your condition himself. Hence, he could only ask for my help.¡± Yuliana was surprised by that. La looked at Yuliana and said, ¡°It may not be appropriate for me to say this because I¡¯m Christopher¡¯s sister, and it will be rather hard for me to be fair because I emotionally side with my brother. However, if you think my advice makes sense, you can ept it. If it doesn¡¯t make sense, ignore it.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Tell me.¡± La said, ¡°You and Christopher got married in a hurry because of your pregnancy, and such a marriage is like a premature child with a congenital deficiency. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that premature babies can¡¯t grow healthily. In order to do that, the parents need to take sound and attentive care of them. It is the same. for your marriage with Christopher. You two need to be more patient with each other to make it work. Yuliana, I know my brother has a lot of bad habits, but please trust me when I say he is a good guy.¡± La didn¡¯t n to say any of that, but after some consideration, she said it. Yuliana was not an ungrateful person. She knew that La was trying to help her. ¡°Thank you for telling me that. I¡¯ll think about it carefully.¡± La smiled after hearing that. ¡°You should go inside now.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Goodbye, Aunt Yuliana!¡± Zofia waved at her. Yuliana also waved back to her. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Yuliana then turned around and entered her apartment building. La watched Yuliana disappear into the apartment building before she left with Zofia. Zofia pulled on La¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Mom, are we going to Grandma¡¯s ce tonight?¡± La thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s a littlete today. I¡¯ll ask your father to take you there next time.¡± Every family had their own problems. Even though La was good at giving others advice, her family was a mess. After getting into the car, La called Christopher. ¡°I have just sent Yuliana home.¡± The man on the other end of the phone hummed and said nothing, but he didn¡¯t hang up the phone either. La remained silent for two seconds and said, ¡°Christopher, if you¡¯re going to act in such a manner, I wouldn¡¯t bother to talk to you if I were Yuliana!¡± After a while, Christopher finally opened his mouth. He asked, ¡°How is she?¡± La was about to say something, but she suddenly stopped. ¡°Isn¡¯t tomorrow the weekend? Why don¡¯t youe back to check on her yourself?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you afford the ne ticket? Shall | reimburse you instead?¡± Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Prenatal Test ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you afford the ne ticket? Shall I reimburse you instead?¡± La then scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re a man. Do you want Yuliana to please you?¡± She paused and said in a softer tone, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened between you and Yuliana, Christopher, but she is pregnant! You can¡¯t leave her alone like this. Do think about La hung up the phone. When Yuliana got home, she carefully thought about La¡¯s advice. She knew very well before they went to get a marriage certificate that there would be issues in her marriage with Christopher. She was, however, blinded by the peaceful and heartwarming time they had spent together. She thought she and Christopher were just like any other married couple. She forgot that those problems would not go away because they had gotten the marriage certificate. At least, for now, she knew that there were a lot of problems between her and Christopher. They were aware of some of the issues, but others were unknown to them. If she and Christopher were able to ovee them, their marriage would be in a better ce. However, if they were unable to do so, their marriage would undoubtedly end. As per what La had said, they must deal with the problems together. Thinking back, Yuliana couldn¡¯t deny that she had dealt with the situation wrongly. After all, Christopher would mind Harry, just like she minded Annabelle. Perhaps, what she and Christopher minded were different, but the things that bothered them were the same. Yuliana wanted to call Christopher to reconcile with him and exin herself that night. However, when she saw the photos sent by Lexie, she became displeased. She was so annoyed that she didn¡¯t want to see him, -fet alone exin why she had acted in such a manner. Thinking back, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had misunderstood the rtionship between Annabelle and Christopher, just like how he had misunderstood her and Harry. Yuliana curled up on the couch and thought everything through. She then nced at the phone on the coffee table. Even though she told herself she must take the initiative, Yuliana didn¡¯t do it as the happenings that night had affected her emotionally until this day. The next morning. Yuliana went to the hospital for a prenatal test. There were a lot of people in the hospital anytime and anywhere, and there were more people during the weekends. After registering at the counter, Yuliana waited for half an hour to see the doctor. After the doctor had asked her a few questions, the former issued several examination sheets and asked her to pay for the examinations. Yuliana paid the examination fee through her phone and went to have a blood test. It took her about ten minutes to wait in the queue andplete the blood test. It was rtively fast. She then went to the ultrasound department waiting area. There were a lot of people waiting to do the ultrasound as well. When Yuliana went there to queue up, there were already hundreds of patients before her. She found a chair to sit on and waited quietly. There were a lot of pregnant women who hade for prenatal tests, ultrasounds, and other tests around her. Almost all of them had someone by their side to apany them. Some of them were apanied by their husbands, some were by their wives, some were by their elders, and some were by their children. It seemed that she was the only one who came alone. Yuliana didn¡¯t minding to do the prenatal test alone, but when she saw the people around her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel lonely. She instantly felt down. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Upon noticing the changes in her emotions, Yuliana slowly took a deep breath and tried to banish those negative emotions. Yuliana did not enjoy being upset, and she approached situations rationally. As a result, she convinced. herself that she was in good health and didn¡¯t need anyone to apany her to the prenatal test. Yuliana took out her phone and clicked on Candy Crush, which she hadn¡¯t yed for a long time, to kill time. It was a brainless game, but it could make people forget some bad things for the time being. It was rxing, too. After ten o¡¯clock, there were still dozens of people ahead of her. Yuliana was not sure if she could finish the examination before lunch. Because she had to have an empty stomach for a blood test, she didn¡¯t eat anything in the morning. After drawing blood, she ate a small piece of chocte. Although she wouldn¡¯t have hypoglycemia, she was hungry and wanted to eat something. When Yuliana hesitated about leaving the waiting area and heading to the nearby convenience store to buy something to eat, her phone vibrated. Aftering to the hospital, she switched her phone to vibration mode. Yuliana froze when she saw the caller ID. She kept debating if she should answer it. However, when La¡¯s advice from the night before rang in her ears, she decided to answer it. After answering the phone, Yuliana ced her phone to her ear and said nothing. Christopher also remained silent for two seconds before asking, ¡°Are you not home?¡± Yuliana hummed lightly. Silence then filled the conversation again. After a moment, Christopher asked, ¡°When will youe back?¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°I don¡¯t have a key.¡± Yuliana looked at the ultrasound department¡¯s screen, which disyed each patient¡¯s turn, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I won¡¯t be returning anytime soon. You should go back to your ce first.¡± ¡°My ce?¡± There was a hint of mockery in Christopher¡¯s voice when he said that. It was apparent that he wasn¡¯t happy with Yuliana¡¯s words. Yuliana didn¡¯t speak. Christopher paused for a while. When he was about to speak, he suddenly heard an announcement coming from the receiver. ¡°Madie Lee ¨C number seventy-seven ¨C please go to room ten at the ultrasound department for a checkup.¡± The broadcast was repeated three times. Christopher immediately eximed, ¡°Are you in the hospital?¡± Yuliana wanted to answer him, but she couldn¡¯t make a sound for a long time. It was as if something had blocked her throat. ¡°Yuliana, talk to me!¡± Christopher couldn¡¯t help but be anxious. Yuliana breathed out lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to be anxious. I¡¯m at the hospital for a prenatal test.¡± The person on the other end of the phone was silent for a while. Then, the man softened his voice and said, ¡°Send me your location.¡± Without giving Yuliana any chance to reject his request, he hung up. Yuliana looked at the phone screen, which was dimmed for a while. She then opened WhatsApp and sent her location to him with the message: [I¡¯m in the ultrasound department.] After that, Yuliana¡¯s mind went elsewhere. She kept staring at the peopleing and going in a daze. The hospital was not far from Maple Garden, and it only took about ten minutes for one to arrive there by taxi. Hence, Christopher arrived rather quickly. There were many people in the uitrasound department. The chairs were full, and plenty of people had to stand while waiting for their turns. The reception desk was crowded, too. He rushed to the ultrasound department and spotted Yuliana at a nce. She had tied her hair into a topknot and was wearing a gray hoodie and a coat. While sitting in the crowd, the skinny and petite woman with snow-white skin was staring in one direction in a daze. Christopher didn¡¯t immediately walk toward her. He stood there and scrutinized the people around her for a while. There were also several women sitting around her. They were all pregnant, but there was a difference between her and them. The others had someone by their sides. They had someone to talk to, someone handing them water, carrying their things, and helping them with everything. Yuliana was the only one who sat there by herself. She looked out of ce with the atmosphere around her. Yuliana was pulled back to reality by another announcement. It was patient number 90¡¯s turn for a checkup. Then, as if she suddenly remembered something. Yuliana subconsciously looked at the entrance of the ultrasound department, and something caught her eye. After staring at each other from a distance for a while, Christopher walked toward her. Yuliana sat in thest row of the waiting area, and the distance between the seats was not spacious, especially for a tall and long-legged person like Christopher. He walked along the aisle between the chairs to Yuliana, who lowered her eyes and pursed her lips without saying anything. Christopher stared at her face for a while, and finally, his gaze fell on her peeled lips. He asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you drink water during a prenatal test?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t expect such a question from him. After a moment of pause, she answered, ¡°I must have an empty stomach for the blood test.¡± ¡°Empty stomach? That means she can¡¯t eat breakfast, too. It¡¯s almost eleven o¡¯clock now,¡± thought Christopher. Christopher frowned. ¡°Are you done with your blood test?¡± Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 I Am Her Husband Christopher frowned. ¡°Are you done with your blood test?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If so, you can eat and drink something, right?¡± Yuliana lowered her gaze and said nothing. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Christopher looked at her and stood quietly for a moment. He then asked, ¡°How long will it take for you toplete your checkup?¡± ¡°There are 30 more people before me.¡± Yuliana might have to wait until slightly after eleven o¡¯clock for her turn, based on the current speed. Yuliana took out the key from her bag and handed it to him. ¡°You can go home first.¡± Christopher merely looked at her and didn¡¯t ept the key. His face was dark, it was as if he was trying to control his emotions. After a while, he turned around and left without saying anything. Yuliana watched him leave for a while. She then put the key back in her bag, leaned against the back of the chair, and disconcertedly looked at the people passing by her. A few minutester, a paper cup filled with water was handed to her. Yuliana was surprised by it. She turned around and saw Christopher standing next to her and staring at her He informed her, ¡°I went looking for a nurse to get this. You should drink some water.¡± Yuliana took it from him. The water was warm but not scorching. The temperature was ideal for drinking She slowly finished it. Instantly, she could feel moisture return to her mouth, and her tummy was warmed. Upon seeing that she had finished drinking the water, Christopher asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you want more?¡± Yuliana shook her head and said, ¡°No. Thank you.¡± Christopher stretched out his hand to her again. Yuliana was a little confused by his actions. ¡°Give me the cup.¡± It took Yuliana a while to finally realize what he wanted. She hummed in reply and handed him the empty cup. Christopher gently squeezed the paper cup, causing it to deform. He looked at the noisy ultrasound department and said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you something to eat.¡± Yuliana wanted to say no, but she decided to keep her mouth shut. ¡°Since I want to continue spending my life with him, I shouldn¡¯t make things worse,¡± she thought. She said. ¡°There is a convenience store downstairs on the ground floor of the inpatient department.¡± Christopher looked at her. After a while, he said, ¡°Got it.¡± With that, he turned around and left with the paper cup Yuliana watched his figure disappear before her and gradually rxed. The inpatient department was not far from the outpatient department. Soon, Christopher bought a cup of hot chocte and some quiche. The seat next to Yuliana was vacant as the person sitting there had left to do her examination. Hence, Christopher sat down there, took out the hot chocte from the bag, inserted a straw, and handed it to her Yuliana took it and took a sip with the straw. However, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the man next to her He had his head lowered and was focusing on taking out the quiche and cing it on a paper te. When he did so with his long and slender fingers, it gave others the illusion that he was not holding a box of quiche but an artwork. Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but think of the idea of one falling in love with another¡¯s hand Perhaps, Yuliana never admired anyone¡¯s hand, so it was hard to make sense of such an idea. However, right then, she was the one who had lost her senses while staring at Christopher¡¯s hands. After finishing the hot chocte, Yuliana felt a little full, but she still ate the quiche, except for the crust as it was too hard Christopher nced at it and ate it. He then took out another piece of quiche for her. It was past eleven o¡¯clock when theypleted the ultrasound checkup. About ten minutester, the nurse took out a stack of ultrasound reports. When she called out Yuliana¡¯s name, Christopher beat Yuliana to it with his long legs before Yuliana could even stand up. The nurse looked at him and asked, ¡°Are you Yuliana?¡± Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯m her husband.¡± The nurse¡¯s ears instantly turned red, and she immediately handed him the report. Christopher didn¡¯t pay attention to the nurse¡¯s reaction. He immediately looked through the report after getting it. However, after reading it for some time, the frown on his forehead deepened. He recognized every word but couldn¡¯t understand it when he read them together. The nurse reminded him with a smile, ¡°You need to take the report to the doctor. The doctor will exin.¡± Christopher finally looked at her for the first time. He thanked her and went looking for Yuliana with the report. They went to the self-service printing kiosk to print the blood test report and went to the doctor with the test results. After reading the examination results, the doctor asked a few more questions, and Yuliana answered seriously. Christopher, on the other hand, stood beside her and listened to everything quietly. Finally, the doctor reminded her of some precautions. The doctor then nced at Christopher and said calmly. ¡°Try not to sleep together too often. If you must, you have to be gentle.¡± It took Yuliana a while to finally understand the doctor. Though there were no changes in her expression, her ears were red. Christopher smiled. ¡°Okay, doctor. We¡¯ll pay attention to that.¡± Upon hearing that, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but look at him, and she happened to meet the man¡¯s eyes. When their gazes met, Yuliana quickly turned away. It was almost twelve o¡¯clock when they got out of the hospital. Both of them didn¡¯t speak on their way back.. Christopher was driving, and Yuliana was staring out of the window the entire time. There was a strange atmosphere that fell upon them. Fortunately, they arrived home soon. When she got home, Yuliana put away the test results, went into the room to change her clothes, and went to the bathroom to wash her face and hands. When Christopher got home, he went to the balcony to smoke a cigarette. After he was done with it, Yuliana came out of the bathroom at the same time. The two looked at each other for a moment. Christopher then asked, ¡°What do you want for lunch? I¡¯ll order takeouts.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. Just order the food you want.¡± Christopher thought for a moment and said, ¡°If so, forget it.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said nothing. She went back to her room as she nned to nap for a while. She had gotten up early in the morning and began to feel sleepy on their way back home. Christopher had returned to Juxshire on the earliest flight that day and hadn¡¯t had breakfast. Even though he had eaten some quiche and the hard crust, they weren¡¯t enough to fill his empty stomach. Even so, he wasn¡¯t incredibly hungry. He sat on the couch and yed two games. He lost both of the games. Then, he received a notification. Raymond had sent a message to him through WhatsApp and asked if he cared to join a poker game. Christopher ignored it after reading it. He also received a few messages from the people in Romdale. All of them tried to ask him out to have some fun. He replied to a select few and left WhatsApp. After staring at the bedroom door for a while, he threw down his phone, got up, walked to the front of the door, and tried to turn the door handle. The door instantly swung open Christopher paused for a moment and pushed open the door to look inside. The curtains were drawn in the room, and the light was slightly dim. The atmosphere of the room seemed surreal. Yuliana was lying on her side, facing the door with her hands carelessly draped over the pillow. Her posture made her look like a sleeping beauty. Christopher went in and closed the door gently. He then walked to the other side of the bed andy on top of the quilt. Yuliana did not fall sound asleep because she was bothered by something. She woke up as soon as Christophery on the quilt. However, she didn¡¯t open her eyes, and her body was stiff and motionless. She didn¡¯t know what Christopher wanted to do. Ten minutester, Yuliana sensed no movement from the man beside her. As she felt ufortable because she had remained still for some time, she couldn¡¯t help but move a little. The man beside her didn¡¯t react to it. Yuliana turned around, flung her eyes open, and looked at him. Christopher had fallen asleep. He was also lying on her side, facing Yuliana with his knees slightly bent and his right arm curled under his neck. Christopher¡¯s skin was wless and fair. His bone structure was perfect, too. He had a high nose bridge and a nose shaped like a water droplet. His hair was a little long, and his scalp was packed with it. There was some hair covering his eyes lids. Yuliana raised her hand and moved the hair away from his eyelids. When she was about to withdraw her hand, it was suddenly grabbed in midair by someone. ÌÁ Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 | Forgot To Add Salt Yuliana panicked. When she looked up, she saw Christopher was awake and staring at her quietly with half-opened eyelids. After looking at each other for a while, she lowered her eyes and slightly struggled to break free. Christopher didn¡¯t let go of her. Instead, he tightened his grip. ¡°Let go.¡± Christopher inched so close to her that he could clearly see her eyshes. ¡°You are the one who put your hand over.¡± His voice was a little low with a slight sense of mischief. Yuliana said defiantly. ¡°This is my room and my bed. I didn¡¯t allow you to enter.¡± After saying that, Yuliana grew frustrated and thought, ¡°Christopher is the one being childish. How come I am acting like him now?¡± Christopher held her hand tightly and pressed it against the pillow. ¡°We are a married couple. Doesn¡¯t that mean what¡¯s yours is also mine?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t refute his words, but her gaze showed a trace of stubbornness. She didn¡¯t want to admit defeat. The corner of Christopher¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Are you going to sleep or not?¡± Yuliana, without a doubt, wanted to sleep. She sleptte for the entire week, didn¡¯t have time to rest during the day, and finally had the rare chance to rest on a weekend. She struggled to break free again and red at Christopher in anger. ¡°You have to let go of me first.¡± She couldn¡¯t sleep at all if he were holding her like that. Christopher held her hand for a while before he let go of it. Yuliana immediately turned her back to him as soon as he loosened his grip. A momentter, a rustle sounded from behind, like pieces of fabric rubbing against each other. Then, a cold breeze blew behind her, and she felt a warm body inching closer to hers. Christopher snuggled into the nket, with his chest pressed against Yuliana¡¯s back. His arm was wrapped around her waist, and his palm was on her bulged abdomen. Yuliana felt a little ufortable and couldn¡¯t help moving to the edge of the bed, but he gently pulled her closer to him. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like sleeping?¡± His deep voice rang in her ear and sounded like a warning. Yuliana remembered what happened that night. Her body stiffened instantly. Christopher came to his senses immediately when he noticed her body reactions. He pressed his lips against her head, said nothing, and did not do anything more. Yuliana froze for a moment before her body rxed slowly. She thought she couldn¡¯t fall asleep when she was so close to Christopher. However, to her surprise, her eyelids gradually became heavy, and her consciousness slowly faded when she heard his soothing breaths. The weather was getting colder as it was November, but it was still bearable. It was cloudy this weekend, so it was a good time to snuggle at home. Recently, she was in a state of hypoxia due to her busy working schedule and pregnancy. With that, Yuliana fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up, the room was dark. As she didn¡¯t sleep well, she thought it was still midnight. When she felt an arm moving around her waist, she regained her senses and realized it was already evening. She stretched her arm to turn on the lights in the room. As it was a little dazzling, she narrowed her eyes to adapt to it for a while before looking at the time. It was already half past seven o¡¯clock in the evening. She had slept for six hours straight without waking up and was amazed by herself. She had a habit of taking a nap at noon, which usuallysted ten minutes to half an hour. Yuliana was hungry when she woke up and wanted to eat something, but the arm on her waist restricted her movement. She turned around and saw Christopher was still asleep, with no sign of waking up any soon. Yuliana hesitated for a while, pulled his arm away, gently got up from the bed, picked up the hairband at the bedside, and tied her hair into a topknot. After putting on a coat, she went out of the room. She headed to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and took a quick look. There was some spaghetti left which was enough for her and Christopher. As she thought, she poured water into the pot and boiled it. Then, she took out some spinach and tomatoes. washed them, and cut them. After running some oil into the pan, she started to fry two eggs. When Christopher came in, Yuliana was busy frying the eggs and putting the spaghetti into the boiling water. She was inexperienced in cooking. Her body was moving awkwardly. She took a step back immediately after putting in the spaghetti. He looked at Yuliana at the door for a while, stepped forward, took the spaghetti from her, and asked, ¡®Are we cooking all of them?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment, looked at him, and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± After saying that, she immediately looked at the eggs in the pan beside her. They were already burnt on the Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. bottom. She frowned and felt a little flustered. She was not skillful at cooking and barely managed to fry an egg. However, she messed them up this time. After the eggs were done, Yuliana put them on the te and poked them with a fork. She was a little disgusted and thought about throwing them out and making them again. She then heard Christopher say to her from the side, ¡°Let it be.¡± Yuliana looked at him and finally decided to do so. When the spaghetti was almost done, Yuliana put the tomatoes, spinach, and spaghetti onto two tes with the same design but different sizes. After Yuliana finished ting, Christopher took them to the dining room. She grabbed two forks and gave one to him after sitting down. When they took their first bite, they were stunned. Looking at each other speechlessly for a while, they couldn¡¯t helpughing. Yuliana giggled shyly while Christopherughed so hard that his chest trembled. After a while, she blushed and said, ¡°I think I forgot to put salt.¡± Christopher suppressed hisugh and nodded. ¡°Do you want me to go get some salt?¡± Yuliana hesitated for a while. ¡°I guess.¡± Christopher got up and went to the kitchen to get the salt. He added a little salt to her food and asked Yuliana to taste it. After tasting, Yuliana said, ¡°You can add more.¡± Christopher then did as she told. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Christopher gestured at his food with his chin. ¡°What about mine?¡± Yuliana paused and tasted the spaghetti on Christopher¡¯s te. ¡°I think it tastes just right.¡± Christopher said, ¡°Then that will do.¡± He put the salt back in the kitchen. After dinner, it was almost nine o¡¯clock. Yuliana checked the messages on her WhatsApp. There was a mid-term exam this week. As the parents were very concerned about their children¡¯s studies after seeing their results, she received many messages. Yuliana didn¡¯t reply to the messages in the afternoon, which umted as time passed. It was almost ten o¡¯clock when she finished answering every one of them. Christopher was also reading his messages. He looked serious and was not like his usual self. Yuliana had never seen him like this and thought it was something new. After ncing at him for a while, she returned to her room, took her clothes, and washed up. After washing up, she saw Christopher was recording a voice message. His tone was a little cold with a trace of oppression. As she listened to him talking, she reckoned it had something to do with his work. Yuliana didn¡¯t listen carefully. She returned to her room and turned on theputer to prepare a Powerpoint presentation. The door opened after a while. Christopher walked in. Yuliana looked at him and said nothing. Then, she shifted her gaze back to theputer screen. Christopher walked straight to the closet. When he was reaching for some clean clothes, he suddenly paused He extended his arm and took out a brown coat hanging in the closet. At a nce, he could tell it was a man¡¯s clothes. The logo was prominent, and it was the brand he often wore. He turned to look at Yuliana and asked, ¡°Did you buy this?¡± Hearing his words, Yuliana subconsciously turned around and saw the coat in his hand. She remained silent for a while ¡°I saw it when I went shopping with my colleagues. It looked nice, so I bought it.¡± Her words sounded slightly vague. She paused for a second and added, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, just leave it.¡± Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Who said I don¡¯t like it?¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 I Will Go With You Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Who said I don¡¯t like it?¡± Then, he walked to the mirror with the coat, took off the hanger, and put it on. There was a gray inneryer, which looked casual and loose, while the outeryer was slim with a retro design. It gave off an informal and formal look, and the colors didn¡¯t match. Judging from the combination, it looked somehow indecent. However, Christopher was slender and tall with a distinctive temperament. Even if the coat looked indecent, he could still pull off a unique style. The coat¡¯s design suited Christopher well as if it were tailored for him. After putting it on, Christopher looked in the mirror and turned to Yuliana. He raised his eyebrows and commented, ¡°Not bad!¡± Yuliana looked at him, got up, walked to him, adjusted the inneryer and cor, and said, ¡°It suits you.¡± She thought the coat would suit Christopher at first nce. After he put it on, she didn¡¯t expect it to look better than she had expected. Christopher smiled when he heard her words. His gray eyes were bright. He lowered his eyes, looked at Yuliana in front of him, and felt a slight itchiness around his throat. In the end, he suppressed his rising desire He asked in a deep voice, ¡°Why did you buy me this?¡± Yuliana paused and said, ¡°I saw it when I was shopping. I thought it would suit you, so I bought it.¡± Christopher nodded faintly, but he was thinking about something else. A T-shirt of the same brand was not cheap, and a coat would normally cost a few thousand dors. Seeing the design and material of the coat, he reckoned it definitely cost more than that. Yuliana could only afford the coat after working for half a year. He took off his coat and said, ¡°Don¡¯t buy anything for me from now on. I will buy it myself if I need it.¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment, nodded, and continued working on the Powerpoint presentation on her Christopher hung the coat in the closet and went to take a shower. After he finished washing up, Yuliana was still working on the Powerpoint presentation. Christopher yed games on his phone while sitting on the bed without muting the sound, but it was not loud, so she didn¡¯t mind Yuliana turned off herputer and went to bed almost at midnight. However, shey on her side with her back facing Christopher Christopher was still ying. After around ten minutes, the round was over, so he quit the game, put down his phone,y down, and hugged her from behind. His body was so warm that Yuliana felt her whole back was burning. She was a little nervous, and her body was as stiff as it was in the afternoon.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. She and Christopher were married. It was customary for them to do things a married couple would do, so she thought she should not keep rejecting him. Back then, she could use her pregnancy as an excuse. However, Christopher also heard what the doctor said today. One could have sex even during pregnancy While Yuliana overthought, the room suddenly darkened. Christopher kissed her shoulder after turning off the lights and whispered, ¡°Goodnight.¡± He didn¡¯t do anything else. Yuliana was stunned. After a while, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The next day, Yuliana woke up at dawn. After checking the time, she realized it was still early, and it seemed to be raining outside. She closed her eyes for a while and fell asleep again. It was past eight o¡¯clock when she woke up again. Christopher was awake. A faint voice sounded from outside. She reckoned Christopher was calling someone. After lying on the bed for a while, Yuliana got up and left the room. Christopher, in his pajamas, was on a call on the couch. A half cigarette was between his fingers, and his brows were slightly furrowed. Hearing the noise, he looked up and saw Yuliana walking out. He immediately put out the cigarette and threw it into the trash can. His eyes followed her until she entered the bathroom and closed the door. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this next time.¡± Hearing this, the person on the other side of the phone said in a deeper voice, ¡°Have you ever thought that the more you behave like this, the more Mom will dislike Yuliana?¡± Kendrick was on the phone with Christopher. Kendrick called Christopher early in the morning because he knew thetter had returned to Juxshire and wanted him to bring Yuliana to the Sce residence. Although they had registered their marriage and didn¡¯t n to tell the public about it, Kendrick thought Yuliana should meet the Sce family since she had married into this family. Even though Winnie didn¡¯t say anything about it, she must have felt displeased all this time. The longer this went on, the greater the conflict would be. Christopher sneered, ¡°Will Mom be happy if I return with Ana now?¡± Kendrick replied, ¡°Christopher, she is your mom. You know very well that she is not an unreasonable person. It is understandable for her to dislike Yuliana if one is in her shoes. Are you going to keep being in a standoff with her?¡± Christopher kept quiet. When he was young, he heard from the people around him that Winnie suffered a lot when giving birth to him. Winnie was in such bad health because something went wrong when she gave birth to Christopher that she almost lost her life. It took her several years to recover. That was why Christopher was raised by Kendrick. Christopher could recall Winnie spending most of her time in the hospital before he attended elementary school As Zachary had to run thepany and take care of Winnie simultaneously, he didn¡¯t have time to look after Christopher. Ever since Christopher was a child, although he was rebellious, he listened to Winnie well. Christopher and Winnie got estranged for the first time because of Yuliana. Christopher understood Winnie¡¯s opinions, but he disagreed with them. He knew it was difficult to change quickly, and he didn¡¯t want Yuliana to suffer in the Sce residence. That was why he could only avoid the problem for the time being. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while. I¡¯ll return with Ana after Mom calms down.¡± Kendrick disagreed with Christopher¡¯s way of handling the matter. With her foul temper, Winnie wouldn¡¯t calm down. Instead, she would be more displeased. She couldn¡¯t bear to me her son, and Yuliana would feel sorry in the end. ¡°Christopher, unless you don¡¯t think of Mom as your mother, otherwise, you can only protect Yuliana for the time being, but not forever. If she and Mom don¡¯t get along well, it will only put you in a difficult position. Neither of them will feel good too.¡± After giving hisst advice, Kendrick hung up the phone. After Yuliana stepped out of the bathroom, Christopher, who had changed his clothes, unpacked some takeouts. He said, ¡°I¡¯ve ordered breakfast. You don¡¯t have to prepare it.¡± She nodded, walked over, sat, and ate with Christopher. Christopher said as they had their breakfast, ¡°I am going outter and wille back in the afternoon.¡± Yuliana took a sip of fresh milk and asked, ¡°Are you going back to the Sce residence?¡± When Christopher was on the phone earlier, she was listening in the bathroom and could guess what was happening. Christopher paused for a second and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Yuliana looked up at him. Christopher met her gaze, frowned slightly, and said, ¡°Maybe next time. Not today.¡± Yuliana asked calmly. ¡°When will it be then?¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 You Are Aunt Yuliana Yuliana asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Christopher was silent for a moment. Putting down his fork, Christopher said, ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m doing this for you He knew very well about Winnie¡¯s temperament. If Yuliana went over at that time, she would definitely cross Winnie when thetter was in a bad mood. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Yuliana replied, ¡°I know.¡± She naturally knew Christopher was doing that for her sake. Yuliana was not ignorant and knew that something would have to be dealt with sooner orter. It was impossible to solve it if she dyed the matter. Besides, she could understand Winnie. With Christopher¡¯s condition, he could get any woman as his wife. Yet, in the end, he married a previously wedded woman. If Yuliana was in Winnie¡¯s position, she also would not ept it easily. Then, Yuliana said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that fragile.¡± She could even handle the people from the Ziegler family, not to mention Winnie. Although Winnie did not like Yuliana when they metst time, Yuliana thought Winnie was not a difficult person Seeing that Yuliana insisted on it, Christopher did not say anything more. After breakfast, they set off for the Sce residence. Juxshire had been raining since the previous night. It was a little cold when the rain subsided and drizzled during the day. Christopher wore the coat Yuliana bought. Before returning to the Sce residence, Christopher informed Kendrick and La in advance. Jared had gone abroad for academic exchange during those days. Thus, La brought her daughter and went back to the Sce residence. When Christopher and Yuliana arrived at the Sce residence, it was nearly 11 a.m. When they got out of the car, a maid immediately came over with an umbre to wee them. Seeing Yuliana, the maid greeted with a smile, ¡°Mrs. Sce.¡± Yuliana had not gotten used to that but did not say anything else. She only nodded in response. When they arrived at the door, La and Joyce happened to walk out, followed by a little girl. Seeing Yuliana, Zofia rushed over excitedly and held Yuliana¡¯s waist. ¡°Aunt Yuliana!¡± Yuliana stepped back. Christopher hurriedly reached out to hold her waist. Then, he red at Zofia in displeasure and thundered, ¡°Zofia Ximenes, behave yourself!¡± Yuliana was also frightened. After steadying herself, she felt Christopher¡¯s tone was too serious. Yuliana nced at him and touched the girl¡¯s flushed cheeks. ¡°The road is slippery on rainy days. Slow down. It¡¯ll hurt a lot if you fall.¡± Yuliana¡¯s tone was gentle, and she had a faint smile on her face. It was the first time Christopher had seen Yuliana get along with children. He could not help but wonder if she could intimidate the mischievous students by talking to them like that at school. Zofia made a face at Christopher and obediently apologized to Yuliana, ¡°Aunt Yuliana, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡± Then, she touched Yuliana¡¯s belly and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yuliana chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± At that time, La and Joyce came over. La also could not help scolding her daughter. Then, she said to Yuliana. ¡°This kid is reckless. Did she just bump into you?¡± Yuliana shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Zofia has already apologized.¡± After saying that, she looked at Joyce, who also looked at her. Joyce smiled kindly and said, ¡°Wee home, Yuliana My name is Joyce, and I¡¯m Christopher¡¯s sister-inw.¡± Joyce and La were around the same age, but their temperaments werepletely different. However, it was obvious that they had a good rtionship. Yuliana could not help but think of the messy rtionship in the Ziegler family. Although Yuliana seldom returned to the Ziegler residence during her three-year marriage with Harry, she had to deal with the messy situation every time they went back. In the Sce family, it seemed there was an indescribable harmony. Yuliana smiled at Joyce and greeted her. ¡°Hi, Joyce.¡± Then, Joyce said, ¡°There is no outsider at home today. Don¡¯t be too nervous. Don¡¯t stand here. Go inside. It¡¯s warmer inside. The temperature dropped recently. You should pay extra attention since you¡¯re pregnant. It¡¯s troublesome if a pregnant woman catches a cold.¡± The group of people headed inside while talking. Joyce was not a very enthusiastic person but was very thoughtful. As the wife of the head of the Sce family, she was obviously qualified. At that moment, Zachary and Kendrick were talking in the hall. Winnie nced at the door from time to time while ying with her grandson. She immediately looked away when she heard the noise from the outside. When La came in, she raised her voice. ¡°Dad! Mom! Christopher and Yuliana are back.¡± Hearing that, Zachary and Kendrick stopped and looked in the direction of the entrance of the hall. Meanwhile, Winnie looked sullen and expressionless. Yuliana followed Christopher and went inside. Christopher nced at Zachary and Winnie before saying with a wry smile, ¡°Dad, Mom. I brought your daughter-inw back. How is it? Not bad, right?¡± Zachary looked at Yuliana with no emotion on his face and said nothing. Winnie did not even look at Yuliana, let alone respond. The atmosphere in the hall was a little awkward. Yuliana stood quietly beside Christopher and met Zachary¡¯s gaze. She appeared calm, neither humble nor haughty. She smiled and nodded slightly to Zachary, then looked at Winnie. After a pause, Yuliana said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Sce, I¡¯m sorry for taking so long to visit you.¡± Zachary smiled gently and responded, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t stand there. Quickly, have a seat.¡± After saying that, he looked at Christopher. ¡°Christopher, hurry and let Yuliana sit!¡± Yuliana did not move but looked at Winnie. Winnie had never looked at Yuliana since thetter came in. Alex sat next to Winnie, ying games on the tablet. Winnie was feeding Alex while holding a te of fruit. She smiled kindly, but there was an indescribable indifference on her face. Yuliana knew very well that Winnie¡¯s indifference was not targeting others but herself. Winnie¡¯s attitude was evident. She did not object to their marriage, but it did not mean she epted it. ¡°Aunt Yuliana, have a seat!¡± Zofia did not understand the indirect conversation between the adults, but she was smart and felt something was happening. She took Yuliana¡¯s hand and sat down on the couch. La said, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. Don¡¯t keep standing there.¡± Yuliana sat down when she heard that. La and Zofia were talking with Yuliana. Christopher went to Zachary and Kendrick but looked at Yuliana from time to time. Joyce went to the kitchen and asked about the preparation for lunch. She specifically reminded the cook not to put red pepper kes and parsley in the dishes. When she came back, she also apanied Yuliana with La. Alex had an hour of game time. When the time was up, the tablet was taken away by Joyce. He had not finished the game. No matter how he begged Joyce, she would not let him finish the game. A boy like Alex, who was around eight years old, was stubborn. However, when Kendrick was around, Alex did not dare to make a scene. He had no ce to vent his frustration, so he aimed at Yuliana. From the start, Alex did not like Yuliana as his aunt. He thought, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, Aunt Annabelle would¡¯ve married Uncle Chris and wouldn¡¯t have gone abroad, which made Grandma in a bad mood.¡± Then, Alex. blurted out, ¡°So, you¡¯re Aunt Yuliana. You¡¯re not that good-looking!¡± Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Are You Stupid? Alex pouted. ¡°Aunt Annabelle¡¯s prettier!¡± Before Yuliana could react, Zofia had started to quarrel with Alex. ¡°Aunt Yuliana is so pretty, but you don¡¯t know how to appreciate it!¡± Zofia retorted. Alex snorted, ¡°So you mean Aunt Annabelle isn¡¯t pretty?¡± Although Zofia was young, she had a way with words. ¡°When did I say that Aunt Annabelle wasn¡¯t pretty? Can¡¯t she and Aunt Yuliana both look pretty?¡± ¡°No! You can only choose one of them!¡± Alex yelled, ¡°You are a traitor, Zofia!¡± Hearing the word ¡°traitor,¡± Zofia exploded with rage. She jumped onto the sofa and roared back at him, ¡°You¡¯re the traitor! You!¡± The children¡¯s voices were loud and high-pitched, and the quarrel showed no signs of stopping. Zachary, Kendrick, and Christopher were farther away, so they were unaware of the situation. As the bickering started to spiral out of control, so much so that even Joyce and La were helpless about it, Kendrick stepped in. Just one word from him managed to shut Alex up, albeit with puffed cheeks of indignation. Kendrick called for both of the kids to stand in front of him. ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± Zofia was practically seething as she said, ¡°Do something about Alex, Uncle Kendrick. He said that Aunt Yuliana isn¡¯t good-looking. He¡¯s not acting like a polite gentleman!¡± Seeing Zofia tantlyin about him, Alex went red with rage. ¡°You¡¯re such a crybaby, Zofia!¡± Zofia tilted her chin towards him and snorted provocatively. ¡°Scared of admitting what you said, huh?¡± Before Kendrick could speak, Christopher¡¯s icy gaze swept over Alex. ¡°Apologize!¡± Christopher ordered, his lips curled with rage. Alex stared indignantly at Christopher with his lips stubbornly sealed. ¡°Alex Sce!¡± Kendrick called out his full name. Alex, who was trembling, took a peek at his father¡¯s fiery eyes, and the fire in his own went out. But at this moment, another voice sounded. ¡°Alex isn¡¯t in the wrong, is he? It is a child¡¯s nature to speak directly from their heart. Otherwise, do you think he should learn to spout lies from such a young age?¡± When Kendrick was disciplining his children, no one dared to interfere, especially since Kendrick was the future head of the Sce family. Usually, Winnie wouldn¡¯t nose into their conversations. But today was a special day, it seemed. Christopher shed a bitter smile. As he thought, he shouldn¡¯t have brought Yuliana back here. He got up and went straight to Yuliana. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After holding his gaze for a while, Yuliana gently shook her head. Leaving at this time would be like adding fuel to the fire. Not only would she seem inconsiderate, but it would also make yet another bad impression on Winnie. Moreover, Alex was just a young boy. She shouldn¡¯t make a fuss about hisments. Yuliana had seen her fair share of mischievous students at school, so this didn¡¯t affect her in the slightest. Christopher was visibly unhappy about it, seeing that his thin lips were pursed like that. Yet after another session of silent arguing with her, he obliged and stayed put. Under Kendrick¡¯s heavy gaze, Alex reluctantly apologized to Yuliana. Then, Kendrick punished him to stand in a corner for two hours, where he would reflect on his actions instead of having lunch with everyone else. And when Kendrick asked Alex to stand in a corner, he meant for his son to stand and stare at that very corner for the entire duration of his punishment Mrs Sce didn¡¯t seem too pleased about that. She didn¡¯t sit down for lunch, instead opting to retire to her room. So Zachary had no choice but to ask a maid to bring food to her room. After lunch, Christopher dragged Yuliana out of the Sce residence. The rain had already stopped by then. On the way back, Christopher remained silent, his emotions visibly churning inside of him. Yuliana said in an understanding tone, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Those words only served to worsen Christopher¡¯s mood. He mmed on the brakes, and the car skidded to a stop. He tilted his head to peer at Yuliana, his face dark as thunder. ¡°Are you stupid, Yuliana?¡± Yuliana stared at him nkly. She didn¡¯t understand why Christopher was so pissed off. A few seconds passed, and her lips finally parted. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Alex is just a young boy, and his words are nothing too serious for me to make a fuss about.¡± Christopher continued that sidelong nce of his, and his expression remained unchanged. But he didn¡¯t say anything else after that. He went on to restart the car, drove Yuliana back to Maple Garden, and left Yuliana was left puzzled. Their rtionship had just evened out a little, and now it seemed to have gone back to square one. Her doubts resurfaced once more. She thought, ¡°Am I evenpatible with Christopher? Can we really live together like this?¡± In the afternoon, Yuliana browsed through a list of nearby houses for sale on the inte. The houses near the primary school had a stable renting schedule. During the two or three months in summer when the sixth-grade students graduated, there were always vacant houses to rent. Other than that period, renting a ce there would be a challenge. After browsing for the entire afternoon, Yuliana still didn¡¯t find a suitable ce to rent. When Christopher left, he didn¡¯t mention where he went off to. And he¡¯s still not back home even after night has fallen. Yuliana sent him a message on WhatsApp, asking if he woulde back tonight. Christopher didn¡¯t reply to that. Before going to bed, Yuliana opened WhatsApp again. But still, there were no replies from him. She hesitated for a while and soon decided to call Christopher directly. After a few rings, the call went through. Yuliana was just about to speak when she heard the noiseing from the other side of the phone. There was loud music. And there were the voices of men and women mingling together. She swallowed back the words that she was about to say. Then, a familiar woman¡¯s voice drifted through the phone, ¡°Who is it?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything and hung up right away. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. At that moment, she felt like a total idiot. Here she was, worried out of her mind, while Christopher was having fun outside. And, of course, he was apanied by a woman. She thought that since Christopher decided to marry her, he probably did like her. She believed that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Thoughts swirled through her mind at dizzying speeds. ¡°Was it a one-sided affair from the start? Was it all a lie? Did Christopher not have any feelings for me at all? if that¡¯s the case, why did he insist on marrying me? And why does he keep acting like that? Why does he keep doing those stupid things that I don¡¯t know what to make of?¡± Yuliana¡¯s chest was unbearably tight. Shey back to focus on the ceiling light, taking one deep breath after another, trying her best to take control of her emotions. And to contain the tears that threatened to spill from her eyelids. After calming down, Yuliana took a peek at her phone again and noticed the new Instagram notifications. She clicked on them. Thetest post was from Margaret. She was at a bar, wearing heavy makeup and a stylish blue wig that covered her ears. Though she was looking directly at the camera, her gaze seemed hazy and unfocused as she stuck her tongue out yfully. She wore a sling vest, which exposed the string of words tattooed on her corbone. A familiar brown coatpleted her attire for the night. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 I Miss You So Much It was already early in the morning when Christopher returned. Yuliana opened the door and saw a strange middle-aged man supporting Christopher, who was still wearing the brown coat she had bought for him. The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment when he saw Yuliana. A trace of doubt appeared on his face. He asked, ¡°Miss, do you know him? He said he lives here.¡± The middle-aged man started to get a little suspicious when he drove the car in. There was no way someone with such an excellent sports car would live in this kind of shabby residential area. After he saw Yuliana, he became more suspicious. The young woman in front of him didn¡¯t look like she was familiar with the young man he was supporting. Yuliana looked at the drunk Christopher for a while and did not say anything. Christopher turned a little sober when he heard the middle-aged man speak. He raised his head and stared at Yuliana nkly for a while. Suddenly, he smiled, pushed the middle-aged man away, and stumbled forward before he hugged Yuliana. ¡°Ana, my dear¡­¡± Yuliana struggled to hold Christopher¡¯s heavy figure. The unpleasant smell on him made her a little nauseated. She could not help but frown and tried to restrain the heaving in her chest. The middle-aged man was about to pull Christopher away when he saw this. Yuliana said, ¡°He lives here. Thank you for sending him back!¡± The middle-aged man was still worried. He confirmed with Yuliana multiple times before he left. Yuliana closed the door and dragged Christopher inside with great effort before she threw him on the couch. Christopher snatched her waist with his arm just as she was about to get up. Yuliana¡¯s figure stumbled back against Christopher¡¯s body. Her face hit the man¡¯s neck. ¡°Ana¡­¡± Christopher¡¯s hold on her was very tight. Yuliana tried to get up but failed. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. The man turned his head. His breath brushed her ear. Yuliana was a little disgusted, so she avoided to the side. Suddenly, the smell of sweet perfume hit her nose. It was on the neckline of the man¡¯s coat and was very light. The scent was hidden under the smell of alcohol. It was difficult to notice the perfume scent if one did not pay attention. Yuliana froze for a few seconds before she pried the man¡¯s arm free with all her strength. She suddenly heard Christopher murmuring behind her when she stood up and was about to leave. ¡°Ana, don¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Ana, I miss you so much¡­¡± ¡°Miss me?¡± she thought. Yuliana turned around and looked down at the man lying on the sofa. His blonde hair covered most of his forehead. He was frowning. His legs were wrapped in casual and loose cks. One of his legs was curled up on the armrest of the sofa, while the other was on the floor. She stared at Christopher¡¯s figure for a while before she suddenly realized that he might be calling Annabelle¡¯s nickname, Anna. Yuliana had already gone to school when Christopher woke up the next day. His body felt ufortable from sleeping on the couch all night. In addition, he was also hungover and had a severe headache. Christopher sat up. He leaned his head back against the couch before he closed his eyes for a while. He then opened his eyes. His gaze slowly swept across the living room while he was thinking about something else. He only remembered that he had asked the designated driver to drive him backst night. However, he didn¡¯t remember what happenedter. Christopher sat on the couch for a while before he took a shower. He then took a cigarette out of the cigarette pack and lit it. The phone on the coffee table vibrated for a while. Christopher picked it up and took a look. There were more than a dozen missed calls, many unread messages, and even more messages on WhatsApp, along with a friend request notification. Christopher clicked on the notification and took a look. The person who requested their number to be added had a cute cartoon character as their profile picture. This person attached a message that read: [Christopher, this is Margaret.] He stared at the message for a while before he ignored it and directly closed the chat interface. Christopher also ignored the numerous messages and missed calls on his phone. He threw the phone back to the table and smoked his cigarette in silence. Then, he caught a glimpse of the tablet on the couch. Yuliana usually did not use tablets that much. She only asionally used it to connect it to the projector and watch movies or something. Christopher got up and picked up the tablet without thinking before he pressed the round home button. The tablet was not locked with a password, so it was unlocked directly. The screen disyed the interface of an app immediately after the tablet was unlocked. Christopher immediately knew after he took a nce at the interface that Yuliana was searching for a house. It rained again in Juxshire when the school session was nearing the end. The rain was also getting heavier as time passed. Yuliana was not in a good state, so she was slow in grading the workbooks that afternoon. She still had not finished grading them by the time working hours ended, so she stayed at school and worked overtime. The other teachers had already left early because of the rain, leaving Yuliana alone in the office. Suddenly, there was a knock on the office¡¯s door. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, you¡¯re still here?¡± Yuliana turned around and found that it was Spencer standing at the door. She replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished grading the workbooks yet. You can leave first, Mr. Carl!¡± Spencer looked at several workbooks in front of her and said, ¡°It¡¯s raining heavily outside. I¡¯ll drive you home after this.¡± Yuliana hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I brought an umbre. My ce is very close by. It¡¯s only a few minutes¡¯ walk.¡± Spencer smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not in a hurry, anyways.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 A Handsome Swine Spencer smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not in a hurry, anyways.¡± Yuliana heard the persistence in his voice and could no longer refuse. She had to speed up and finish grading the remaining workbooks. After she finished grading the workbooks, Yuliana waited at the school gate while Spencer drove his car over. It was a rainy day, so the ground was wet, with puddles of water forming in the low-level areas. Lights from all sources reflected on the puddles, casting a mottled ambiance on the surroundings. Yuliana stared dazedly at the air for a while. Spencer arrived in his car not long after. Despite the rain, he got off the car and opened the door for Yuliana. He also helped her store her umbre before he trotted to the driver¡¯s seat after she got inside the car. Yuliana nced at the rearview mirror once the car started moving slowly and froze for a moment. The car behind us seems familiar,¡± she thought. She tried to get a second look at the car, but the car had already gone far, leaving a faint silhouette. Spencer noticed Yuliana¡¯s strange behavior and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± They arrived at the entrance of Yuliana¡¯s residential area in no time. She thanked Spencer for the ride and got off the car with her umbre. Spencer did not leave immediately. He watched Yuliana enter the residential area before he switched the gear and drove away. It was dark when Yuliana got home. Despite the bad premonition she was feeling. Yuliana still stood at the door of her house for two seconds before she turned on the lights in the living room. She then changed her shoes into a pair of indoor slippers and took her umbre to the balcony. Yuliana debated with herself whether to cook something to eat or not after she changed her clothes. She decided to order takeouts since she was not in the mood. Yuliana clicked on the takeouts app and found she had almost ordered food from all the nearby restaurants before as she scrolled through the page. In the end, she could not decide on what to eat. She gradually lost focus. The screen of her phone began to appear blurry to her eyes. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Yuliana was startled and turned toward the door on reflex. She got up and went to open the door. Christopher stood at the door with his hair wet, the shoulders area of his coat a few shades darker. It was obvious that he had walked under the rain. Yuliana looked Christopher in the eye and was about to ask something, but she decided to keep silent when her eyes met his cold gaze. In the end, she did not say anything. She turned to the bathroom and took out a dry towel before she handed it to him. Christopher took the towel and wiped his hair haphazardly. He then clicked on WhatsApp and epted Margaret¡¯s friend request. The phone vibrated twice. It was Margaret who sent a voice message. Meanwhile, Yuliana walked past him and went to her room. Christopher clicked on the voice message. Margaret¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Christopher, what are you doing right now? Do you want toe out for a drink?¡± Christopher pressed the voice message button and replied, ¡°Send me the location.¡± The bedroom door was closed after he said that. Christopher raised his gaze and nced at the door. The expression on his face was difficult to read. His phone vibrated again. It was still Margaret who sent the location and another voice message. He ignored it and threw the phone aside. After a while, Christopher opened the door and went in. Yuliana was sitting in front of theputer, but the screen was dark. It was unknown what was in her mind. She turned her head and looked at the door when she heard the sound of it opening. Her eyes then met Christopher¡¯s directly. After a moment of silence, Christopher asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re searching for a house?¡± Yuliana turned around and looked at the figure reflected on theputer screen. She replied calmly, ¡°You are so busy. How can I disturb you?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Christopher smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t disturb me, but you can disturb other men?¡± Yuliana frowned and turned back to look at him. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± The two were locked in a stalemate. Christopher turned around and left after he stared at Yuliana for a while. Yuliana¡¯s mind was in disarray once she heard the door shut. Yuliana did not know what went wrong. They were obviously getting along well before, so she wondered why this was happening again. Christopher did note back after that night. Neither of them contacted the other. Yuliana went to and fro her work as usual. She was thankful that the matter with the new house had been settled. A real estate agent had contacted her. There were three apartments for rent in the nearby residential area. The apartments were well-decorated and had all kinds of equipment that met Yuliana¡¯s needs. Yuliana checked one of the apartments on Saturday. It was a regr apartment, but it had excellent lighting and also arge balcony. As the real estate agent said, the decoration style, furniture, and equipment all met her needs. The rent was also appropriate. As a result, Yuliana signed a contract with the real estate agent after she saw the apartment and paid the rent for three months. Yuliana packed her things at her current house that weekend after she signed the contract. She nned to move to the new apartment next weekend. Then, she got thetest news about Christopher on Instagram. It was a short video sent from Margaret¡¯s ount, with the caption that read: [A handsome swine.] In the video, Margaret pointed at several men not far away, with half of her face showing on the screen. Christopher was among the men she pointed at. His blonde hair was very conspicuous in the crowd. The video was obviously taken secretly, but it showed a vague impression that it was taken by a lover. Her caption for the video was also very ambiguous. The location showed that they were in Romdale. There were likes andments from the members of the Ziegler family. [Marge, did you go to Romdale?] [You have a boyfriend now, Marge?] [Which one is Marge¡¯s handsome swine?] In response, Margaret only replied with an emoji that showed a bashful expression. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Must Be A Beauty At Club Aurora, Romdale. ¡°Mr. Sce, you seem a little absent-minded today!¡± The person next to Christopher looked at him as he picked a card. He then looked at the card he picked and looked faintly pleased. He put the card among the cards in front of him and flipped it over to reveal it. Christopher did not say anything. He nced at the card he picked, slid it aside with his finger, and picked another card from the deck. The person whose turn was after Christopher said, ¡°Mr. Sce, are you homesick?¡± ¡°Mr. Lambert, don¡¯t say that. Mr. Sce doesn¡¯t look like a person who¡¯d be homesick!¡± The person who spoke earlier smiled jokingly before saying, ¡°I see what it is about. Mr. Sce is thinking about the person at home, and not the home itself!¡± The man sitting opposite Christopher smiled and said, ¡°The woman who¡¯s able to make herself stay in Mr. Sce¡¯s mind must be beautiful.¡± The people at the poker table were all from Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. They were Timothy Lambert and Lincoln Foster, who was Yorick¡¯s nephew. The man who sat opposite Christopher was Howard Young. Yorick had made a very careful arrangement for Christopher since thetter arrived in Romdale. He took care of a lot of things for Christopher. From clothing to food, lodging, transportation, and even entertainment. Every arrangement was made meticulously. The arrangement was so meticulous that Christopher could only ept it. Lincoln learned that Christopher did not return to Juxshire on Saturday, so he arranged for a poker game. He invited Timothy and Howard to join in the game and apany Christopher to have fun. They all had a high position in Sce Corporation Romdale Branch and were Yorick¡¯s right-hand men. Lincoln answered, ¡°Mr. Sce, why don¡¯t you bring that person here to Romdale? We can all be amazed by her beauty then.¡± Christopher frowned slightly. He nced at Lincoln and said calmly. ¡°You think you deserve it?¡± Lincoln¡¯s smile stiffened. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve it, Mr. Sce. However, I only said that for your sake. If she can be by your side, then you won¡¯t have to worry about her all the time and have to go back to Juxshire every week.¡± After he said that, Lincoln signaled Timothy with his eyes. Timothy picked up a card and casually said, ¡°Mr. Foster has been discharged from the hospital and is expected to return to thepany next week. Mr. Sce¡¯s task here is done. It¡¯s not necessary to bring someone to this remote town to suffer difort. It¡¯s only natural that you will be more comfortable in Juxshire.¡± Christopher still did not say anything. He satzily in a chair with his eyelids drooping, making it hard to tell what he was thinking. He casually put his hand on the poker table and flipped a card between his fingers. Lincoln nced at Christopher and tried to ask, ¡°When are you nning to go home, Mr. Sce?¡± Christopher had only been at Sce Corporation Romdale Branch for half a month, so he knew nothing about thepany. He only went to thepany every day during his first week in Romdale. After that, he would not show up at thepany if there was no video conference with the headquarters. He slept in the hotel and yed games during the day. At night, he would ask them to take him to various ces to eat and have fun. In Lincoln¡¯s view, Christopher was just a foolish dandy son of a rich family. His stay in Romdale held no danger to Lincoln. However, Yorick thought otherwise. He felt that Christopher staying in Romdale posed a hidden danger. Therefore, he wanted Christopher to leave as soon as possible. Yorick would return to thepany to take care of everything next Monday, so Christopher naturally no longer had to stay in Romdale. However, the headquarters didn¡¯t send a transfer order. They could not possibly ask the headquarters to do so. They had to probe Christopher for an answer, hence the arrangement for a poker game that day. Christopher nced at Lincoln again and smiled. ¡°Are you driving me away, Mr. Foster?¡± Lincoln hurriedly waved his hand in denial. ¡°How can I do that? Romdale is your home, Mr. Sce. You can stay for as long as you want. I¡¯m just afraid that you will not get used to staying in Romdale. I don¡¯t want you to feel ufortable.¡± Even though Christopher was foolish, he had a bad temper. He would smile at you at the moment but look at you with cold eyes the next. Lincoln would sometimes get scared by the look in Christopher¡¯s eyes. Christopher smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Mr. Foster. I¡¯m just kidding!¡± He then picked a card and shrugged. ¡°Of course, I want to go back to Juxshire sooner. However, Mr. Foster, you also know that it¡¯s Kendrick, my elder brother, who has the final say in Sce Corporation. He was the one who forced me toe here. I can¡¯t go back without his order now, can I?¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher sighed with a sad expression and a frown on his face after he said that. Lincoln observed his face and thought it did not seem like Christopher was lying. Christopher seemed to be quite dissatisfied with Kendrick when Lincoln heard his tone. Lincoln heard from Yorick that Sce Corporation was a family business with a history of hundreds of years. Its business scope involved many industries and had a deep foundation beyond outsiders¡¯ imagination. However, Sce Corporation could only be inherited by the eldest son. In this case, it was only natural for Christopher to be dissatisfied with Kendrick. He was also a member of the Sce family but had no say in thepany just because he was born a dozen yearster. No one would be satisfied with that. Howard smiled and said, ¡°You are his younger brother, Mr. Sce. He will care about your feelings and will naturally tell you toe home if you ask him.¡° Christopher just chuckled and said nothing. Lincoln saw the disdainful expression on Christopher¡¯s face and became even surer of his guess. Christopher¡¯s phone rang precisely at this moment. He nced at the screen and saw that it was an unknown number. He picked up the phone before he looked sideways at the person sitting on the left side behind him. He then said, ¡°Mr. Sinew, I have to go outside to take this call. Please take my ce.¡± The person Christopher called ¡°Mr. Sinew¡± was Cameron Sinew, who was originally Lincoln¡¯s subordinate. Lincoln arranged for him to be Christopher¡¯s assistant when the man first came to Romdale. Christopher was quite satisfied with him, so he promoted Cameron to a higher position. He made sure to bring this man with him wherever he went. Now, Cameron was in the same standing as the other men at the poker table. Christopher then went out of the private room with his phone. Lincoln¡¯s expression darkened immediately. He nced at Cameron and sneered. ¡°Cameron, I never expected you to be able to y poker with us at the same poker table!¡± Half a month ago, Cameron could only sit behind him, serving him coffee and cigarettes. Cameron looked calm. With a respectful smile, he said, ¡°I have to thank Mr. Foster for my promotion.¡± Lincoln¡¯s expression eased a little after he saw Cameron¡¯s attitude. He asked, ¡°Who has Mr. Sce seen recently?¡± Cameron said, ¡°He sleeps in the hotel during the day and ys games. He only goes out to have fun at night.¡± He paused before he frowned. He said, ¡°However, a young girl has been pestering Mr. Sce recently. It seems that she came from Juxshire.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lincoln raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What kind of girl?¡± ¡°Very young. She should be in her early twenties. She looks pretty.¡± Timothy saw through Lincoln¡¯s thoughts at a nce. He turned to look at Lincoln and smiled tacitly before saying, ¡°Mr. Sce really is no good. It¡¯s not nice to treat such a young girl coldly. Remember to let him know the next time you see the pretty young girl, Cameron. Tell Mr. Foster to do his job as the host nicely as well.¡± Cameron immediately understood what Timothy meant and nodded with a smile. ¡°Understood, Mr. Lambert.¡± Lincoln was thirty-three years old and had been married for many years. His daughter was now in elementary school, yet he had not changed his demeanor. He had many mistresses, especially young women in their early twenties. Meanwhile, Christopher walked to the empty courtyard and answered the call. ¡°Mr. Sce, Ms. Livingstone has signed the contract.¡± Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Reckless Action The call was from the manager of the real estate agency. He smiled eagerly and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone is very satisfied with the house.¡± Christopher calmly hummed in response and asked, ¡°When will she be moving in?¡± ¡°Ms. Livingstone said next weekend,¡± the manager answered. Christopher responded, ¡°Got it. Thank you, Mr. Cook.¡± ¡°Mr. Sce, please don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s my honor to serve you. If you need anything in the future, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After he hung up the phone, Christopher lit a cigarette and returned to the private room. When they saw that he hade back, the four people at the poker table immediately put on their fake smiles. ¡°You are back, Mr. Sce.¡± Just as Cameron was about to rise to his feet, Christopher made him sit down by pressing on the former¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mr. Sinew will continue to y. I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯m taking a break. If you win, the winnings belong to you. I¡¯ll pay if you lose.¡± After he said that, Christopher walked to the side and started to make coffee. Lincoln looked at Christopher and exchanged nces with the others at the poker table. Then he said, ¡°If Mr. Sce doesn¡¯t want to y poker anymore, why don¡¯t we find something fun to do?¡± Christopher paused for a moment, looked at Lincoln, and asked, ¡°What kind of fun?¡± Lincoln squinted and smiled. ¡°I know a club. The girls there have good massage skills. They are very beautiful too. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like them, Mr. Sce! Let¡¯s have a massage at this hour. We can have a few drinkster at night.¡± Christopher¡¯s lips curled into a smile when he heard that. He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip. ¡°That sounds good!¡± Lincoln, Timothy, and Howard drove their own cars while Christopher rode with Cameron. Christopher would naturally follow Cameron¡¯s car to return to the city. Although the others looked like they respected him on the surface, they were unwilling to condescend and let a useless man like him be their driver. After he got in the car, Christopher sat in the back with his eyes closed. Cameron looked at the rearview mirror and hesitated for two seconds before saying, ¡°Mr. Sce, just now, Mr. Foster asked me about your situation these days. I told them about Ms. Zielger.¡± ¡°Ms. Zielger?¡± Christopher¡¯s tone sounded puzzled. Cameron reminded him. ¡°Ms. Margaret Ziegler.¡± Christopher frowned, opened his eyes, and said in a low voice, ¡°Who told you to act on your own?¡± Cameron hurriedly exined, ¡°Mr. Sce, it¡¯s because I saw how frustrated you were because of Ms. Zielger¡­¡± When he heard that, Christopher¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°It¡¯s my business whether or not I¡¯m frustrated. Do your job well and don¡¯t think about other things! Since I can bring you up, I can let you go downhill too.¡± Suddenly, Cameron¡¯s face turned grim. Ayer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. ¡°Got it, Mr. Sce!¡± Since Cameron was already in a high position, he naturally did not want to go down again. Especially when he was working for a jerk like Lincoln, Cameron was afraid he would never have the chance to rise again. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was presented before Cameron. Hence, he knew he had to decide wisely by choosing who to follow. Christopher retracted his gaze and closed his eyes again. Cameron calmed himself down, slowly started the car, and followed the car ahead. Juxshire. It was the weekend Yuliana packed up the things she did not need recently. Packing and walking around in a room of only a few hundred square feet was actually more tiring than conducting sses at school. On the night of the weekend, Yuliana fell asleep before ten o¡¯clock. She did not know how long she had slept when she heard the phone vibrating. She was half awake as she picked up the phone. She clicked on it and answered in a daze. It was quiet on the other end of the line. The person who called remained silent for a long time. Yuliana closed her eyes and pressed the phone to her ear. After a while, she suddenly opened her eyes and was dumbfounded. She looked at the phone screen and saw the caller ID at a nce. The caller did not hang up. The phone call was still ongoing. Yuliana stared at the screen for a while. She tightened her grip on the phone, silent it, and ced it back. It was Monday. When Yuliana arrived at the office, she saw Josephine Jordan sitting beside Lexie¡¯s desk with a little boy in front of her. She wrapped her arms around him. The little boy was wearing Juxshire Primary School¡¯s uniform. When Yuliana looked at his appearance, she guessed that the little boy should be the woman¡¯s son. ¡°Ms. Anderson, do you know how to teach your students? My son transferred to Juxshire Primary School a year ago, and the grades for hisnguage subject are getting worse! Isn¡¯t this school known as the best state primary school in Juxshire?¡± Resentment was written all over Josephine¡¯s face. She could not hold back her emotions any longer. She looked fiercely at Lexie andshed out with an aggressive tone. When Lexie saw that Yuliana had entered, her expression darkened. However, she patiently exined, ¡°Actually, Wade¡¯s grades are not too bad. He is one of the top students in ss.¡± Josephine sneered. ¡°Even if he¡¯s one of the top students in ss, what about his ranking in the whole grade? If it weren¡¯t for the dozen points deducted for thenguage subject, my son would definitely be one of the top 50 students in his grade! If it¡¯s not your fault as a teacher, then whose fault is it?¡± ¡°Mrs. Jordan, you can¡¯t say that. Some students scored perfect marks in theirnguage subject, which shows I¡¯m not the problem. Instead, this has something to do with individual student¡¯s talent!¡± Lexie retorted with a frown. After she heard what Lexie said, Josephine became angrier. She mmed the table and rose to her feet. ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you saying that my son doesn¡¯t have the talent?¡± Yuliana put down her things and exchanged nces with Fiona. However, thetter only shrugged in response. Even though Fiona felt that Lexie was somewhat annoying, it was still ridiculous that a parent could not distinguish right and wrong and pushed all the responsibilities on the teacher. When Fiona first came to Juxshire Primary School to teach, she encountered such a situation many times. She had put her heart and soul into teaching, but in the end, the student¡¯s parents still did not understand. Thus, she could rte to Lexie¡¯s feelings. ¡°Aunt Josephine, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Right then, another gentle female voice could be heard. Yuliana felt that the girl¡¯s voice was familiar. She looked at the door and saw Scarlett walking straight to Josephine. Josephine nced at Scarlett. Her expression softened a little. Yet there was still anger in her eyes when she looked at Lexie. She pointed at Lexie and said, ¡°Ms. Anderson, don¡¯t think for a moment that I don¡¯t know anything about you. I¡¯ve asked around and discovered that you used your connection to get a job here at Juxshire Primary School. I¡¯m going to report you to the education departmentter!¡± Lexie¡¯s expression turned cold. She could not hold it back anymore and immediately argued with Josephine. ¡°Go ahead. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you reporting me? I have done nothing wrong at all. It¡¯s no big deal if you ask the education department to investigate!¡± When Yuliana heard that, she frowned and felt that Josephine had gone too far. Lexie was not an official teacher at Juxshire Primary School. She was externally recruited and had gotten the job with her capabilities after she went through formal written examinations and interviews. Scarlett hurriedly pulled Josephine and nced at the other teachers in the office. When she saw Yuliana, she suddenly stopped momentarily. She quickly withdrew her gaze and whispered to Josephine, ¡°Aunt Josephine, Wade is right here!¡± After she heard what Scarlett said, Josephine looked down at her son, Wade, standing beside her. She pursed her lips when she saw his grim expression as he red at her. Only then did she remember that other teachers were in the office. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Juxshire Primary School was one of the best elementary schools in Juxshire. If one wanted to send their children to Juxshire Primary School, they had to go through a lot of trouble. Josephine, too, used a lot of her connections before she transferred Wade there. It was fine if she offended Lexie. At least Wade could still transfer to another ss. However, if she offended the other teachers, then Wade might not be able to continue his studies at Juxshire Primary School anymore. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Transferring ss ¡°Aunt Josephine, it¡¯s almost time for ss. Why don¡¯t you take Wade to his ssroom first?¡± Scarlett persuaded Josephine after thetter calmed down. Josephine and Scarlett looked at each other for a while. After that, Josephine nodded and gathered her thoughts. She took Wade¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Honey, let me take you to your ssroom first.¡± Wade red at Josephine, shook off her hand, and jogged out of the office. Josephine¡¯s expression stiffened. She then smiled, nodded to the other teachers in the office, and chased after Wade. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. After the two left, the tension in the office atmosphere eased greatly. When she looked at Lexie¡¯s cold expression, Scarlett smiled kindly. She said, ¡°Ms. Anderson, I¡¯m Wade¡¯s cousin. My name is Scarlett! I¡¯m sorry, but my aunt has a bad temper. However, she¡¯s a nice person. Please don¡¯t take what she said just now to heart. She was just anxious.¡± Lexie¡¯s expression softened a little after she saw that Scarlett was polite. The former paused and said, ¡°Can she say all that just because she¡¯s anxious? I¡¯m saying this with a conscience. I have not let down my job as a teacher and didn¡¯t fail any of my students. Everything that Mrs. Jordan said hurts me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Ms. Anderson. I will talk to my aunt when I go back. I hope you¡¯ll calm down. Don¡¯t bother yourself with her!¡± Scarlett chimed in. Lexie was shrewd, so she knew that Wade had an impressive family background. In fact, more often than not, she took good care of Wade. She could not be med at all for his poor performance in this exam. If it were not for what Josephine had said earlier, she would not have shed head-on with the former. Since Scarlett had said so, Lexie knew she should stop pursuing the matter too. A faint smile appeared on Lexie¡¯s face. She said, ¡°I can¡¯t stand being med for something I didn¡¯t do. I was a little hot-tempered just now, but since we¡¯ve cleared the air, everything¡¯s fine now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Ms. Anderson!¡± Scarlett nodded with a smile. When she saw that she had calmed Lexie down, Scarlett went around the office to apologize to the other teachers and left. When the bell rang, Yuliana and Fiona headed to their ssrooms with textbooks. Fiona asked in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, is that student¡¯s cousin the one we metst time when we were out shopping?¡± When Scarlett entered the office, Fiona recognized her. However, when she saw neither Yuliana nor Scarlett react, she was unsure. She thought she had gotten the wrong person. Yuliana nodded and softly hummed in response. Fiona tutted. ¡°What ill fate is this? Of all people, she turns out to be the cousin of Ms. Anderson¡¯s student.¡± They did not continue the topic. As Fiona and Yuliana headed upstairs, they saw Scarlett and Josephineing down. Both sides only smiled and nodded without saying anything. At lunchtime, Yuliana heard from Fiona that Wade¡¯s mother, Josephine, had gone to the principal. She said that Lexie¡¯s teaching method was unsuitable for Wade and wanted to change a ss for him. Fiona said, ¡°Who would dare to take Wade in as their student?¡± If another teacher epted Wade as their student, it would be embarrassing for Lexie. They still needed to maintain their rtionship as colleagues. Yuliana furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°What did the principal say?¡± Fiona shrugged and said, ¡°It is said that the parent even called the education department. The student has an influential family background. What can the principal do? He can only transfer Wade to another ss, but for the time being, I don¡¯t know which ss he will be transferred to.¡± After a pause, Fiona suddenly nced at Yuliana and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I remember that you still have a ce in your ss, right?¡± There was a fixed number of 50 students in each ss. However, a student in Yuliana¡¯s ss emigrated abroad with his family shortly after the beginning of the semester. Hence, there was one empty spot. Of course, in all the six sses of the fourth grade, Yuliana¡¯s ss was not the only one with an empty spot. After she heard what Fiona said, Yuliana¡¯s hand that was holding the fork froze. Suddenly, she lost her appetite. The following morning, the principal called Yuliana to the office to have a talk. It meant that Wade would be transferred to her ss Six. The other teacher, her partner, had agreed to the transfer. However, Yuliana¡¯s approval was needed since she was the head teacher of the fourth grade. By saying so, the principal did not give Yuliana a chance to reject it. After all, her partner had agreed to it. It would be unreasonable if she refused to ept Wade¡¯s transfer. Moreover, judging by the principal¡¯s tone, it did not sound like he wanted to discuss the matter with Yuliana. It was apparent that he had made a decision. When he saw that Yuliana did not nod after some time, the principal said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I have no choice. The student¡¯s parent wants the child to be transferred to your ss. Otherwise, she will continue to cause trouble.¡± Back then, Josephine used a lot of her connections. That was why Wade could transfer to Juxshire Primary School. If the truth of such a gray area matters were revealed, in the end, the school would be in trouble. Yuliana knew there was no room for discussion, so she could only nod and agree. At noon that day, Wade¡¯s mother, Josephine, came to school again. This time, she bought a lot of fruits and a gift box. She ced them all on Yuliana¡¯s table. Several other teachers were in the office. Yuliana didn¡¯t have to look to know Lexie¡¯s expression had darkened. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I¡¯m counting on you to teach my son from now on!¡± Josephine smiled kindly at Yuliana and continued, ¡°I bought a small gift. I hope you¡¯ll like it, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Of course, Yuliana would not ept the gift and fruits. It took her a lot of time to send Josephine away. In the afternoon, Wade transferred from Lexie¡¯s ss Two to Yuliana¡¯s ss Six. For the following days, Lexie did not smile at Yuliana. Every time she saw thetter, she would put on a grim face. Whenever they exchanged a few words, there was a sting in Lexie¡¯s words. On Friday, as soon as Yuliana got off work and arrived at the entrance of her house, she saw Christopher pushing a small suitcase and standing in the corridor. There was a cigarette in his mouth. He was casually scrolling on his phone. When he heard the sound of the elevator, Christopher looked up. He nced at Yuliana and lowered his eyes to look at the phone screen again. Yuliana took the key, opened the door, and went in. She did not close the door and went straight back to her room. She changed her clothes¡¯ and came out. By then, Christopher had already moved from the corridor to the sofa. His suitcase was casually tossed beside the shoe cab. Yuliana and Christopher ignored each other and did their own things. Christophery on the sofa and continued ying his game. The sound effects of the game were loud. Yuliana took cardboard boxes and began sorting the things in the living room. After that, she categorized them and put the stuff into the boxes. She then made remarks on the outside of the boxes with a ck pen. An hourter, several packed cardboard boxes were piled up in the living room. The space was too small, so it was inconvenient for them to walk as the boxes were in the way. Yuliana wanted to move them to the side. It was easy for her to move the first two boxes. However, when it came to the third box, it was too heavy for her to move. She looked at the remarks and realized the box was full of books. Yuliana straightened up and rested for a moment. Just as she was about to drag the box again, she saw a pair of arms appearing in her sight. Following that, she saw the box being lifted easily. She was stunned for a brief second. She looked up and saw Christopher looking down at her. His thin lips moved. His voice was cold as he asked, ¡°Where do you want to put this?¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Our Marriage Is A Mistake Yuliana looked away and pointed at the other two boxes against the wall. Then, she turned around and went into the room to pack other things. She had sorted out most of her belongings these past few days, so it didn¡¯t take much time to pack them up. She only needed to put away some everyday items before moving out tomorrow. After sorting them out, Yuliana cooked some beef wrap. She had bought the tortis a few days ago and left them in the refrigerator. She had never made beef wrap before, so they were not good-looking. She even tore some of the tortis by ident. She cooked two servings. After cooking, she prepared arger portion and a smaller one with different fillings in it. She was silent while eating. The phone Christopher threw aside kept vibrating, with new messagesing in. However, he didn¡¯t pay attention to it and continued eating it elegantly, as if he was eating something delicious. However, Yuliana was a little disgusted. The stuffing of the beef wrap was not vorful enough, and there was a taste of blood. In addition, the meat was a little overcooked. As she had cooked the wrap for too long, the outer wrap did not taste good. She stopped after taking a few bites. At the right time, the phone on the side rang. She nced at it and found it was an unfamiliar call ID, but she still remembered the caller of that phone number. She didn¡¯t pick it up immediately and looked at it silently for a while. Christopher noticed her odd behavior. He nced at the screen and then looked at her face for two seconds. Finally, Yuliana picked up her phone and answered it. ¡°Yuliana, can youe to the hospital now?¡± The person on the other end of the phone said in a low voice, ¡°Grandma is awake now and wants to see you.¡± Yuliana was stunned and immediately realized something. ¡°Which hospital?¡± She hurriedly got up and went to the room. Christopher¡¯s expression darkened. A few minutester, she changed her clothes and came out of the room carrying a small bag. Then, she hurried to the door. Christopher got up and strode over to her. He grabbed Yuliana¡¯s wrist and stared at her with a cold gaze. ¡°It¡¯ste. Where are you going?¡± Yuliana turned to look at him with a faint expression on her face. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Harry¡¯s grandma is in the hospital. I¡¯ll go check on her.¡± Christopher grabbed her wrist tightly, and his face became darker and darker. Finally, he sneered, ¡°What does Harry¡¯s grandma have to do with you?¡± Yuliana looked at him quietly with her gorgeous obs. She opened her mouth and wanted to exin, but after thinking for a while, she felt that her behavior was a little ridiculous. After a moment of stalemate, she said in a low voice, ¡°Christopher, I think our marriage is a mistake. We are not simr in terms of personality at all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Christopher paused and asked. Yuliana frowned and lowered her gaze. She still couldn¡¯t bring herself to say the word. Then, she said, ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m tired today. I¡¯m not in the mood to quarrel with you!¡± She tried to break free from his grip and said in a low voice, ¡°Let me go.¡± Christopher¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down. He refused to let go of his hand and asked coldly, ¡°Which hospital? I¡¯ll send you there.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t want to have a meaningless argument with him, so she told him about Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯s hospital. Harry¡¯s grandma was sent to the hospital in the afternoon. At that time, Harry was not in Juxshire. After receiving the news, he immediately bought the nearest flight back. When he arrived at the hospital, his grandma was still in aa, and thetter had only gained consciousness half an hour ago. However, the doctor said it was a sign of terminal lucidity, and she would not survive for long. When Harry was very young, he knew he was an illegitimate child. His mother died when he was very young. His only impression of his mother was that she was quite erratic. She would be good to Christopher when she wanted to be, but she would also stab him with a needle and cut his wrist when her condition was unstable. He knew cutting his wrist would lead to death, but he didn¡¯t feel pain or fear. He even thought it might be better to die. But every time, his grandma would feel sorry for him and hold him tightly in her arms as she cried uncontrobly. Until now, he could still remember that his grandma¡¯s embrace was particrly warm, and there was a fresh smell of detergent on her clothes. His mother died when he was six years old. At that time, he didn¡¯t feel sad at all and even felt a sense of relief. At least when his mother died, his grandma didn¡¯t have to work so hard to take care of both his mother and him. Then he thought perhaps it was better for him to die, too, so that his grandma¡¯s life would be easier. But one night, his grandma hugged him and cried, saying she could not live without him. The happiest day for his grandma was when he married Yuliana. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. She didn¡¯t get to see her daughter getting married, but she could finally see her grandson get married. Harry stood outside the ICU against the wall with his eyes closed as the memories rted to his grandma shed across his mind again and again. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked over after hearing the sound of footsteps. Yuliana walked very fast and panted a little. Then, seeing Harry, she immediately asked, ¡°Where is Grandma? How is she?¡± Harry tilted his head to look at the ICU and said, ¡°Go inside. She¡¯s waiting for you.¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°Won¡¯t you go in?¡± Harry¡¯s face was cold as if his eyes were covered with frost. ¡°I¡¯m not going in.¡± Yuliana looked at him and didn¡¯t say anything. She went to the nurse to change into sterile scrubs before entering the ICU. Only the beeping of the monitoring device sounded in the room. It was so quiet that it made people startle Yuliana hadn¡¯t seen her grandparents from her paternal side. Her grandparents from her maternal side had died early, too. She hadn¡¯t received much care from her elders, but Harry¡¯s grandma had shown her a lot of affection, especially when her father died. Harry¡¯s grandma had told Yuliana a lot about herself. Yuliana thought Grandma was a powerful woman, and she was much luckier than thetter. In that case, there was nothing Yuliana could not ovee, either. Yuliana walked to the bedside and bent down to approach Harry¡¯s grandma. She spoke in a low voice. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m Yuliana.¡± The olddy seemed to hear her voice and moved her eyelids to open her eyes slightly. Her head could no longer move, so she could only move her pupils forcibly to look at Yuliana. After staring at Yuliana¡¯s face for a while, Harry¡¯s grandma opened her wrinkled mouth wide as if she wanted to say something. But in the end, she couldn¡¯t make a sound. Looking at Harry¡¯s grandma like this, Yuliana felt so heartbroken that tears rolled down her cheeks instantly. After getting out of the ICU, Harry was still standing there in that position. He looked at Yuliana and nodded slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes turned red. She pursed her lips tightly and held back her tears. Then, she asked while choked up, ¡°Can Grandma recover?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, an rm sounded in the ICU, and the doctors and nurses ran toward them. Yuliana stood aside in a daze and forgot to react. Harry moved to the door and looked calmly into the ICU. His emotions were cold, and his tail body stood still as if he would copse with a gentle touch. Ten minutester, the doctor came out of the room. He looked at Harry and Yuliana and shook his head regretfully. Harry¡¯s body trembled. Seeing that he was about to fall, Yuliana subconsciously reached out to hold him. The muscles on his face were very tight, and his eyes were red. Yet, he didn¡¯t shed a single tear. It was the first time Yuliana saw Harry like this. She didn¡¯t know how tofort him, so she only said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 I Want To Hit You Yuliana hated Harry. She hated Harry because of love. However, when love and hatred disappeared, she didn¡¯t have much emotion when she faced Harry. Now, she felt that Harry was a little pitiful. It had been an hour since the doctor announced Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯s death. Harry sat upright in a chair without moving his eyes. If he hadn¡¯t blinked from time to time, she would have thought that it was a sculpture made ording to Harry¡¯s looks. Yuliana had just returned from asking the nurses about the relevant procedures to handle. Standing a few steps away, she stared at Harry for a while and walked to him. ¡°Harry, I know you¡¯re sad, but you must prepare for Grandma¡¯s funeral. You are the only one who can do this. You are her only rtive in the world. Can you bear to see her lying in the cold morgue?¡± Hearing her words, Harry finally reacted, but his reaction was so calm that one could not see the change in his emotions. If Yuliana hadn¡¯t lived with Harry for three years, she would have thought the person who just passed away didn¡¯t matter to Harry. After a while, he spoke. ¡°Got it. It¡¯s gettingte. Go back.¡± His voice was cold and distant. Yuliana knew that Harry had high self-esteem and was embarrassed to show his weakness. Yuliana didn¡¯t intend to stay. It was almost December, and it was pretty cold in the hospital. She could not withstand the cold. She felt sorry for Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯s death, and she also felt sorry for Harry, but that was it. Yuliana told Harry about the procedures to be handled in the hospital. Harry listened quietly without saying anything. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After saying that, Yuliana was about to leave. After taking a few steps, Harry suddenly stopped her. ¡°Yuliana.¡± In the open parking area next to the outpatient clinic, there were barely any cars early in the morning. The gray sports car was especially conspicuous when parked in an open area. As the car window was lowered, the orange light in the distance fell on Christopher¡¯s face. The dim light made him look cold and distant, and one would feel creeped out when one caught a glimpse of him. Christopher bit the cigarette in his mouth. He stared in a specific direction and took a deep breath. Looking at the cigarette that had burned out, he realized he had lost count of how many he had smoked. He opened the door and got out of the car. Then, he put out the cigarette butt and threw it into the trash can before heading to the ce he was looking at previously. Yuliana wanted to push Harry away, but she felt Harry¡¯s body trembling slightly, so she couldn¡¯t do it. After hesitating for a moment, she did nothing and stood there quietly. After a long time, Yuliana suddenly felt that the weight on her body became lighter, and Harry¡¯s body stopped trembling. Instead, it was a little stiff. Yuliana noticed something. Her body was suddenly pulled backward when she was about to push Harry away. She took two steps back. Then, followed by a heavy muffled sound, she saw Harry tilt his head and stagger two steps down. ¡°Harry, I¡¯ve disliked you for a long time. I¡¯ve wanted to kill you!¡± Christopher steadily pushed Yuliana back two steps. Then, he took off his coat and threw it on the chair next to him. He turned his neck and looked at Harry with fury. Harry loosened the tie around his neck and sneered. ¡°What a coincidence. So am I.¡± As soon as Harry finished speaking, he clenched his fists and waved them at Christopher¡¯s face. In the blink of an eye, the two were already punching each other. Yuliana wanted them to stop, but they were in the middle of the fight. Every punch they waved was forceful, and Yuliana didn¡¯t dare to step forward. Finally, the nurse called the security guards urgently and forced them to separate. Two security guards dragged Christopher away forcefully Christopher broke out with one hand and pointed at Harry. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll spare your life today. Don¡¯t let me see you next time. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you once I see you!¡± Harry was also pulled away by two security guards, but the hostility on his face had disappeared He wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand and looked at the blood stain indifferently Then, he red at Christopher Hearing his words, he sneered ¡°Come if you dare I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± Hearing Harry¡¯s provocation, Christopher broke off from the security guards grip and waved his fist at Harry again. Yuliana dashed in front of Harry and closed her eyes in fear when Christopher¡¯s fists fell on Harry¡¯s face. The force of the punch made the sides of her hair sway His fist was about 0 4 inches away from Yuliana¡¯s forehead. If it were tond on Yuliana¡¯s head, her smooth forehead might not be able to withstand the force. Yuliana opened her eyes and met the eyes of Christopher. She asked in a cold voice, ¡°Are you done?¡± Christopher looked at her coldly for a long time, which made Yuliana feel ufortable. After a while he put away his fists. Without saying anything, he picked up the clothes thrown on the chair and turned around to leave. Yuliana took a look and suddenly realized that the coat he was holding was the one she bought for him. Looking at Christopher¡¯s indifferent back, she feltplicated. After a while, she came back to her senses. But before she had time to think, she started chasing after Christopher Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Cannot Walk Yuliana rushed to the elevator, but the doors had already slid shut. She hurriedly pushed the call button twice, but it was toote. The number on the elevator floor disy had changed from seven to six. She had no choice but to wait for the next one. The closest elevator was on the ninth floor, but it still didn¡¯t move after a while. Anxiety filled Yuliana as she waited. The look that Christopher had given her stayed in her mind, causing her to be more and more anxious. Finally, the elevator arrived. The doors slid open. She immediately walked in and pushed the close button twice impatiently. A middle-aged man and woman were also inside the elevator with her. They had tired expressions and empty eyes as they stood leaning against the handrail in a corner. The elevator soon arrived on the first floor. Yuliana quickly exited the elevator and raced toward the parking lot. When she arrived, the gray car parked there earlier was already gone. Only a few cars were scattered across the empty, open area. The night breeze blew, bringing waves of coldness. Yuliana stood silently for a while before she drew thepels of her coat tighter and walked toward the gate. Her phone rang, snapping her out of her daze. She took out her phone from her bag and nced at the screen. It was Harry who called. Yuliana answered the phone. ¡°Did you catch up to Christopher?¡± Harry asked from the other end of the phone. His voice was as calm as ever. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana didn¡¯t respond. The answer was obvious. Harry was silent for two seconds and asked, ¡°Where are you now? Should I arrange for someone to send you home?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuliana pushed her hair, blown into a mess from the wind, out of her face. ¡°I¡¯ll call for a taxi.¡± Harry didn¡¯t push further and only said, ¡°Text me when you get home.¡± Yuliana muttered an acknowledgment impassively and ended the call. She absentmindedly walked to the gate, not paying attention to where she was going, and unexpectedly stepped on a piece of gravel. Not fast enough to retract her foot, she sprained her ankle. A sharp pain shot up from her ankle instantly. Yuliana couldn¡¯t move for a long time due to the pain. Before long, she was drenched in a cold sweat. When the pain finally ebbed slightly, she slowly hunched down, picked up the stone by her feet, and threw it into the flower bed next to her. Then, she slowly moved her sprained foot forward. She had only taken a few steps when the headlights from an oing car shone on her. She looked up and vaguely figured out who the person in the car was. Her body stilled. She stood there, unmoving, relieving the pressure from her right foot and cing all her weight on her other foot. After a while, the car slowly came to a halt. Christopher got out of the car and headed straight for Yuliana. He dropped his gaze to her foot and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your foot?¡± His voice was a little cold, not carrying any emotions. Yuliana also nced down at her foot. After two seconds, she replied, ¡°I sprained it.¡± Christopher asked, ¡°Can you walk?¡± Yuliana was about to nod when she suddenly paused. She lifted her gaze to Christopher. A vulnerable look crossed her face, and her nose felt stuffy. She took a deep breath and said in a muffled voice, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Christopher stared at her for a moment before silently turning around and getting in the car. Yuliana felt the prick of tears at the back of her eyes as she watched his movement, and instantly, tears. brimmed in her eyes. She lowered her head and stood there quietly. Her figure looked particrly frail and lonely at that moment. Christopher was about to start the car when he saw her standing there so vulnerably. His throat bobbed. Lowering his window, he demanded, ¡°Wait here.¡± Before Yuliana could react, the car had already skirted past her and pulled up into the parking area she had passed by earlier. After parking the car, Christopher walked toward her with the car key in his hands. Without saying anything, he crossed the area toward Yuliana and picked her up like a bride. He started walking toward the emergency department with her in his arms. Yuliana wasn¡¯t heavy, but she was almost 110 pounds in her current pregnant state. Christopher¡¯s hold on her was particrly steady; it was as though he wasn¡¯t straining at all in carrying her. It reassured her. Yuliana put her arms around his shoulders and couldn¡¯t help but look up at him. Neither of them spoke along the way. When they arrived at the emergency department, the doctor examined Yuliana¡¯s foot. Fortunately, there were no injuries to her bones, so the doctor decided to only prescribe some medication for her. Upon seeing that, Yuliana hurriedly asked, ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m pregnant. Will these medicines affect the baby?¡± After hearing her question, the doctor¡¯s face turned grave. He nced at Christopher, who was standing behind Yuliana with a cold look, and chastised, ¡°Young man, how can you be this careless? Your wife is pregnant. Fortunately, she only sprained her ankle. Can you imagine what would¡¯ve happened if she fell?¡± Christopher pursed his thin lips and stared at Yuliana¡¯s hair without saying a word. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 So Fervent The doctor lectured Christopher again before removing the oral medication and prescribing only the topical medication for Yuliana. He advised Christopher to ice her injury with an ice pack, then apply the topical medication. When they got out of the doctor¡¯s office, Christopher headed over to the nurse¡¯s station to settle the bill and retrieve Yuliana¡¯s medication while she sat in a chair and waited. She propped up her arms on both sides and looked down at her foot in deep thought. It was past the small hours in the morning, so Yuliana was very sleepy. She fell asleep against the passenger seat not long after getting in the car. However, she didn¡¯t fall into a deep sleep. The minute the car stopped, she jolted awake. Opening her eyes in a daze, she nced out the window. It seemed to be an underground garage. The ce looked unfamiliar yet familiar. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Christopher got out of the car with the bag of medication first, went around to open Yuliana¡¯s door, and then helped her out of the car. After making sure she was standing firmly on the ground, he handed the bag of medicine to her. He shut the door, locked the car, and carried Yuliana again. After they had entered the elevator, Yuliana btedly recalled that they were at Christopher¡¯s ce, Oceanview Apartment. Finally arriving home, Christopher set Yuliana down on the couch and walked to the refrigerator to get some ice. He threw the ice into a freezer bag before wrapping a towel over it. Walking back to Yuliana with the makeshift ice pack in hand, he lifted her slender ankle and set it on his knee. She still had her sock on, so Christopher took it off her foot. Her ankle was slightly swollen. Yuliana shot a nce at her ankle before returning her gaze to Christopher. He still had a nonchnt expression on his face; his lips were pressed into a line, and there was a frown between his brows. The moment the towel touched her ankle, Yuliana instinctively shrank back from the cold. Christopher quickly held her foot steady and shot her a look as if he was going to gobble her up. Yuliana¡¯s movement paused. She stopped moving altogether and silently watched Christopher apply the coldpress to her ankle. The scene reminded Yuliana of the time Christopher nted a kiss on her foot. They were doing well at that time,pletely different from then. Not being able to stand the silence anymore, Yuliana asked casually, ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Christopher held the towel against Yuliana¡¯s right ankle and answered, ¡°The hospital is closer to here.¡± ¡°Oceanview Apartment is indeed much closer. I think it only took around 20 minutes to get here from the hospital. But it takes about an hour to go back to Maple Garden,¡± Yuliana pondered. Silence stretched between them after that. Christopher applied ice to Yuliana¡¯s injury for over 10 minutes, then sprayed the topical medicine on it as per the doctor¡¯s advice. He gently massaged the medicine into her skin before pping a topical patch over her injury. With that done, Christopher stood up to leave when Yuliana suddenly grabbed onto his clothing. Christopher turned his head, looking down at the hand holding onto his clothing. His gaze then traveled back up to meet hers. Yuliana pursed her lip and asked, ¡°Why did youe back earlier?¡± Christopher¡¯s lips were pressed into a tight line. The gaze he gave her was icy. After a short silence, he asked coldly. ¡°What do you think?¡± Yuliana tightened her grip and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She met his stare head-on, not avoiding his gaze. After a brief pause, her lips moved, and she continued, ¡°Christopher, I thought I knew you. Yet, recently, I realized I didn¡¯t know you at all. I don¡¯t know what you are thinking or doing. I have no clue.¡± Yuliana withdrew her hand, leaned back on the couch, and stared down at her fingertips in a daze. ¡°Until now, I still don¡¯t know what goes on in your mind.¡± The corners of Yuliana¡¯s lips curled into a self- deprecating smile. ¡°On the one hand, you can flirt with other women whenever I¡¯m not by your side, but the next moment, you can turn around and apply apress and medicine to me with care. Can you tell me why is that, Christopher?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Christopher lowered his gaze and questioned, ¡°What were you thinking, Yuliana? You¡¯ve divorced Harry. Why do you still meet with him behind my back?¡± He leaned down slightly, poking at Yuliana¡¯s chest with his finger. ¡°Do you like him that much? You¡¯re carrying my baby in your belly. Yet, you stood in front of him, disregarding your safety.¡± Every word he said was like a needle stabbing into Yuliana¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think!¡± Yuliana wanted to exin, but Christopher didn¡¯t give her a chance. He cut her off with a sneer. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve loved him for ten years. How can you forget such fervent feelings so easily?¡± Christopher¡¯s lips curled into a satirical smile. He looked into Yuliana¡¯s eyes again, raised his hand to grasp her chin, and warned icily, ¡°However, you¡¯re my wife now, and you¡¯re pregnant with my child. If you dare to risk my child for him again, I will dole out the consequences on that jerk!¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Prove It To Me Staring into his cold eyes, Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak, but the hand holding her chin suddenly withdrew. Christopher shot her a stony gaze, spun around, and walked away. ¡°Christopher!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana wanted to stop him, but Christopher didn¡¯t respond to her call at all. He went into the bathroom with a towel without sparing a backward nce. Aftering out of the bathroom, he went straight to his room and didn¡¯t step out again. Yuliana sat on the couch, at a loss, for a while. It was already early in the morning. The whole world seemed so quiet. Memories of her standing in front of Harry and the gaze in Christopher¡¯s eyes shed across her mind repeatedly. Every time she thought about it, the frustration within her would amplify. ¡°Also, how did Christopher find out that I liked Harry for ten years?¡± Yuliana wondered. During her three years in high school, except for Xandria, she had never told anyone about her feelings for Harry. Even Harry was oblivious to it. The first time she confessed her feelings to Harry was when she was about to graduate from university. At that time, Harry had just broken up with Annabelle. Yuliana¡¯s mind was a mess. She stared at the closed door and hesitated for a long time. In the end, she slowly made her way over to the door. After halting at the door briefly, she raised her knuckle and knocked on the door twice. There was no answer. After another short pause, she held the doorknob and twisted it. The door cracked open, and the faint smell of sandalwood wafted toward her. The lights in the room were on. She swept her gaze around the room and saw Christopher standing in front of the big ss wall with his back to the door, looking slender yet forlorn. He had changed into dark-colored pajamas. His hair was still wet, indicating that he had juste out of the shower. Faint plumes of white smoke rose from the scented candle on the nightstand. Yuliana stepped into the room and paused behind him. She called out softly, ¡°Christopher.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t turn around at her call. There was a lit cigarette between his fingers. It was rare for Yuliana to feel guilty ¨C especially for her to feel it before resolving the myriad of complications between her and Christopher. Yuliana didn¡¯t know how to start when Christopher didn¡¯t respond. After a long silence, Christopher stubbed the cigarette and walked to the side to open the window. He finally whirled around and nced at Yuliana. ¡°You take the room, and I¡¯ll take the couch.¡± At the end of his sentence, he walked straight out with his long legs. Yuliana instinctively reached out and sped his arm. ¡°Christopher, anything between Harry and me is already in the past. I¡¯ve never thought of putting my child¡¯s life at risk. I only stood in front of him due to the desperate situation. It wasn¡¯t that I still have feelings for him. I just didn¡¯t want the two of you to keep fighting. Moreover¡­¡± She stopped for a beat and fixed her bright eyes on Christopher. ¡°I knew you would stop.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t know where that kind of trust came from. Bted apprehension filled her at the shback. However, at that time, she had an inexplicable intuition that Christopher wouldn¡¯t hurt her. Christopher let her hold on to him and stood still. Yuliana couldn¡¯t see his face, so she didn¡¯t know what expression he was sporting. She took two steps forward and stood in front of him. Looking up at him, she stared into his eyes with seriousness and exined, ¡°When you came back from Romdale, I was visiting Harry¡¯s grandma at the nursing home. I was married to Harry for three years, and Harry¡¯s grandma treated me well during those years. You knew that. I went to the nursing home to visit her, but that was because of my attachment to her. It had nothing to do with Harry. She was sent to the hospitalst night and said she wanted to see me.¡± Bringing that up also brought up Yuliana¡¯s memory of Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯sst moments before thetter passed away. Feeling upset, she got choked up. ¡°She¡­ passed away not long after I got there.¡± Upon hearing her revtion, something shed across Christopher¡¯s face, but it was fleeting. ¡°Prove it to me.¡± His thin lips moved. His gray eyes shone clear beneath the light. Yuliana looked into his eyes, spacing out for a moment. ¡°What?¡± she asked. Christopher grabbed her hand and put it on the cor of his pajama shirt. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that everything between you and that jerk is already in the past? Then, prove it to me! Yuliana, we already got a marriage certificate. We¡¯re a legitimate married couple now. The doctor also said your body can take it.¡± Yuliana instantly understood what he meant. She frowned and wanted to withdraw her hand, but Christopher held on to it tightly. ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m not in the mood tonight!¡± Having just experienced the passing of Harry¡¯s grandma, how could she have sex with Christopher at this time? Moreover, there were still many problems between her and Christopher. Margaret¡¯s face crossed her mind at the thought. Christopher tightened his grip on her hand and scoffed. ¡°When were you ever in the mood? Didn¡¯t you refuse me from the start, Yuliana? You wouldn¡¯t have married me if it wasn¡¯t for the baby! Are you thinking of keeping your chastity for Harry? Are you waiting for the day he remembers you and waves you over, and you¡¯ll serve yourself on a tter to him?¡± By the end of his sentence, the expression on his face was so hard that it was scary. Yuliana looked at him and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Tears filled her eyes uncontrobly, and big, fat droplets slid from the corners of her eyes. Christopher had said something simr in the past, and she had pped him across the face thest time. She wanted to exin and talk to Christopher about all the problems they faced during that period. Yet, she realized that that was merely her wishful thinking. Yuliana cast her gaze downward to hide her emotions. She bit her lower lip and said calmly, ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s separate!¡± Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Do Not Even Think About It Yuliana cast her gaze downward to hide her emotions. She bit her lip and said calmly, ¡°Since you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s separate!¡± Upon hearing those words, a trace of panic shed across Christopher¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t help but tighten his grasp on Yuliana¡¯s hand. He looked at Yuliana. At that moment, Yuliana was looking down and had lowered her head slightly. Her face was stained with tears. Her brows frowned, and her lips pursed tightly. Her petite body seemed to be shaking. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher felt annoyed. He stared at Yuliana for a long time before letting go of her hand and blurting stiffly yet ruthlessly, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Since you¡¯re married to me, you will be mine for the rest of your life!¡± With that, Christopher left Yuliana in the bedroom and mmed the door shut. Yuliana stood still for a while before raising her hand to wipe her tears. She then went to the bathroom and wash up before going to bed. Tears kept streaming down her face from her closed eyes. Yuliana bit her lips and kept on adjusting her breathing, again and again. Atst, she dazedly fell asleep. When dawn approached, the bedroom door opened from the outside. A figure walked silently to the bedside. In the darkness, he sat down and looked at the woman who was sleeping on the bed. Yuliana liked to sleep sideways. Her hands beside the pillow clenched into fists, and her legs slightly curled up. Christopher had seen an article on the Inte that people with such sleeping postures often felt insecure. At that time, he scoffed at the article. He liked to sleep sideways as well, but he did not feel insecure. He raised his hand and gently touched the hair that fall on Yuliana¡¯s cheek. The woman in her sleep suddenly moved and opened her eyes slowly. In the dark, they looked at each other. Christopher¡¯s fingers hung in mid-air. After a while, Yuliana closed her eyes again and breathed steadily. Obviously, she wasn¡¯t awake just now. Christopher withdrew his hand and sat by the bed for a while. The sky was getting brighter before he got up and walked out of the room. Yuliana was woken up by the knocks on the door. ¡°Mrs. Sce, are you awake?¡± Yuliana was a little confused. She looked around and remembered that she was at Oceanview Apartment. But who was outside the door? She got out of bed, put on her slippers, and went to open the door. A woman in her forties stood at the door with a smile on her face, looking gentle and kind. The woman looked somewhat familiar to Yuliana. ¡°May I know who you are?¡± The woman hurriedly exined. ¡°Mrs. Sce, you can call me Hailey. I¡¯m the help of the Sce family. Mr. Christopher Sce asked me toe and take care of you.¡± ¡°No wonder she looked familiar. I must have seen her in the Sce residencest time,¡± Yuliana thought. Yuliana looked around and didn¡¯t see Christopher. She asked, ¡°Where is Christopher?¡± Hailey replied, ¡°When I arrived, Mr. Christopher Sce gave me a few orders and went out. Hearing that, Yuliana lowered her eyes and her expression was indifferent. Hailey, who was good at reading people¡¯s expressions, had noticed Christopher was not in a good mood when she first arrived at Oceanview Apartment. Now that she saw Yuliana¡¯s expression, she instantly guessed what was going on. She coughed lightly and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Christopher Sce is very concerned about you, Mrs. Sce. Before he left, he told me that your foot was injured and that I should use an ice pack before applying the medicine. For the fear that I might not do well, he even wrote down a list of how long the ice pack should be applied clearly.¡± With that said, she took out a piece of folded A4 paper from her pocket and handed it over to Yuliana. Yuliana looked up and took a nce. The pretty and neat handwriting caught her attention. Christopher, as Hailey stated, had written down every step. He even made time remarks about how long she should apply the ice pack and rub after spraying the medicine. Actually, the doctor only gave a hazy exnation in the hospitalst night. In addition, there was another remark at the corner of the paper. [Do not add red pepper kes and parsley to the dishes!] Yuliana froze as she suddenly thought of something. She looked at Hailey and asked, ¡°Hailey, does Christopher eat red pepper kes and parsley?¡± Hailey was stunned for a second and replied, ¡°Yes, he enjoys them!¡± She smiled and continued, ¡°Although Mr. Christopher Sce is from an extraordinary family, he is not picky at all. He will eat it as long as the food is cooked.¡± Yuliana was a little confused by those words. Even though Hailey was still talking beside her, she could not hear anything. All she could think about was Christopher actually liked red pepper kes and parsley. However, she clearly remembered that there was once she ordered takeout and asked him if he had anything that he couldn¡¯t eat. He informed her that he did not eat red pepper kes and parsley. At that time, she even felt a sense of relief. A thought shed through Yuliana¡¯s mind, but she felt that it was too absurd. She could not even believe it. Hailey made some breakfast. After Yuliana finished eating, Hailey brought an ice pack. She wanted to help to apply it to Yuliana¡¯s ankles. Yuliana was not used to being served by strangers, so she hurriedly reached out and uttered, ¡°Hailey, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Hailey sat next to her and refused. ¡°That¡¯s not right. You are pregnant. You won¡¯t feelfortable bending over, and it¡¯s bad for the baby. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m pretty good at it. Mr. Christopher Sce was often beaten up by Mr. Kendrick Sce in childhood. I had to deal with a lot of his injuries.¡± Recalling those memories, Hailey smiled warmly. Yuliana was a little curious and asked, ¡°Ken¡­ Does Ken often hit him?¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 He Really Cares About You When Hailey was about to nod, she suddenly thought of something. She looked at Yuliana and her tone changed a little. ¡°No, not very often. It was because Mr. Christopher Sce was misbehaving at school. Mr. Kendrick Sce was concerned that his brother would take the wrong path, so he was stern with thetter.¡± Hailey nced at Yuliana¡¯s ankle and frowned. ¡°Howe it¡¯s so swollen?¡± Yuliana looked down and found that her ankle and her foot were all swollen. She must not even be able to wear shoes. She couldn¡¯t help but frown. She did not feel much pain the night before so she did not expect it to be so serious. ¡°How can I make it to ss next week?¡± Yuliana could not help but exim inwardly. ¡°Bear with it!¡± After saying that, Hailey took the ice pack and put it on Yuliana¡¯s foot. She then continued, ¡°Mr. Christopher Sce is good at everything, but he has a bad temper. However, I could see that he really cares about you.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and looked at her feet, saying nothing. After the medicine was applied, Yuliana remembered that she had to move out on the weekend, but she hurt her foot. Although it would be troublesome, she could still contact the movingpany to move things over first. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana told Hailey that she wanted to leave the house. Hailey insisted, ¡°Yuliana, you must have a good rest because your foot is injured. Try not to walk around these days!¡± Yuliana had previously requested Hailey to change the address format. Hearing others refer to her as ¡°Mrs. Sce¡± made her very ufortable. Yuliana exined, ¡°I have to move my things today. Everything has been packed.¡± Hearing that, Hailey suddenly remembered something and blurted, ¡°Yes! Moving! Look at my bad memory. I forgot such an important thing! When Mr. Christopher Sce went out, he told me that he would contact someone from the movingpany. You don¡¯t have to worry and please take a good rest.¡± Thest sentence was added by Hailey herself. Yuliana was stunned again. Her feelings wereplicated, and she was at a loss for words. Christopher came backte at night. Hailey had left after applying the medicine to Yuliana. Yuliana was lying on the bed. The quilt was filled with the aftertaste of sandalwood, and it was soft and heavy. It gave her a different feeling in the winter. Logically speaking, she should not continue to stay after what happened the night before. However, she stayed. Yuliana fixed her gaze on the light above her. Although her eyes were tired and she was sleepy, she willed herself to stay awake. After a long time, when Yuliana was about to fall asleep, a beeping sound came from outside. She snapped back to her senses and heard that the door was then shut. Yuliana felt as if a heavy load had been lifted from her heart and breathed out a sigh of relief. Shey still on the bed, waiting quietly. Her ears were focused on hearing the sounds outside. However, it was very quiet. There was no sound from the outside. If it weren¡¯t for the sound of opening and closing the door just then, Yuliana almost felt that there was no one outside. Christopher had drunk some wine with Raymond, Leonard, and the others, but he wasn¡¯t drunk. After entering the house, he nced at the closed bedroom door before taking out a cigarette. He lit it and sat on the sofa, with his long legs wide open to both sides, and smoked fiercely. After smoking a cigarette, he sat for a while before getting up. He walked to the door and pushed it open. Yuliana closed her eyes andy t on the bed. Christopher nced at her, went to the dressing room to take his clothes, and went to the bathroom to wash 1. Hearing the sound of gurgling water, Yuliana opened her eyes. She did not know why she instinctively closed her eyes when she heard the doorknob turning. Twenty minutester, the bathroom door opened. Christopher finished his bath. He nced at Yuliana again. She was still lying tly on the bed with her eyes closed. He walked over, lifted the quilt, and went to bed. He then turned off the lights. At that instant, the bedroom went dark. Yuliana stiffened and did not dare to move at all. Suddenly, a warm hand reached out and pressed against her neck, turning her face over. His burning lips pressed against hers. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 I Feel A Little Ufortable In a split second, Yuliana¡¯s whole body was tense. She opened her eyes and pressed her hand against Christopher¡¯s chest to resist Christopher also looked at her. In the darkness, his eyes were deep, as if he was going to swallow her up. What Christopher saidst night got into her ears. Yuliana paused for a moment, and her strength to resist weakened. She put her hand softly on Christopher¡¯s chest. After hesitating, she slowly closed her eyes and responded actively Then, she could not get rid of it anymore. Yuliana was so nervous that she whispered, ¡°Can you be gentle?¡± Christopher breathed heavily and did not answer her question, but what happenedter was very restrained, which did not make her feel ufortable at all. The first time they did that, she was drunk. Although Yuliana¡¯s memories and feelings after alcohol paralysis were intermittent, what she remembered the most was that Christopher was fierce and loved biting people. Therefore, before this, she was a little afraid of this matter. Moreover, after getting pregnant, she also had some doubts in her heart. She was scared that Christopher would be unable to control himself and hurt her baby. After experiencing it in a conscious state, Yuliana did not know how to describe the feeling. She only knew that now she was tired and hot, and her strength had been taken away. Shey there and did not want to move again. Yuliana curled up in Christopher¡¯s arms. She was very tired and heavy-eyed, but there were too many things on her mind at the moment, and she urgently needed to release them. Yuliana wanted to say something to Christopher, but her thoughts were chaotic, and she could not find a breakthrough. ¡°Christopher¡­¡± Yuliana said hoarsely. Christopher turned on the light by the bedside and looked down. Yuliana¡¯s eyes were closed. The hair on her forehead was wet. She frowned slightly and was half asleep. ¡°Yes?¡± He responded faintly and brushed away the wet hair on her face. Hearing his response, Yuliana pondered for a few seconds. She curled her fingers twice, and her fingertips gently scratched his chest. ¡°I feel a little ufortable¡­¡± Hearing this, Christopher lifted the quilt and took a look at her without further ado. Noticing his response, Yuliana panicked and immediately opened her eyes. Her body huddled into a ball. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christopher looked at her reaction, and his gaze was fixed on her face for a while. Her eyes were slightly red, but he saw that there was a different kind of charm in her eyes. It took a while before he responded. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was ufortable?¡± He thought it was because he had hurt her so badly. Yuliana took back the quilt and covered her body with it. She looked at him with her water-soaked eyes. ¡°I mean, my body is sticky and ufortable.¡± They looked at each other. Christopher paused for two seconds after hearing her words. He tried to ask, ¡°Can I carry you to take a shower?¡± Yuliaria nodded. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After taking a hot shower, she felt much morefortable, and she immediately felt sleepy. Yuliana fell asleep when she heard the buzzing sound of the hair dryer. Christopher reset the speed to lower the noise produced after noticing that she was sleeping. Yuliana¡¯s hair was 1.2 to 1.6 inches under her shoulder. It was not too long, but her hair was dark and thick. Normally, it would take more than ten minutes to dry her hair, but it would take longer on the low heat. Yuliana woke up halfway, heard the hairdryer still buzzing, and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not done yet?¡± Christopher nced at the little fussiness on her face, and his fingertips continued tob between her hair. ¡°Well, it¡¯s going to take a while longer.¡± When he spoke, Christopher did not even notice how soft his tone was. Hearing his words, Yuliana closed her eyes and fell asleep again. When she woke up again, it was morning. She heard the sound of the phone in a daze, and someone beside her moved. She opened her eyes and saw a figure get up from the bed and walk out with the phone. She was too sleepy. The room was quiet, and she fell asleep again. Yuliana did not wake up until ten o¡¯clock. When she walked out of the room, she saw Hailey had arrived and was cleaning the floor. Seeing that Yuliana woke up, Hailey hurriedly put down the mop on her hand and smiled. ¡°Good morning, Yuliana. What do you want to eat? I will prepare it for you now!¡± Yuliana did not answer Hailey¡¯s question immediately, but she subconsciously stole a quick nce around. The kitchen was open and connected to the living room, which could be scanned at a nce. Obviously, Christopher was not at home. Everything that happenedst night was like a dream. Yuliana smiled at Hailey and answered, ¡°Okay.¡± Hailey went on, ¡°I prepared the milk, but it¡¯s still hot. I¡¯ll give you a cup first, and then I¡¯ll make you something else. How about that?¡± Yuliana thanked her and went to sit on the sofa with her phone. She opened WhatsApp and slid her finger over the ck avatar. After hesitating for a while, she dialed a voice call. However, no one answered after ringing for a long time. Hailey brought the milk over. Seeing Yuliana staring at her phone a little depressed, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana came back to her senses, took the milk, and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay. Thank you.¡± Seeing that she did not borate, Hailey did not continue to ask. She nned to make oatmeal for Yuliana in the kitchen. Hailey took just a few steps away when Yuliana stopped her again. ¡°Hailey, do you know where Christopher went?¡± She could not help but ask. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Leave A Message Hailey was stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Christopher Sce tell you?¡± Yuliana shook her head. Hailey continued, ¡°It seems that something happened to Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. I saw Mr. Kendrick Sce hurrying to thepany this morning. When he went out, he called Mr. Christopher Sce and asked him to head there immediately.¡± Yuliana did not say anything. After a moment of silence, she piped up, ¡°Hailey, you may return to your work.¡± Hailey hummed in response and went to the kitchen. After breakfast, Hailey applied medicine to Yuliana¡¯s foot again. The swelling was less severe than it had been the day before, but it still appeared frightening. It would take at least ten days, or half a month, to recover. Yuliana sat on the couch after the treatment and rested for a while. She then went back to her room to pack and prepare to return to her new home. The following day was Monday, and she needed to prepare for her ss the following week. When she returned to the room, she noticed that the handwriting on the small note pressed beneath the scented candle was identical to the handwriting on the A4 paper Christopher had written to Hailey the day before. Therefore, it was clear that Christopher wrote the note. [Something happened in Romdale, and I need to go there to deal with it. Hailey has worked in the Sce residence for many years. She¡¯s very reliable. She¡¯ll look after your daily needs in the future.] The note contained just four simple sentences and nothing else. Yuliana sat by the bed and looked at it for a while, feeling a little sad. After having lunch at Oceanview Apartment, Yuliana went back to her new house in Celestial Garden, which was next to Maple Garden, with Hailey. Celestial Garden was a new building constructed a few years ago. The residential area was well- managed, and the environment was pleasant. Yuliana¡¯s luggage had been transferred from Maple Garden to Celestial Garden and was neatly ced in therge living room. There were three bedrooms and a living room in the house. The house was about 1,506 square feet in size, which was significantlyrger than the house in Maple Garden. Since Yuliana¡¯s foot was injured, Hailey did not allow Yuliana to move. In the end, Yuliana decided to listen to Hailey because she also needed to prepare for ss. Hailey was more efficient and worked much faster than Yuliana. In three to four hours, she finished organizing the bulky items. She only asked Yuliana¡¯s opinion when deciding where to put the smaller items. Seeing that it was almost done, Hailey made Yuliana some food and asked, ¡°Yuliana, will you be able to take care of yourself tonight?¡± Hailey had to return to the Sce residence to get her luggage since she would be living in Celestial Garden starting the next day to take care of Yuliana¡¯s daily needs. In response, Yuliana nodded. ¡°I can do it. You should go back.¡± Before going to bed, Yuliana finally heard back from Christopher when he asked her what was wrong. After a brief period of silence, Yuliana uttered, ¡°Nothing. I just want to know where you went.¡± Christopher was slightly taken aback. ¡°I left you a note.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it until muchter Yuliana yawned and inquired, ¡°Is the situation in Romdale serious?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Yuliana hummed in response. She was staring off into the distance and did not know what to say for a long time. No one spoke over the phone for a while. ¡°Are you in Oceanview Apartment or Celestial Garden?¡± Christopher asked. 1 have ss tomorrow, so I came back.¡± After a pause, Yuliana added, ¡°It¡¯s more convenient here because it¡¯s close.¡± The two chatted casually. Their conversation was about trivial matters. Soon, half an hour had passed while they talked. Yuliana nced at the time. It was almost midnight. She could not talk anymore. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Her voice was soft. It sounded like an ordinary sentence, but she knew clearly that she was reluctant to hang up. They had notmunicated like that in a long time. ¡°Okay,¡± Christopher responded. Yuliana could not help asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bed yet?¡± ¡°I still have some work to do.¡± ¡°Rest early after you finish your work.¡± With that said, Yuliana was about to press the hang-up button, but she stared at the red button for a long time and did not press it. Christopher did not hang up either. Yuliana hesitated for a while before cing her phone on the pillow. After that, she turned off the light and climbed into bed. After some time, a faint noise that sounded like the tapping of a keyboard and mouse came from the other end of the phone. Yuliana dozed off as she listened to the rhythmic noise. On Monday, Lexie looked at Yuliana¡¯s foot and gloated about the injury when Yuliana arrived at the office. Yuliana had a full day of teaching ahead of her. She had two sses in the morning and two in the afternoon, but she was unable to stand for very long due to her foot injury. While she was teaching, she could only sit, which was quite inconvenient. Wade¡¯s mother, Josephine, learned about Yuliana¡¯s foot injury. On Tuesday morning, she bought some health supplements and fruits for Yuliana. It took Yuliana a long time to persuade Josephine to take them back. As soon as Josephine left, Lexie remarked sarcastically with a gloomy face, ¡°Even God is not willing to put up with what someone has done wrong!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana ignored her. Yuliana recovered quickly thanks to Hailey¡¯s care. La also took the time toe over and send some nutritional supplements. She also mentioned the situation in Romdale, which did not appear to be as simple as Christopher imed. Due to the situation in Romdale, everyone in the Juxshire headquarters was wrapped up with work. The entirepany had been extremely busy over the past few days. Yuliana looked it up on the inte. It appeared that an important project in Romdale encountered a problem and was temporarily suspended. The project was quiterge, so even a single day¡¯s dy would result in a sizable loss. Additionally, the project was already more than half done, and the initial investment was substantial. It was one of the most significant projects undertaken by Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. All of the investment would be lost if the project could not be finished sessfully in the future. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Afraid You Will Misunderstand Yuliana did not disturb Christopher because she was unable to help him. She did not contact him much over the next few days. The memorial service for Harry¡¯s grandma was scheduled for Thursday. Naturally, Yuliana had to attend no matter what. On Thursday morning, she took two hours off from school and asked Hailey to apany her. When they arrived at the funeral home, Yuliana asked Hailey to wait outside and went in by herself. There were not many people at the memorial service. All of them were Harry¡¯s grandma¡¯s rtives. However, most of them were no longer in touch. Harry only informed those who had a close rtionship with his grandma when she was alive. Following the procedure, Harry led Yuliana to the entrance, looked at her foot, and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I identally sprained it,¡± Yuliana exined. Harry nodded. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. You should be cautious.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana could not help butugh. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you show such concern for me before.¡± Harry raised his eyebrows and responded, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll misunderstand.¡± Yuliana was taken aback but quickly realized what he meant. ¡°Why did you ept my confession if you were scared that I would misunderstand?¡± Harry replied, ¡°Yuliana, thest three years have not been meaningless to us. At least, you know me very well, and I also have a good understanding of you. You should know that I¡¯m not a gentleman.¡± Only if there was no conflict of interest and he would not be negatively impacted would he show his concern for Yuliana. The reason he epted Yuliana and married her back then was that it was advantageous for him. Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°I have a ss in the morning, so I should leave now.¡± Harry watched her leave before turning around and entering the funeral home. Yuliana noticed a Maybach parked near the entrance. The next moment, Scarlett got out of the car. Both of them saw each other, and Scarlett was taken aback. Even if Scarlett tried to hide it, Yuliana could tell she was ufortable. Yuliana paid Scarlett no mind. Later, Hailey walked over and was about to walk toward the car that was parked off to the side of the road with Yuliana. All of a sudden, Scarlett stepped forward and stood in front of Yuliana. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, what a coincidence!¡± Scarlett grinned while giving Yuliana a forceful look. At a nce, Hailey noticed that Scarlett was trying to get a rise out of Yuliana, so she subconsciously protected Yuliana. Scarlett nced at Hailey and then looked at Yuliana. Yuliana stated calmly. ¡°It¡¯s not that much of a coincidence. Ms. Lynch, you¡¯vee to pay your respects to Harry¡¯s grandma, right? So have I.¡± In an instant, Scarlett¡¯s expression darkened.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Scarlett had only learned from the Ziegler family that morning that Harry¡¯s grandma had passed away, but Yuliana had obviously known it for a very long time. ¡°Yuliana and Harry had divorced, and I¡¯m now Harry¡¯s girlfriend. Howe he told Yuliana but not me?¡± Scarlett pondered. ¡°Ms Lynch, I have to return to school. I need to leave now,¡± Yuliana dered. Hearing that, Scarlett calmed down and smiled. ¡°Okay. Goodbye, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana nodded and got into the car with Hailey. Scarlett watched the car drive away before entering the funeral home. In the blink of an eye, it was Friday. The situation at Sce Corporation Romdale Branch was bing more serious. It caused some chaos on the inte, and the public¡¯s opinion was very unfavorable to Sce Corporation. Online rumors imed that the Sce family sent their useless son Christopher, who knew nothing, to run thepany, which was why Sce Corporation Romdale Branch encountered such a serious problem. Christopher became the focus of online public opinion, and everyone believed that the original person in charge should be appointed in his ce. Yuliana thought it was incredibly ridiculous when she saw that. Sce Corporation Romdale Branch¡¯s project had begun the year before, and Christopher had only been working there for about a month. It should have nothing to do with him at all. Even though Sce Corporation was not a listedpany, it was still greatly affected by the pressure of public opinion. Because of the situation, the employees of Sce Corporation Romdale Branch had been working extra hours under Yorick¡¯smand. Naturally, they also put the me on Christopher. On Friday night, Yuliana received a call from Christopher. At first, she was surprised because it was still early. Recently, she had only spoken to Christopher on the phone before going to bed. As soon as the call was connected, she heard an unfamiliar voice before she could speak. ¡°Hello, are you Christopher Sce¡¯s wife?¡± Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Is Me Still Unconscious? Yuliana was stunned She replied. ¡°Yes, I am. May I know who you are?¡± The person responded, ¡°This is Romdale General Hospital. Your husband has just been sent here and is currently in aa. Pleasee to the hospital as soon as possible.¡± Yuliana was dumbfounded and didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds. The nurse noticed no sound on the other side of the phone, so she probed, ¡°Madam, are you still listening to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Yuliana came back to her senses as she gripped her phone tightly. She took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m here. Did you say my unconscious husband was sent to your hospital?¡± The nurse answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana swallowed twice. Her voice was tense when she asked, ¡°Is h-he in a life-threatening situation?¡± The nurse replied in an orderly manner, ¡°We are hot clear yet. The doctor is examining him now. We can only know the details after the examination is over. Pleasee to the hospital as soon as possible if it¡¯s convenient for you.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m heading over now,¡± Yuliana said. After hanging up, she immediately threw her phone and returned to the room. However, she suddenly had second thoughts as she pondered, ¡°Even if I book the fastest flight back to Romdale, it will probably be early morning by the time I reach Romdale, as I need a few hours to reach.¡± Yuliana hesitated for a while before finally walking toward the living room to call La. La had already gotten wind of the situation at Romdale when she received the call from Yuliana. However, she had no idea how badly hurt Christopher was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yuliana. Christopher will be fine!¡± Laforted her, adding, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the people at Romdale to rush to the hospital! I¡¯ve also booked a ne ticket and will fly there tonight. I¡¯ll let you know if anything happens.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t control herself. She said, ¡°La, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Her voice was so determined that she didn¡¯t allow La to reject her. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. La thought, ¡°The current situation here at Romdale is quiteplicated, and Christopher¡¯s ident might be rted to that project. I¡¯m unsure whether he¡¯s gravely hurt. For now, only Kendrick and I knew about this incident, and nobody else has found out yet. Especially our parents.¡± However, La did not expect that the hospital would inform Yuliana directly. As Yuliana was pregnant, it was inappropriate for her to rush to the hospital. La was silent momentarily before saying, ¡°But what about your condition-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Yuliana interrupted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, La. I¡¯ll take care of myself. I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± There was nothing more that La could say to object to Yuliana. She remarked, ¡°Get Hailey to pack your stuff for you. I¡¯ll pick you up and head to the airport together!¡± It was almost early morning when Yuliana and La rushed to Romdale. La had already arranged for someone to fetch them at the hospital. After getting off the ne, La and Yuliana took another 40 minutes to arrive at Romdale General Hospital. When the women arrived at the entrance, a few men in their forties were waiting for them. They immediately hurried forward to greet La when they saw her La nced at them coldly as she briefly introduced Yuliana. Then, with Lincoln leading the way, they strode toward the emergency department. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in there?¡± La asked, her tone cold and stern. Lincoln hurriedly replied, ¡°The doctor has examined Mr. Sce. His head was badly hurt, so he was stitched with over ten needles. ording to the doctor, he also has a light concussion. As for the symptoms, we will have to wait until Mr. Sce wakes up before further examination can be carried out. Even though his body has varying degrees of minor injuries, his condition is not life-threatening¡± Yuliana sighed with relief upon hearing Lincoln¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Is he still unconscious?¡± Hearing Yuliana¡¯s voice, Lincoln turned to look at her. Even though La had introduced Yuliana to them, she didn¡¯t tell them who Yuliana was. Lincoln thought, ¡°I¡¯m sure she is not just any woman if she shows up with La. This woman is beautiful, though. She¡¯s just the type of woman I like.¡± Noticing Lincoln¡¯s gaze, Yuliana stared at him straight. Her eyes were big and clear as if she could see through a person¡¯s thoughts. Startled, Lincoln hurriedly looked away. He replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t speak further. She followed them into the ward quietly. A pale-faced Christophery in bed at the ward. Layers of bandages wrapped around his head with red blood oozing out of them terrifyingly. He was so quiet and motionless, like he was a lifeless toy. Yuliana had never seen Christopher in such a state before. She felt an ache rising within her chest. Lincoln asked the people beside him to bring the doctor over. Then, La started questioning the doctor about Christopher¡¯s condition. Yuliana sat by the bed and listened to their conversation without a word. All this while, her eyes were fixed on Christopher¡¯s face. After the doctor left, La asked Lincoln and the others to leave the room. La stood by the bed and stared at Christopher for a while. She frowned as heartache and anger filled her face. La thought, ¡°Christopher has never suffered such a serious injury since childhood. Someone has to pay for doing this to him!¡± La nced at Yuliana as she tried to ease the hostility on her face. ¡°Yuliana, I will send someone to bring you to the hotel, since Christopher¡¯s condition is not life-threatening. You can rest up there, as it¡¯s notfortable to stay in a hospital.¡± Yuliana nced at the time, voicing, ¡°It¡¯s almost 2 a.m. now. There¡¯s no point in rushing here and there. I¡¯ll stay here tonight. We shall see what happens after dawn.¡± La finally figured out the truth about Yuliana¡¯s temperament. Yuliana would not change her mind once she decided something, no matter how others tried to persuade her. La answered, ¡°Okay then! I still have some things to deal with, so I can¡¯t stay back. But I¡¯ll ask my assistant to stay here with you. Just let him know if you need anything.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± La stayed in the ward for a while longer before leaving. Lincoln, Howard, Timothy, and Cameron were all standing outside. Their faces immediately tensed up when they saw La leaving the ward. La asked, ¡°What happened to Christopher?¡± Lincoln shivered, meeting La¡¯s gaze. He opened his mouth to speak as he ced his eyes on Cameron. ¡°We don¡¯t know the details. Mr. Sce went out with Mr. Sinew during the night of the ident. We only discovered that Mr. Sce had got into an ident when we received a call from Mr. Sinew.¡± ¡°Mr. Sinew?¡± La nced at the other three men. Cameron stepped forward immediately. ¡°Ms. Sce, I did go out with Mr. Sce on the night of the ident. However, he took a call halfway through, so I didn¡¯t tag along with him. It was then that Mr. Sce had an ident.¡± La asked, ¡°Have you checked the surveince cameras yet?¡± Cameron pursed his lips. That spot is a surveince camera¡¯s blind spot.¡± ¡°So we don¡¯t have any clue?¡± La sneered, her face darkening. She didn¡¯t speak for a long moment as the atmosphere in the quiet corridor became dense with tension ¡°Let¡¯s call the police,¡± La then instructed. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have any clue what happened, we will let the police do their job.¡± Lincoln lowered his eyes, exchanging nces with the others. He replied, ¡°Okay, Ms. Sce. I¡¯ll call the police right away.¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Who Are You? Although the police had been rmed, La still asked Cameron to apany her to check out the location where Christopher was injured. It was the back alley of a bar. The alley was dimly lit, and only one surveince camera was installed in the whole stretch of it. The location of Christopher¡¯s ident happened to be in the blind spot of the surveince camera. ording to Cameron, Christopher had been found by a bartender. The bartender had called an ambnce but did not report the ident to the police. By the time Cameron learned about it, Christopher had already been taken to the hospital. The first thing that came into Cameron¡¯s mind was to call the police. However, he canceled that thought after carefully considering the recent situation in Romdale. He then informed the Sce family and waited for their arrival before making any decision. Not long after La arrived, the police also reached the scene. The lighting in the back alley was dark, and the ground was very slippery. Except for the blood stains left by Christopher¡¯s wound, there were only some messy shoe prints at the scene, which were not left behind by one person but by a few people. Thus, it was a crimemitted by a group of people. The police also investigated the surveince cameras nearby. However, the crime scene was in one of thergest entertainment areas in Romdale. It was difficult for them to investigate further since the people nearby were not only huge in number but alsoplicated. The police summoned the barkeeper and bartender to make a statement. Still, they found nothing. It was almost dawn when La and the rest left the bar. The head of the police said to La, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Sce. We¡¯ll continue to investigate this incident and give you an exnation. Please inform us when Christopher regains consciousness. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take a statement from him in the hospital.¡± La shook his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. This is our job,¡± the head of police said. After bidding farewell to the police, La and Cameron got into the car and prepared to return to the hospital. Cameron was driving, and La was sitting in the backseat. La looked out the window quietly and recalled what she had seen at the scene earlier. She slightly knitted her brows and felt that something was off. After a while, she nced at Cameron, who was driving, and said, ¡°Mr. Sinew, I heard from Mr. Foster that you¡¯ve been very close to Christopher recently.¡± Cameron replied, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to bond with Mr. Sce.¡± La stared at his side profile for a while, lowered her gaze, and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Sinew, do you know how Christopher got injured?¡± Cameron suddenly felt nervous and fell silent. Then, he replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t the police say that he might have been robbed?¡± In truth, the police had said so because Cameron had told them that the watch Christopher was wearing before the ident had disappeared when Christopher was sent to the hospital. Christopher only had a few watches in his collection, but all of them were valuable. La sneered. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a robbery, Mr. Sinew?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard that from the police.¡± Cameron gave a vague answer. On the way back to the hospital, La used the chance to bring Yuliana breakfast. She watched Yuliana finish her meal and saw the dark circles under thetter¡¯s eyes. It was then that she recalled the assistant telling her that Yuliana had been lying on the bedside and had stayed up all night. La was worried that Yuliana would not be able to stand it. ¡°Yuliana, why not you go back to the hotel and have a rest? I¡¯ll be here to watch over Christopher. I¡¯ll call you when he wakes up, okay?¡± Yuliana was very sleepy and exhausted. Since La had said that, she didn¡¯t resist the former and asked La¡¯s assistant to send her back to the hotel. The hotel was only a few minutes away from the hospital. After Christopher was admitted to the hospital, Yorick called to inquire about the former¡¯s condition. However, he did not show up in the hospital, iming that his body had yet to recover and that it was inconvenient for him to go there. La had dealt with Yorick several times before and knew that he was a cunning person. He imed that he had made great contributions to Sce Corporation and had been looking down on the younger generation since Kendrick took over thepany. Yorick had be more aggressive in recent years and was highly influential in Romdale. He had the final say in almost everything, whether in the assignment of employees or in any other matters. Yuliana napped for three to four hours after she-returned to the hotel. Since La had not called her, she could tell that Christopher had not regained consciousness yet. She called La, and thetter arranged for her assistant to pick Yuliana up at the hotel. During lunch, La ordered her assistant to buy her and Yuliana some takeout. After the duo had finished eating in the ward, La called Yorick, telling him that she needed to talk to him and set the company as their meeting ce. Since it was work-rted, Yorick naturally couldn¡¯t refuse. La brought her assistant along but left Cameron to stay outside the ward. Meanwhile, Yuliana sat by the bed and stared at Christopher quietly. They had known each other for a long time, but it was the first time she had seen Christopher be so quiet and weak. Yuliana was not used to it and suddenly missed the time when they quarreled with each other. Christopher was arrogant and bad-tempered at that time. Although he always put on a long face, he was lively-unlike his lying there with his weak and pale face right now. He looked lifeless in the bed. In the afternoon, Yuliana slumped on the bed and napped again. In a daze, she felt something touching her hair. She opened her eyes absent-mindedly and immediately saw a pair of gray ones. Momentarily stunned, she quickly straightened her back and asked excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Christopher stared at her quietly. Looking into his eyes, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but panic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well somewhere? Do you want me to call a doctor?¡± Christopher¡¯s lips were pale. Although all the colors had drained from them, they were not dry. Yuliana had used a cotton swab to moisten his lips many times before. Christopher remained looking at Yuliana calmly and said nothing. When Yuliana got up and was about to call the doctor, Christopher suddenly clutched her wrist. Christopher¡¯s hands felt weak so he only grabbed Yuliana very loosely. He parted his thin lips slightly, and his voice was very soft as he spoke, ¡°Who are you?¡± Yuliana was stunned by his words. Her pupils constricted as she looked at him in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡± Christopher licked his lower lip and repeated in a hoarse voice, ¡°I said, who are you?¡± Yuliana was shocked, and she panicked. She fixed her gaze on Christopher¡¯s eyes, feeling anxious. In a trembling voice, she asked, ¡°Do you really not recognize me?¡± Christopher frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Should I know you?¡± Yuliana became more and more depressed. After a moment, she calmed herself down and asked, ¡°Do you remember who you are, then?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher pondered for a while and shook his head. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Yuliana was on the verge of breaking down because of his questions. ¡°Hang in there. I¡¯ll get the doctor here right away¡± After saying that, Yuliana put away Christopher¡¯s hand and went to the doctor. The doctor gave Christopher another detailed check-up, but the results were the same as the night before. Logically, his concussion was not severe and would not cause him memory loss. Once La received the news that Christopher had regained consciousness, she quickly returned to the hospital. Christopher¡¯s medical report happened to be ready when she arrived at the hospital. Christopher¡¯s doctor in charge was uncertain about his current situation and nned to arrange for a more experienced doctor to perform a detailed check-up on him. Upon learning about Christopher¡¯s condition, La looked at the medical report and pondered for a while. Then, she shifted her gaze into the ward. Yuliana was eating with Christopher. Staring at Yuliana with his gray eyes, Christopher took one mouthful of the oatmeal she was feeding him and swallowed slowly. Then, he asked, ¡°Are you really my wife?¡± Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Stop Pretending Yuliana lowered her head and didn¡¯t look at him nor did she answer him. She still couldn¡¯t believe Christopher was suffering from memory loss. ¡°How could such a dramatic thing happen to Christopher?¡± she thought. She couldn¡¯t help wondering if she was dreaming When she woke up, Christopher would still be in Romdale, and she would still be in Juxshire. But she also knew that she was deceiving herself. The doctor said that Christopher¡¯s head was seriously injured, and it was possible that he could suffer from amnesia. He might recover in a few days. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Why didn¡¯t you reply to me?¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded above her head, with a slightly piteous and anxious tone. Yuliana was stunned She looked up and saw Christopher staring at her. Her image was reflected vividly in his gray eyes. She was the only one in those eyes. Yuliana suddenly felt a little suffocated. She scooped a spoonful of oatmeal and handed it to the man, saying. ¡°Well, we¡¯re married. We¡¯re husband and wife.¡± Hearing this, Christopher shed Yuliana an innocent smile. Yuliana looked at him in a daze. Christopher had never smiled at her like this before. Most of the time, he carried an impish smile. Your name is Yuliana?¡± Christopher grinned. ¡°Can I call you Ana from now on?¡± Yuliana paused and asked, ¡°Why do you not call me Yuliana or Liana, but Ana?¡± Christopher frowned and thought for a while. He looked confused and shook his head gently. ¡°I just want to call you Ana.¡± Yuliana stared at him for a while and didn¡¯t continue to fuss about how he addressed her. She said, ¡°Finish the oatmeal first. It will get cold soon.¡± Christopher finished the oatmeal very cooperatively. Yuliana wiped the table and wanted to throw the packing box away. Once she took two steps to the door, Christopher said anxiously, ¡°Ana, where are you going?¡± Yuliana could feel Christopher¡¯s insecurity and exined, ¡°I¡¯m taking the garbage out and throwing it away. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Christopher was silent for a moment before he said, ¡°Then pleasee back quickly.¡± Yuliana nodded and softly hummed in response. When Yuliana exited the ward, she saw La, Lincoln, and Cameron standing at the door. Lincoln was talking to La while Cameron stood aside. Seeing Yulianaing out of the ward, they immediately looked at her When La wasn¡¯t mingling with people, she carried a formidable aura. The way she looked at others, although different from that of Kendrick, was still quite intimidating. When Lincoln and Cameron stood before her, they slouched their backs slightly and didn¡¯t even dare to look directly at LaPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org. La tried to put up a calm expression and walked to Yuliana. She asked in a low voice, ¡°How is he?¡± Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°He just finished a bowl of oatmeal. His appetite is still okay.¡± Except for amnesia, everything was fine for Christopher La nodded andforted her, ¡°Yuliana, the doctor said Christopher¡¯s condition is not serious. His amnesia is a result of a concussion. Maybe he will recover in a few days. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Yuliana said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll throw the garbage away first.¡± Then, she walked to the other side of the hallway. After eating the oatmeal, Christopher fell asleep. Yuliana stayed by the bed and looked at Christopher absentmindedly. La pushed the door open and came in. She stared at Christopher on the bed for a while, frowned slightly. and was deep in thought. After a while, she said, ¡°Yuliana, the doctor said that Christopher needs to be hospitalized for observation for a few days. How about you go to Christopher¡¯s hotel with my assistant and help him pack some clothes? I have something to talk to the doctor aboutter.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana hesitated, ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What if Christopher wakes up and doesn¡¯t see me?¡± she thought. La smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I will be staying here.¡± Yuliana nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle back quickly.¡± She didn¡¯t dare to dy and immediately left the hospital with La¡¯s assistant, hoping they would return before Christopher woke up. As soon as Yuliana left, La sat down beside the bed. She took an apple and peeled it. It was bought by Yorick in the morning and sent to the hospital. The apple was stillbeled. It was imported and expensive. After peeling, she cut the apple into small pieces with a fruit knife and fed one into her mouth. Her eyes fell on the person who was sleeping on the bed. She chewed slowly. La suddenly sneered. ¡°Stop pretending.¡± Christopher¡¯s hotel was close to Sce Corporation¡¯s branch in Romdale but was a little far away from Romdale General Hospital. It took more than two hours to go back and forth. It was already past 9 p.m. when Yuliana returned to the hospital. La didn¡¯t sleep all nightst night and was busy all day. She curled up on the couch in the ward and already fell asleep. Christopher was already awake, sitting on the hospital bed and ying games with his phone. Yuliana was slightly curious and wondered, ¡°If Christopher loses his memory, can he still remember how to y games?¡± Seeing that Yuliana was finally back, Christopher threw the phone away, pursed his lips, and said with dissatisfaction, ¡°Where have you been?¡± Yuliana shook the bag in her hand and whispered, ¡°I went out to get you some clothes.¡± Christopher looked at her pitifully like an abandoned puppy. ¡°But you can¡¯t leave without telling me. I thought you didn¡¯t want me anymore.¡± Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Do You Love Me At All Actually, Yuliana wasn¡¯t used to seeing Christopher like this, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel pity to see him in such a state. She looked into his eyes and couldn¡¯t say no to him. She put the clothes in the closet, sat down by the bed, and whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t do it again. I¡¯ll tell you next time before I go anywhere.¡± Christopher smiled when he heard her words. La woke up soon after Yuna came back to the ward. She was still very tired andnguid. Yuliana advised, ¡°La, why don¡¯t you go back to the hotel and have a rest? You didn¡¯t sleepst night.¡± La nced at Christopher on the bed, who was also looking at her. They met eyes for two seconds before La turned to Yuliana and said, ¡°You¡¯re here alone. I¡¯m worried.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°This is a hospital. Don¡¯t worry.¡± La said. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. You need to have a good rest.¡± Yuliana nced at Christopher from the hospital bed. As expected, his expression changed slightly when he heard that Christopher had lost his memory, so he wouldn¡¯t have remembered her pregnancy. Besides, she hadn¡¯t had time to tell him about the news. Yuliana took a deep breath and said to La, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the nurse to bring another bed inter. I¡¯ll take a good rest tonight. You haven¡¯t slept all night. You need a good rest too.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°There should be many things in Romdale that await you to deal with.¡± La was still hesitating. When she heard thest sentence, the hesitation disappeared. She smiled and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯d better leave my assistant in the hospital. If you need anything at night, tell him. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow morning.¡± Yuliana nodded. After sending La off, Yuliana returned to the ward. Christopher looked at her eagerly. ¡°Ana, is what La just said true?¡± Yuliana stood at the end of the bed, met his eyes, and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m pregnant. You knew it before you lost your memory. I haven¡¯t found a suitable chance to tell you today.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes lit up. They were glistening with an iridescent luster. He reached out his hand to her and said, ¡°Ana,e here.¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When she returned to her senses, she realized she had subconsciously walked to Christopher and put her hand on his palm. He clenched her hand, wrapped his other arm around her waist, and hugged her tightly. He buried his face in her abdomen, leaned against the small bump, and sighed, ¡°Ana, I¡¯m so happy. Even if I don¡¯t remember anything, I won¡¯t be afraid of anything as long as you are by my side.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana lowered her eyes and looked at Christopher¡¯s head, which was bandaged heavily. She saw the wound when the nurse redressed it at night. It was a lengthy cut, and the hair around the wound had been shaved. The wound looked shockingly raw Yuliana didn¡¯t feel happy when she heard Christopher¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t remember anything at this moment and was like a drowning person who saw her as his only savior. When his memory recovered, he might not think the same. Yuliana pulled away Christopher¡¯s arms from her waist and said in a nonchnt voice, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Have a good rest.¡± Christopher withdrew his arm, sat on the bed, and watched Yuliana enter the bathroom. After a while, she carried a basin of water and wrung out a wet towel before handing it to him. With a smile on his face, he didn¡¯t take the towel. ¡°Dear, I¡¯m injured. Can you help me to clean myself?¡± Yuliana said, ¡°You hurt your head, but not your hands.¡± Christopher looked at her innocently and said pitifully. ¡°My hands hurt too.¡± She didn¡¯t see him whining in pain when he hugged her just now. In the end, Yuliana relented and wiped his face. After that, she brought a ss of water for him to rinse his mouth. After cleaning up, she adjusted the bed and let Christopher lie down. The nurse sent a folding bed and quilt in and helped put them by the bed. She left after taking Christopher¡¯s temperature and blood pressure Christopher nced at the fragile folding bed and frowned. ¡°Are you going to sleep there?¡± Yuliana nodded, not in a high mood. Christopher wanted to say something else, but he saw her lying down on the folding bed and turning her back. She obviously didn¡¯t want to talk to him. ¡°Dear,¡± he called out, but Yuliana ignored him. ¡°Ana,¡± he called again, but Yuliana still didn¡¯t respond. Christopher stared at Yuliana for a while, then said in a low voice, ¡°Ana, I can feel that I love you very much, but you don¡¯t seem to love me at all.¡± In the quiet ward, the man¡¯s voice sounded dejected and pitiful. Yuliana hadn¡¯t fallen asleep, but she simply didn¡¯t want to talk to him. Her body stiffened as she heard this, and anger started bubbling in her heart. She sat up from the folding bed and stared at him fiercely. She wanted to refute what he said just now, but after meeting his uneasy expression, she couldn¡¯t say anything atst. She curled up the corner of her mouth with self-mockery and suddenly felt somewhat ridiculous. ¡°Why am I bothered by what a patient said?¡± she thought to herself. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± After saying that, she got up and turned off the lights in the ward. Then, shey back on the folding bed. After a while, there was a rustling sound in the ward, followed by a series of gasps. Yuliana opened her eyes and saw a figure getting off the bed. Stunned, she got off the folding bed, held Christopher, and said sternly, ¡°What are you doing down there?¡± Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 I Am Scared Christopher supported himself with one arm on the bed. His body didn¡¯t press on Yuliana directly. They looked at each other amidst the darkness. After a while, Christopher lowered his eyes and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯m scared you¡¯ll leave me alone.¡± Yuliana was a little speechless, and her eyes felt a little sore. She was silent for a while before she asked again in a softened tone, ¡°Then, how can I make you not scared?¡± Christopher said, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep together.¡± Yuliana realized that even when one person had lost his memory, his nature would still be the same. ¡°No.¡± Christopher lowered his head again and kept silent. Yuliana exined in a soft voice, ¡°The bed is too narrow. I might touch your wound.¡± Christopher took her hand and said, ¡°No, this bed is quite wide. I¡¯ll be mindful of it.¡± Yuliana looked at him for a long time and finallypromised. Although the bed was narrow, both of them were very thin. Besides, they hugged each other when they were sleeping together before. Theyy close to each other and didn¡¯t feel cramped at all.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana was exhausted, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The man beside her hugged her very tightly, and his breath fell in her ears. She felt a little warm, so she shifted to the side. Immediately, the arm around her waist tightened. His warm lips pressed against the side of her neck, and he said in a hoarse and deep voice, ¡°Ana, don¡¯t move.¡± Yuliana¡¯s body suddenly stiffened. Noticing the change in the man¡¯s body, she couldn¡¯t help but get angry and shout, ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher took in the smell of Yuliana¡¯s body. There was no strange perfume but a very light milky fragrance, which was the smell of the body lotionmonly used by Yuliana. It smelled particrly good. He responded faintly, ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana restrained her emotions and said, ¡°Patients should behave themselves. Don¡¯t simply¡­¡± Christopher chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t simply what?¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart skipped a beat, listening to his deepughter. Before she could think deeply, the person behind her said in a low voice, ¡°Dear, I only got a head injury. Other functions of my body are normal. It¡¯s a natural reaction. I can¡¯t help it.¡± Yuliana felt strange listening to that. But she couldn¡¯t figure out why Christopher¡¯s words sounded weird. She didn¡¯t bother to think about it anymore and said in a serious tone, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to sleep, just stay quiet and don¡¯t disturb me.¡± After saying that, Yuliana closed her eyes and got ready to sleep. After Christopher¡¯s fuss, Yuliana fell asleep soon. Christopher listened to Yuliana¡¯s even breathing and gently pinched her earlobe with his fingers. Then, he leaned closer and kissed her on the face. He shifted backward a little and stared at Yuliana¡¯s sleeping face for a long time before gently kissing her again. The phone screen on the table next to Christopher lit up. Christopher reached out to pick up the phone and looked at it. It was a message from Cameron. It read: [Mr. Sce, we tracked down the clues of those peoplest night. We should get the result in the next two days.] Christopher took a look and didn¡¯t answer the message. He put the phone back, adjusted his posture, and fell asleep with the person in his arms. At dawn in the hospital, the nurse came to the ward to check the body temperature and blood pressure. Christopher woke up when he heard the noise. He looked at Yuliana and saw that she was still asleep He immediately pressed his finger against his lips. and whispered to the nurse who came in, ¡°Be gentle Don¡¯t wake her up.¡± Hearing this, the nurse nced at the woman sleeping next to the man. The quilt was tightly wrapped around her body, and only the back of her head was visible. She suddenly felt a little envious. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Do Not Spoil Him The nurse gently walked to the bedside and measured Christopher¡¯s blood pressure. Only the light on Christopher¡¯s side was turned on in the ward. The light was a little dim. The nurse looked at the value disyed on the test instrument. The result came back normal. Then, she put down the blood pressure sensor and wanted to take Christopher¡¯s temperature again. When she looked up, she saw the man slowly put down his sleeve, and his face tilted to the side as he looked at the woman sleeping beside him with a gentle expression. The nurse looked at the man in a trance. Only when Christopher noticed her unusual behavior and looked over did the nurse return to her senses ¡°I need to take your temperature. The nurse handed the thermometer to Christopher and whispered, ¡°Just put the thermometer somewhere when you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll collect itter.¡± Christopher hummed a response and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± The nurse left immediately with her stuff. Yuliana was in a deep sleep. When she woke up, La had arrived at the ward and stood by the window. It seemed like she was talking to Christopher Seeing her wake up, they immediately stopped. Yuliana just woke up and was still in a blurred state. She saw them standing together but didn¡¯t think too much about it. She lifted the quilt and got out of bed. ¡°La, when did you arrive?¡± La smiled and said, ¡°I just arrived. You haven¡¯t had a good rest these two days, so I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡± Even when La said so, Yuliana still felt a little uneasy. She med Christopher secretly in her heart for not waking her up. She red at Christopher from the corner of her eyes. Thetter was also looking at her with a faint smile. Yuliana was in a trance when she looked at the smile on his face. But in the blink of an eye, the smile on Christopher¡¯s face disappeared. He came over slowly and looked depressed. ¡°Ana, La just told me a lot about the past, but I can¡¯t remember anything.¡± ¡°So, was La helping Christopher recover his memory?¡± Yuliana wondered. Yuliana subconsciously turned to La. La looked at her and avoided her gaze guiltily. Yuliana withdrew her gaze, quickly adjusted her emotions, and softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t rush. Don¡¯t worry. You will remember it one day.¡± Christopher nodded slightly and hummed in a low voice. La nced at her younger brother, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. She coughed softly and reminded, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t spoil him too much. He is suffering from amnesia, not loss of limbs. Besides, the doctor said he may recover in a few days.¡± Christopher looked sideways at La and raised his eyebrows slightly. His voice was filled with grievances that couldn¡¯t be hidden. ¡°Ana, are you sure she¡¯s really my sister?¡± Hearing this, Laughed. ¡°No. Our parents found you in a toilet and adopted you.¡± After saying that, she withdrew her gaze from Christopher and ignored him. She said to Yuliana, ¡°Christopher has a few more tests in the morning. Please apany him. I have something to doter. I have to go to thepany.¡± Yesterday, Christopher suddenly woke up. She hurried back to the hospital before she could finish talking with Yorick. Today, she nned to visit Yorick¡¯s house to find out his opinions. After breakfast, Yuliana apanied Christopher to do several more tests, and the conclusion was consistent with the previous one. Except for the trauma and concussion of the head, no other problems were detected A concussion may indeed affect people¡¯s memories, but the effect was all short-term. It was the first time the doctor met a patient like Christopher, who remembered nothing. However, the human brain was the mostplex organ, so Christopher¡¯s condition was probable too. After the examination, they returned to the ward and saw Lincoln and Howard waiting inside. There were a few more fruit baskets in the ward. Seeing Yuliana push Christopher into the ward, Lincoln immediately stood up with a smile on his face. ¡°Mr. Sce.¡± After a pause, he looked at Yuliana again for a moment and said, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Christopher noticed where Lincoln¡¯s eyes fell, and his expression immediately darkened. Yuliana nodded at them. ¡°Mr. Foster, Mr. Young.¡± Lincoln beamed with joy. ¡°Sunshine, you have a good memory. I didn¡¯t expect you to remember us as Ms. Sce only briefly introduced us to you.¡± It was not difficult for Yuliana to memorize people¡¯s names. When she first entered Juxshire Primary School, she memorized the names of the dozens of students in her ss in two or three days. ¡°Which sunshine are you referring to?¡± Christopher asked casually and then looked at Yuliana behind him. ¡°Ana, why haven¡¯t I heard you say you have a good friend like him?¡± Lincoln¡¯s face stiffened. He stared at Christopher in confusion for a while and murmured in his heart, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that this useless man has amnesia?¡± He quickly suppressed his thoughts, and his expression returned to normal again. He smiled and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not qualified to be Ms. Livingstone¡¯s good friend. I just didn¡¯t know how to address her. Seeing that she is younger than me, I called her ¡°Sunshine.¡± Yuliana responded, ¡°I¡¯m a Livingstone.¡± Lincoln was dumbfounded for a moment. ¡°So it¡¯s Ms. Livingstone.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana didn¡¯t answer and pushed Christopher in. Lincoln and Howard stood aside, looking slightly embarrassed After a while, Christopher got onto the hospital bed and gave Lincoln and Howard a sideways look. ¡°Ana, who are they?¡± Yuliana exined to Christopher the identities of Lincoln and Howard. Christopher asked, ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± Lincoln took a few steps forward and stood at the end of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m here with Mr. Young today to visit you, Mr. Sce. We heard you woke upst night, but it was toote then, and we didn¡¯t want to disturb your rest, so we came here this morning. ording to Ms. Sce, you are suffering from amnesia because of the head injury Is it true?¡± Christopher looked at his chubby face and asked with great interest, ¡°Do you wish it is true or vice versa?* Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Look At Him Lincoln¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he heard Christopher. He looked at Christopher¡¯s faint smile and couldn¡¯t figure out whether he really didn¡¯t remember anything or if it was all just a show. Meeting Christopher¡¯s eyes, Lincoln replied seriously, ¡°Of course I hope it¡¯s not true, Mr. Sce. The company has been in trouble recently, and there is still a lot of work to be done. We still need you to call the shots!¡± ¡°I hate to disappoint Mr. Foster Christopher sighed with regret. ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything now. I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t take charge of thepany in the short run. Mr. Foster and Mr. Young, thepany will need to rely on you for the following days. I really appreciate your help.¡± Hearing Christopher¡¯s words, Lincoln felt even more unsettled. Christopher didn¡¯t sound amnesiac. However, Lincoln still smiled and replied, ¡°Mr. Sce, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s our duty to manage the company.¡± Christopher grunted faintly in response and did not speak anymore. Yuliana looked down at him. A glint shed through her eyes but disappeared in an instant. Lincoln and Howard didn¡¯t stay for a long time. They came out of the ward and exchanged nces. Their minds were restless. Lincoln looked through the ss on the door and said, ¡°What do you think? Is he really amnesiac, or is he putting up a show?¡± Howard wasn¡¯t sure either. ¡°Why would he pretend to be amnesic?¡± Christopher was now in charge of the investigation of the problematic project. ording to what they knew, Christopher already had a lot of evidence in his hand, and the investigation result woulde out soon. Christopher was giving them a chance to erase other important evidence if he pretended to be amnesic at this critical moment. Lincoln thought for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the doctor and ask about his condition.¡± ¡°I was thinking of that too,¡± Howard said. However, they still didn¡¯t get an exact answer when they came out of Christopher¡¯s physician¡¯s office. ording to the doctor, the concussion might lead to amnesia, but most patients could recover in a short time. Christopher¡¯s case was a special one. The doctor couldn¡¯t tell when his memory would be restored. ¡°Mr. Foster, what should we do?¡± Howard was confused. Lincoln pondered for a moment and then said, ¡°Call Cameron.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Howard paused momentarily before asking. ¡°Why will we call him?¡± Lincoln nced at him and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s find someone to test Christopher.¡± Howard asked, ¡°Who are you finding?¡± Lincoln smiled mysteriously. ¡°You¡¯ll knowter.¡± After Lincoln and Howard left, Yuliana took out her phone and checked the unread messages. They were from various group chats of the school, and some were from the parents of the students. She quickly browsed the messages in the school group chats. There was nothing urgent. After that, she replied to the parents one by one. ¡°Dear, what are you doing?¡± Christopher sat still for a while before he started to get impatient. Hearing the word ¡°Dear,¡± Yuliana felt a little ufortable. ¡°I¡¯m replying to the messages.¡± ¡°What messages?¡± Christopher asked curiously. Yuliana paused and looked up at him. The weather today in Romdale was quite pleasant. The sunshine shone brightly outside the window, and the light streamed in and fell on Christopher¡¯s face. His eyes looked much lighter and iridescent in the sunlight, having a color between gray and brown. His expression was very rxed, and he looked innocent and harmless. Yuliana pursed her lips slightly and softly said, ¡°Messages from the student¡¯s parents.¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, ¡°Ana, are you a teacher?¡± Yuliana looked at him quietly, suddenly smiled, and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a teacher. I teach primary school. Is there anything else you want to ask?¡± ¡°No.¡± Christopher stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Ana,e here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana put down her phone and got up. ¡°Do you want to go to the restroom?¡± She bent down to help him, but Christopher pulled her hand while putting his other arm around her waist. He easily dragged her into the bed, her legs hanging on the edge of the bed. After Yuliana sat firmly, she patted his arm twice. She was about to treat him nicely, but then his action made her angry again. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she gasped. Christopher put his arms around her waist and said, ¡°I just want you to be closer to me.¡± After saying that, he moved his body and put his head on herp. ¡°I want to sleep. Don¡¯t go.¡± Yuliana was nervous. ¡°Is your head in pain?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Christopher grabbed her hand and frowned. ¡°It hurts a little.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t tell which sentence he said was true, but looking at the blood oozing from the bandage, she was a little worried and said, ¡°Do you want the doctor toe and have a look?¡± Christopher closed his eyes and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡± The wound on his head did hurt a little. Also, he was feeling dizzy from the concussion. But the doctor said it was normal. He would recover in a few days. Seeing him close his eyes, Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything more. She lowered her head and stared at the man¡¯s face for a while. She couldn¡¯t help but be distracted. She gently pushed away the blonde hair that escaped from the bandage and saw that there was a lot of ck in his hair roots. ¡°Christopher,¡± she called softly. Christopher didn¡¯t open his eyes. ¡°Hmm?¡± Yuliana looked at the ck hair and said, ¡°When do you want to cut your hair? Stop dyeing it blond.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like it blond?¡± Yuliana was stunned momentarily, and then she met the man¡¯s gray eyes. Her eyebrows raised slightly, and there was a trace of confusion on her face. ¡°When did I say I like blond?¡± Christopher tutted and closed his eyes again. ¡°Women always change their minds.¡± She did not know what to do with him. When Christopher was asleep, Yuliana replied to the messages from the students¡¯ parents. After everything was done, she felt a little bored. The nurse came in once and saw Christopher sleeping. She went out with her things and asked Yuliana to inform herter when Christopher woke up. It was quiet again in the ward. Only the gentle and steady breathing of the man could be heard. Yuliana was a little bored, so she focused on Christopher again. Her mind kept drifting away. Only when Christopher opened his eyes did she look away in a panic. ¡°Dear, were you peeking at me just now?¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded a little hoarse as he had just woken up. Yuliana looked at him from the corner of her eyes, and her ears were a little hot. ¡°Can¡¯t I look at you?¡± Christopher got up from herp and moved his head onto the pillow, but his hand was still wrapped around her waist. He gently pinched the soft flesh on her waist. ¡°Of course, you can. You are my wife. You can see every part of my body.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Before she could say anything, Christopher added, ¡°I can even strip myself off and show you everything.¡± Yuliana looked down and red at him. When she was about to speak, the door of the ward was suddenly pushed open from the outside. ¡°Christopher!¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Get Lost It was Margaret. During that period, Margaret had followed Christopher all the way. When Christopher went to Romdale, she followed him there. When Christopher returned to Juxshire, she would follow him back as well. However, Christopher has been avoiding her for a few days. She hadn¡¯t seen Christopher for a few days, even though she had tried to stop him at the hotel Two hours ago, while sleeping in the hotel, she was suddenly awakened by a phone call telling her that Christopher had been injured and admitted to the hospital. She also received the hospital address on her phone. Hence, she rushed over immediately. She rushed over in a hurry, worrying all the way. She didn¡¯t expect to see that scene when she entered the ward. Margaret looked at the intimate man and woman on the hospital bed. She was stunned for a moment and became angry the next second. She asked sharply, ¡°Yuliana, why are you here?¡± Yuliana stared at Margaret in surprise but didn¡¯t show much emotion. She just looked at Margaret calmly. Upon hearing her question, Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything but nced at Christopher. Christopher froze when he saw her gaze. He frowned and asked, ¡°Ana, who is she? Why is she so fierce?¡± Yuliana raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Are you asking me?¡± Christopher seemed pitiful. ¡°Ana, you know my situation. I don¡¯t remember anything now.¡± Yukana stared at him for two seconds before looking up at Margaret, who was still staring at her. She answered, ¡°Whether I am here or not has nothing to do with you. I don¡¯t need to exin everything to you, right?¡± Although her voice was calm, some provocation was hidden in her tone. She was always nice to others. Even if she met someone she did not like, she did not want to argue much. She had tried her best to avoid Margaret in the past and didn¡¯t want to make a scene. It was the first time she had had such a confrontation with Margaret. Upon hearing that, Margaret got even angrier. She walked to the bedside with a ferocious look and reached out to pull Yuliana off the bed. ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re so shameless. You just divorced Harry. The next second, you are hooking up with another man!¡± Margaret nearly dragged Yuliana down. Fortunately, Christopher¡¯s arm sped her waist. Usually, Margaret would pretend to be angry andin for a few sentences. It was the first time she had scolded Yuliana in person that way. Obviously, she was so infuriated that she did not even want to pretend. Yuliana¡¯s hand hurt when Margaret pulled her. Christopher said coldly when she was about to escape, ¡°Let go of her!¡± Margaret paused and stared at Christopher who was by Yuliana¡¯s side. Christopher had sat up from the bed with a gloomy face. His gaze was like a sharp de trying to pierce Margaret¡¯s heart. She was both jealous and scared at the same time. ¡°Christopher,¡± Margaret called out in a low voice. Christopher looked at her coldly and asked Yuliana, ¡°Ana, La hasn¡¯t talked about such a woman. Who is she? What¡¯s that intimate tone?¡± Later, he stared at Margaret and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? Let her go!¡± Looking at Christopher¡¯s gloomy face, Margaret¡¯s fear suppressed her jealousy as she let go of Yuliana¡¯s hand. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana nced at Christopher from the corner of her eyes, and a hint of coldness was in her gaze. She cast her gaze downward and rubbed her painful wrist. There were several deep nail marks on the skin of her wrist and two red marks that Margaret had scratched. Margaret¡¯s nails were long. She had done her manicure, and there were a lot of solid decorations on her nails. Those red marks had been scratched by the solid decorations. Yuliana could feel pain in her wrist. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Upon seeing her movements, Christopher immediately grabbed her hand and stared at the obvious red marks on her wrist. His expression was cold as if he was thinking of something. After a while, he looked at Margaret and said, ¡°Apologize Now!¡± Looking at the intimate couple, Margaret thought, ¡°How could I be willing to apologize to Yuliana?¡± However, Christopher¡¯s expression was terrifying She gulped twice and said to Christopher Christopher, don¡¯t be fooled by her Yuliana is the best at ying tricks on men She used to trick Harry like this before. Hence, only Harry has married her. However, now that he has seen her true colors, he has divorced her.¡± Christopher listened to her words and looked at her with a dark expression However, he did not say anything Upon seeing that, Margaret got bolder She walked to the other side of the bed and tried to grab Christopher¡¯s hand Christopher dodged it Her hand froze in the air, and she returned to her awkward posture ¡°Christopher, trust me Yuliana is really not a good person Margaret said thoughtfully. ¡°Last time I went shopping. I saw Yuliana buying clothes for men. The clothes are expensive How can she afford them as a teacher? She must have hooked up with a rich man¡¯ Yuliana listened to her words quietly and burst intoughter. Upon hearing herughter, Margaret red at her and snorted. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Yuliana stared at her quietly, lowered her gaze, and said with a faint smile, ¡°I did buy a man¡¯s clothes, and you were wearing it. Margaret was stunned. ¡°When did I wear the clothes you bought?¡± Yuliana picked up her phone, opened her Instagram, flipped through it, and handed it to Margaret. Margaret took it, and her face suddenly changed. She looked at Yuliana and said incredulously. ¡°So, you bought those clothes?¡± That night, when Christopher had gone to the bathroom, she couldn¡¯t help but pick up his clothes and try them on She had also taken a photo and posted it on her Instagram. However, Christopher came back and took the clothes from her shoulder. He had even warned her maliciously not to touch his things again. She had thought that Christopher was a mysophobe because he would not let anyone touch his things. She didn¡¯t expect Yuliana to be the one who bought the clothes. Margaret felt extremely ufortable at that moment. ¡°What photo is that?¡± Christopher took the phone and nced at it. His expression darkened again. He inadvertently caught a glimpse of the date when Margaret posted the photo. He was silent for a short while. The next second, he lifted his head and stared at Margaret with his terrifyingly cold gaze. Margaret was scared. She wanted to say something, but she couldn¡¯t. ¡°Get lost!¡± Christopher shouted. Margaret¡¯s expression darkened as she uttered, ¡°Christopher¡­¡± Christopher asked, ¡°Should I ask someone to show you the way?¡± Margaret suddenly remembered what the person who called her had told her. She couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°Christopher, I know you¡¯ve lost your memory. You can¡¯t remember anything now, but please don¡¯t be fooled by this woman!¡± Christopher grabbed the ss on the nightstand and smashed it at Margaret¡¯s feet With a loud bang, the ss shattered at Margaret¡¯s feet. Not only Margaret was shocked, but even Yuliana was startled. She stared at Christopher as he continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t get out now, the next object won¡¯t be hitting the ground.¡± He pointed at Margaret¡¯s face and said, ¡°It will hit that!¡± Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 How Would I Be Willing To? Margaret¡¯s face turned pale in an instant, and her lips trembled slightly as if she was about to cry. Christopher¡¯s actions just then had obviously scared her. Margaret was Waylon¡¯s youngest daughter. She had been doted on by the Ziegler family ever since she was a child. Her elders spoiled her, and her brothers and sisters sumbed to her. As a result, she had a rambunctious and domineering personality Even Harry had never treated her that way before. Margaret¡¯s chest heaved violently, but looking at Christopher¡¯s cold face, even though she was full of anger. she didn¡¯t dare to vent her anger in front of him. She was certain that if she said one more word, another ss on the bedside cab would definitely hit her in the face Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Margaret was absolutely terrified when she thought about that scene Margaret took a deep breath and calmed down. Her eyes were drawn to Yuliana, who was next to Christopher. She felt particrly irritated when she looked at Christopher¡¯s hand, which was still on Yuliana¡¯s waist Her eyes couldn¡¯t stop welling up with tears as if there was a thinyer of mist covering them She sniffed and looked at Yuliana with hatred. She used to dislike Yuliana¡¯s pretentiousness, but she despised it right then. She had liked Christopher for a long time and had finally found an opportunity to approach him. She didn¡¯t expect Yuliana to intervene and meddle in her affairs, which enraged her. Margaret red at Yuliana with resentment and stormed out of the ward, tears streaming down her cheeks. There was a sudden silence in the ward. Yuliana nced at Christopher, who still had a cold expression on his face. She was also scared. The way he had smashed the ss just then was terrifying. She had no idea why Christopher had be so enraged. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡± she asked in a low voice. Christopher was taken aback when he heard that, and his face immediately softened, but his voice remained a little cold. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± Yuliana hummed softly and touched the hand that was holding on to her waist. ¡°Let go of me.¡± Christopher looked at her, paused for a moment, and then let go. Yuliana rose from the bed and made her way to the door. Christopher asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yuliana came to a halt and nced at the man on the bed. Then, she looked down at the shattered ss on the ground and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get the nurse to clean it up.¡± The ss shards varied in size, and they could easily be hurt if they didn¡¯t pay attention. Christopher hummed faintly and watched her walk out of the ward. He then took Yuliana¡¯s phone once more. His face was reflected in the ck screen. He paused for a moment before turning on the screen, which he unlocked with ease. The nurses were busy near lunchtime, and no one was at the nurse station. Yuliana waited for two minutes before she saw a nurse return. Christopher¡¯s expression had returned to normal in the ward. The nurse found the hospital¡¯s cleaningdy to clean up the ss shards from the ground. She then hurriedly left with her belongings after giving Christopher a routine checkup. As soon as the nurse left, Christopher kept ncing at Yuliana secretly as if he had something to say. When Yuliana looked at him, he would immediately avert his gaze. After a few more times, Yuliana ignored him and went straight to the bathroom. Christopher¡¯s clothes from the night before remained unwashed. Yuliana rarely washed her clothes by hand, except for underwear. Ordinary fabrics were all washed in the washing machine, and those that could not be washed in the washing machine were taken to the laundromat. She had never tried to wash a man¡¯s clothes before. She never even washed Harry¡¯s clothes. It was not that she didn¡¯t want to. However, after marrying Harry, she had always slept separately from him. Sofia took care of Harry¡¯s clothes at home, so Yuliana didn¡¯t need to wash them. But currently, she was in the hospital, and it was his underwear, which would breed bacteria easily if left unwashed. She had previously asked the nurse for a piece of soap because she wanted to wash it. Christopher heard the sound of watering from the bathroom. He lifted the quilt and got out of bed. The door to the bathroom was not closed tightly, and there was a gap. He crept through the gap and noticed Yuliana putting the basin in the sink, and she was scrubbing a piece of dark cloth. He recognized it at a nce. Yuliana was washing the underwear he had changed the night before. Christopher stood quietly at the door for a while before he opened it and went in. Yuliana turned toward the door when she heard the faint noise. She looked Christopher in the eyes and then averted her gaze ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll be done soon.¡± She thought Christopher was going to use the bathroom. However, Christopher walked behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and ced his thin lips on the back of her neck. The man¡¯s lips were slightly peeled, which caused her skin to itch slightly when he kissed it. Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but dodge his kiss. She turned her head and gave him an annoyed look. She patted his hands around her waist and said, ¡°Go away. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡± Instead, Christopher pressed harder against her back, and their bodies became increasingly entwined. ¡°Dear!¡± Christopher whispered in her ear with a serious tone. Yuliana came to a halt and looked up in the mirror. Her gaze met Christopher¡¯s. Christopher stated, ¡°Even though I can¡¯t remember anything anymore, I know I would never give anyone else the clothes you bought me. She must have worn them while I was distracted¡± Yuliana snorted softly ¡°How can you be so certain when you have no recollection of it?¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Of course, you bought it for me. How would I be willing to give it to others?¡± Yuliana lowered her gaze to conceal her emotions and hummed softly. Then, she wrung out the clothes, poured the water into the basin, and washed them with clean water. Christopher wasn¡¯t sure if she trusted him. His heart felt like it was being scratched by the paw of a kitten. When Christopher noticed that Yuliana was preupied with what she was doing and ignoring him, he couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth and bite her shoulder. He didn¡¯t use much force in the bite, but Yuliana was still hurt, so she couldn¡¯t help but raise her head and re at him. Christopher¡¯s n seeded. With a familiar mischievous look in his eyes, he softly kissed the area he had bitten twice. His eyes appeared to be filled with other lovely colors. ¡°Dear, trust me!¡± he said with a deep and hoarse voice. Yuliana had a feeling that something was wrong. ¡°Go away,¡± she said as she reached out her hand to push the person behind her away. ¡°No.¡± Christopher politely declined and turned the person around. Yuliana gritted her teeth in anger. The bathroom door was left open. She was afraid that someone would enter, but the man in front of her was so cunning that he raised his eyebrows and smiled wickedly at her. She pushed him hard, but she wasn¡¯t expecting to push him away, and she was about to leave right after. Sadly, she was easily dragged back. His waist rested on the sink behind him. Yuliana panicked, blushed, and said softly, ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t mess around. This is the hospital!¡± Christopher shackled her to his chest and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Do you mean I can mess around if it¡¯s not in the hospital?¡± The hem of her sweater had rolled up, and his warm fingers brushed against her delicate waist. There was the sound of universal wheels rolling outside, as well as various voices. Yuliana had no idea how things hade to that. Someone had pretended to be able to control himselfst night. He didn¡¯t bother pretending that day, so he shamelessly put on an act under the guise of amnesia. Who knew which of these statements were true and which were false? Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Reverse Psychology ¡°Christopher!¡± Yuliana held his hand. Upon seeing the anger in Yuliana¡¯s eyes, Christopher knew he¡¯d better not cross the line. However, looking at her like that, his heart was even more flustered His hands tightened a little; his delicate skin made it hard for one to let go. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to cause a scene, then kiss me, Ana.¡± What was so hard about a quick peck? Yuliana agreed without even thinking about it. She stood on her tiptoes slightly and quickly put a kiss on Christopher¡¯s lips, saying, ¡°Is this okay?¡± Christopher nced at her and burst intoughter. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. Before she could figure out why he wasughing, Christopher grabbed her chin and started kissing her After a while, Yuliana panted and leaned against the man¡¯s chest. She couldn¡¯t help but swing her fist and hit him whileining. ¡°You don¡¯t keep your word!¡± Christopher caressed the hair on the back of her neck, then said beside her ear, ¡°Ana, you¡¯re so easy to fool.¡± Yuliana immediately got angry again and hit him harder a few times. A few minutester, they came out of the bathroom. Yuliana found a hanger and hung the washed clothes. Christopher leaned on the bed and watched her walk back and forth in the ward. Her face was still blushing. asionally, she would meet Christopher¡¯s eyes and could not help but re at him angrily. Not only was he not angry, but Christopher also smiled proudly at her. His action angered Yuliana so much that she wanted to go up and bite him. As usual, lunch was sent over by La¡¯s assistant. The assistant left right after delivering the food. After all, the atmosphere in the ward was so strange that he felt ufortable staying in it for another minute longer. After lunch, Yuliana took a nap. Christopher had slept for more than an hour in the morning and was not sleepy. He checked the messages on his phone, replied to a few important texts, then threw his phone aside and started disturbing Yuliana. He would y with her hair or touch her eyshes. When he saw that his actions were about to wake her, he immediately stopped. When his eyes reached her lips, his face darkened. Yuliana¡¯s lips were moderately thick, and her upper lip curved upward slightly, which made her seem a little yful. However, Yuliana was used to pursing her lips lightly, which made her look a little more serious. That way, she could hold down the students in ss. That was why when she was awake, her upper lip did not curve upward as much. But the moment she was asleep and rxed, the curve was obvious. Christopher brushed her lips with his fingers and couldn¡¯t help but lower his head to kiss her twice. There was no hint of lust. He simply wanted to kiss her. Although Christopher¡¯s movements were light, Yuliana was still disturbed. In her sleep, her eyes and nose moved, and she murmured something. He could not decipher what she said. Christopher stopped and gently pinched Yuliana¡¯s ears. Once she was deep asleep, he couldn¡¯t help but lean down and kiss her a few times again. The door of the ward was pushed open from the outside, and the crisp sound of heels clicking on the ground sounded La led a few people behind her into the room. When she saw Christopher¡¯s movements, she immediately stopped and, at the same time, blocked the people behind her. She coughed lightly and red at Christopher, who stood up slowly andzily leaned on the bed, but his fingers did not leave Yuliana¡¯s ears. La turned around and shifted her expression immediately. She smiled at the person behind her, saying, ¡°Matthew, pleasee in.¡± The person who came with La was the person in charge of investigating Christopher¡¯s attack. Originally, Matthew was supposed toe over to take notes the moment Christopher woke up. However, he heard that Christopher had lost his memory due to a head injury, and he was also busy at the police station with somest-minute work, which was why he only managed toe here that day. Before he came over, La had already said that Christopher did not remember anything. Though Matthew did not expect anything, he still had to go through the proper investigation process. Matthew and the others were all in casual clothes, but Christopher could guess their identities from the La had addressed them. He pulled the quilt up, almost covering half of Yuliana¡¯s face, then gently got off the bed. ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Matthew nced at Yuliana lying on the bed, nodded, then turned to leave with his men. way La red at Christopher again. ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line! This is the hospital. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± After scolding him, La walked out. Christopher looked sideways at the person sleeping on the bed and followed La out slowly. Upon hearing the sound of the door closing, Yuliana slowly opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling, a little confused. In fact, she had already woken up when Christopher kissed her earlier. Originally, she had wanted to stop Christopher, but for some reason, under his gentle kisses, she sensed the illusion that she was loved. At that moment, she seemed to be some precious treasure that had made Christopher fall in love. She was crazy for having such a feeling. Yuliana took a deep breath and pushed away the messy thoughts in her mind. She was afraid of wishful thinking and her feelings being one-sided. Matthew asked the nurse to lend them a quiet and empty ward. The group of people went in. Matthew¡¯s assistant took out paper and pencils in preparation. Christopher was sitting opposite Matthew, and La was standing beside him. Matthew stared at Christopher for a while, politely asked about his physical condition, then went straight to the point. ¡°Christopher, do you really remember nothing about what happened the night before yesterday?¡± Christopher appeared calm and didn¡¯t deliberately disguise himself. He met Matthew¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Yes, not only did I forget what happened the night before yesterday, but many memories of the past also seem vague.¡± Matthew was quiet. Judging from Christopher¡¯s words and behavior, he did not look like someone who had lost his memories. But from the look in his eyes, he couldn¡¯t find any traces of lying. Matthew was silent for a while and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t remember anything, it will be difficult for us to catch the people who attacked you.¡± Christopher frowned. ¡°I will cooperate with the doctor and the treatment to restore my memory as soon as possible I also would like to see who did this to me.¡± It was ruthless. If the wound on Christopher¡¯s head had been a little bit to the side, or if the blow to his head had been a littlePublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org. nology bit harder, he might not even be sitting there right then. As Matthew couldn¡¯t gather any information, he did not stay long and left with his subordinates. La and Christopher didn¡¯t leave the empty ward immediately. La sat down in the seat that was upied by Matthew earlier with her arms crossed. She looked like a judge. ¡°What are you nning?¡± That was not the time to pretend to have amnesia. Thest two days, she had talked to Yorick and visited Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. Although it was the weekend and there weren¡¯t many people in thepany, she could still sense what was going on in thepany. She had to get to the bottom of the attack, and she figured that it was probably rted to Yorick. Christopher was in an ident during that critical moment, which was very suspicious. Christopher smiled and said, ¡°La, there¡¯s such a thing called ¡®reverse psychology.¡±¡± La¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Of course, she knew the meaning of the term, but she did not know what Christopher was plotting. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 What Is Your n? Christopher told La about his thoughts. Yorick was deeply rooted in Romdale currently, not only within thepany but also at other social levels. Without sufficient evidence, it would be difficult for Sce Corporation to deal with him. It just so happened that Yorick¡¯s health was in a bad condition and needed a minor operation, so Kendrick had taken the opportunity to arrange for Christopher toe over Yorick had heard of Christopher. To him, Christopher was just a useless man who did not know anything. Kendrick¡¯s pretext was to arrange for Christopher to gain some experience. That way, Yorick would not be too suspicious. Initially, everything went smoothly. On the surface, Christopher was a spoiled, rich heir. In fact, he was secretly collecting evidence. Unexpectedly, a serious incident happened at one of Romdale¡¯s key projects. That hup naturally needed a scapegoat. In order to save himself, Yorick maliciously guided public opinion online and pointed the me at Christopher Thankfully, the online posts were suppressed by Sce Corporation¡¯s Public Rtions Department and didn¡¯t cause much trouble That was why Yorick was very guarded against Christopher then. Only Yorick and his closest subordinates could handle important information about the project. It was difficult for Christopher to gather even a bit of information. Even so, Yorick was still worried. That was why Christopher had gotten hurt. On the one hand, Yorick wanted to stop Christopher from investigating the incident so that they could have the opportunity to erase unfavorable evidence. On the other hand, it was also a reminder to Kendrick to not be so ruthless. That was why Christopher was only injured a little and not killed. Of course, Christopher had some tricks up his sleeve. He knew early on that Yorick would target him, and he was just ying along then. However, Yorick didn¡¯t expect that he would identally get ¡°amnesia.¡± Christopher figured that Yorick should be quite nervous at the moment. People like him were used to having everything within their grasp. Now that someone was out of their control, how could they not feel on edge about the situation? La pondered over Christopher¡¯s revtion for a while and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Christopher hesitated and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I lose my memories? Of course, I¡¯ll go back to Juxshire and go to the hospital for a checkup. After all, Juxshire¡¯s medical facilities are much better than Romdale¡¯s!¡± Laughed. ¡°I think that¡¯s what you¡¯re up to, right? ¡®Reverse psychology? You just want Ken to transfer you back to Juxshire.¡± Christopher leaned against the foot of the bed, raised his eyebrows, and said with a smile, ¡°La, you know me best.¡± La looked at him with distress in her eyes and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t risk yourself anymore. This is not the only way to deal with Yorick.¡± Of course, Christopher knew there were many ways, but he wanted to make a quick decision and did not want to dy it anymore. Meanwhile, back in the ward, Yuliana couldn¡¯t fall asleep after Christopher left with La. Shey on the bed for a while and got up. Tomorrow was Monday again, and she was still in Romdale. It looked like she would not be going back that day. Therefore, she first made a call to the PE and art teacher of ss Six to switch the PE ss on Wednesday and the art ss on Thursday. However, there were still two sses left on Monday morning, so she made another phone call to Albert. Although Albert was strict, he was not an unreason for personal reasons, so he readily agreed. ¡°Thank you, Albert!¡± As soon as Yuliana finished speaking, she heard the door behind her open. She turned around and saw Christopher push the door open. They looked at each other, and Christopher smiled. The smile reached his eyes; it was filled with hints of mischief Yuliana was stunned for a moment. He was wearing a blue and white striped hospital gown, but it didn¡¯t fit well. The sleeves and trousers were short, and his wrists and ankles were exposed With his tall figure, he looked a little awkward His golden hair was wrapped in a bandage, but several strands had managed to escape and were exposed in the air casually No matter how she stared at him, he looked like a bad high school student Yuliana used to hate that kind of student They didn¡¯t study properly and caused trouble in school They always thought they were unique when they were ridiculous Therefore, she didn¡¯t even want to look at them. Maybe something about her had changed. Looking at Christopher walking toward her with that wicked smile, Yuliana felt her heart beating fast as if it was about to jump out of her chest. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, are you listening?¡± Upon hearing Albert¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone, Yuliana suddenly came back to her senses. Her eyes fell on Christopher again, and she immediately pulled back and turned to look out of the window Yuliana replied, ¡°I¡¯m listening. Thank you, Albert. I¡¯ll definitely rush back to teach my students on Tuesday¡± Albert hummed and said, ¡°Okay, that will do. Call me if you need anything.¡± Albert was almost 50 years old. He had been teaching and educating people for more than 30 years. Although he did not say anything, in his heart, out of all the young teachers in the school, he was the most satisfied with Yuliana. Since she joined the school up until then, the results of the students in her ss had all surpassed the ss that the older teachers led. He could only imagine how much effort she had put into teaching. Among young people nowadays, that was rare. Therefore, no matter how many rumors about Yuliana surfaced in school, Albert didn¡¯t take them seriously. He had even heard others talking about her. When they went too far, he couldn¡¯t help but teach them a lesson with a straight face. After ending the call, Yuliana heaved a deep sigh of relief. When Yuliana was about to turn around, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, and palms pressed against her abdomen for a while. Confused, he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you respond?¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°Respond to what?¡± Christopher frowned unnoticeably. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there would be fetal movement after pregnancy?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t move all the time.¡± During the first fetal movement, Yuliana was teaching her students, and she didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to it. When she was patiently waiting for it to move again after ss, the little thing in her belly seemed to be deliberately going against her, and she did not feel any movement Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Once it started moving more, Yuliana no longer took it seriously. After a while, La got back She had just made a phone call with Kendrick and told him about Christopher¡¯s n. Kendrick agreed. The personnel transfer email from Sce Corporation headquarters would be sent to Romdale immediately La would go to Sce Corporation Romdale Branch tomorrow morning to make everything seem realistic Considering Yuliana¡¯s job, she had to go back to Juxshire tomorrow night at thetest. When Margaret left the hospital, she was in a state of fury. She couldn¡¯t calm down and vent her anger When she returned to the hotel, she didn¡¯t like anything. She smashed everything that could be smashed in the room. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Come Down The phone rang and stopped. Margaret picked up her phone and took a quick look it was Scarlett calling. Although she and Scarlett had known each other since they were young, they were not very close. The last time Margaret and Scarlett went shopping together was when thetter was at the Ziegler residence. The two of them had said it out of courtesy, but Scarlett took it seriously and asked Margaret to go shopping. However, after that, Margaret realized that Scarlett did not want to go shopping with her. Instead, she wanted to know more about Harry¡¯s ex-wife, Yuliana. Margaret did not like Yuliana either. Hence, she exaggerated while telling Scarlett about Yuliana. ¡°Marge, are you still in Romdale?¡± Scarlett asked. ¡°Yes¡± Margaret controlled her emotions, but her tone was still very cold and stiff. In an instant, Scarlett could hear that Margaret was in a bad mood. ¡°Marge, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did something happen to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Margaret snapped. She was extremely annoyed. Of course, she did not want to tell Scarlett about it Recently, the photos she had posted on Instagram were secretly showing off her romance. Scarlett must have seen them as well. That was why she knew Margaret was in Romdale. ¡°If I tell Scarlett about it, I wonder how she will make fun of me in private,¡± Margaret said inwardly. Upon seeing that Margaret refused to say anything, Scarlett did not continue asking questions. Scarlett saw the man in Margaret¡¯s Instagram video and thought he looked handsome. However, with just a nce, Scarlett knew he was a yboy Only Margaret would fall for a man like that. ¡°Marge, when will youe back to Juxshire?¡± Scarlett asked. 1 Scarlett was silent for a few seconds before changing her tone. She sounded depressed and was not in a good mood Upon hearing that, Margaret¡¯s voice softened a little. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Scarlett hummed softly in response and answered, ¡°You know, I spent most of my time abroad and only have a few friends back home. I don¡¯t know who to talk to except you.¡± After hearing what Scarlett said, Margaret was pleased. Even though she was the Ziegler family¡¯s daughter, her mother was, after all, not the legal wife. It was rumored that Margaret¡¯s mother was a homewrecker and had taken over her father¡¯s legal wife¡¯s position. Thus, the girls in her circle were only close to Margaret on the surface and secretly looked down on her. They often gossiped and made fun of Margaret behind her back. Margaret did not expect Scarlett to treat her as a real friend. The former was somewhat touched and asked, ¡°What is it that you want to tell me?¡± Scarlett started stammering and did not make it clear. Nevertheless, Margaret could also feel that it had something to do with Harry. She did not understand what was so good about Harry. Was an illegitimate child like him worth Scarlett¡¯s attention? Margaret responded, ¡°I¡¯ll contact you in a couple of days when I return to Juxshire.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll buy you a meal when you¡¯re back,¡± Scarlett answered with a smile. Margaret absentmindedly hummed in response and hung up. She was outraged when she saw Yuliana with Christopher that day. Thus, she could not hold back and hit Yuliana. Margaret was certain that a man like Christopher never liked shrewish behavior, which was why he had shouted at her. ¡°Yuliana was married before. The Sce family would never let a woman like her marry Christopher. I bet it¡¯s most likely a momentary novelty, and he¡¯s just ying with her. Ultimately, he¡¯ll surely marry a distinguisheddy of equal social status,¡± Margaret thought Margaret felt much better at that thought. She would never give up just like that. In the evening, Margaret went to a bar. Compared with the fast pace of Juxshire, Romdale was much slower and could even be described as laid-back Romdale¡¯s food and entertainment establishments were not inferior to Juxshire¡¯s-especially during the night. There was so much to do. Since Margaret was already in a bad mood that day, she entered the nightclub and started to dance after drinking two sses of alcohol. The way she dressed was suitable for a ce like a club. As soon as she stepped onto the dance floor, many men gathered around her. Of course, she was not interested in those not of equal status. She waszy to even act like she was interested. After dancing until her body was warm, Margaret walked out of the dance floor. She went to the bar and ordered another ss of alcoholic drink. Margaret sat there and drank slowly. However, deep down in her heart, she was thinking about how she should take Christopher away from Yuliana. ¡°Ms. Zielger.¡± A man¡¯s voice rang out. Margaret tilted her head and realized that it was a chubby man. He was so plump that she felt like the oil in his body was about to flow out from his chubby face. She could not help but frown in disgust and retract her gaze. Margaret took a sip of wine and suppressed her emotions before asking. ¡°Who are you?¡± Lincoln put his hand on the backrest of Margaret¡¯s barstool and smiled, ¡°Myst name is Foster. I met you once when I was with Mr. Scest time.¡± When Margaret heard Lincoln mention ¡°Mr. Sce,¡± she looked at him again. All of a sudden, she felt that he was not that disgusting anymore. ¡°You mean Christopher?¡± Margaret asked. Lincoln nodded with a smile. Margaret sized him up for a while and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I remember you?¡± She could only remember a man whosest name was Sinew, who was good-looking Lincoln shrugged andughed self-depreciatingly, ¡°Maybe I just have amon-looking face!¡± Upon hearing that, Margaret snorted and drank by herself again.. Lincoln¡¯s eyes moved up and down from Margaret¡¯s face. Then, his gaze fell on her exposed chest. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Margaret¡¯s figure was slightly chubby. At that moment, she was wearing a bodycon knitted spaghetti strap dress with a leather jacket. The leather jacket hung loosely around Margaret¡¯s upper arm, revealing her round and small shoulders. Suddenly, Lincoln felt a little thirsty He looked up and signaled the bartender with his eyes. The bartender immediately understood and responded with a smile. Not long after, he made a cocktail and handed it to Margaret. ¡°Miss, this cocktail is for you,¡± the handsome bartender said with a smile. Propping her chin on her hand, Margaret stared at him for a while. She then raised the ss and drank it all. ¡°Thanks,¡± Margaret said while smiling sweetly Ten minutester, Lincoln dragged and carried Margaret out of the club. Yuliana went back to the hotel to prepare for her lessons at night. Christopher was in the hospital himself. When Yuliana left, she had told Christopher that she would go to the hospital the following morning instead of that night. Initially, she was not expecting Christopher to agree. However, he was quick to agree. After returning to the hotel, Yuliana turned on theputer and started preparing for her lessons. Before she knew it, it was 10 p.m., yet there was still a little left to be done. Yuliana turned off theputer and nned to get up tomorrow morning to continue. She took her pajamas and was about to shower when her phone on the table suddenly vibrated. She nced at the screen and saw that it was Christopher calling. Yuliana picked up her phone and answered the call. Her voice was soft. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ana,e down,¡± Christopher said. Upon listening to Christopher¡¯s low voice, Yuliana was stunned and asked, ¡°Come down where?¡± Christopher answered, ¡°I¡¯m at the hotel lobby.¡± Yuliana was dumbfounded and instantly got angry. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in the hospital? What did you come out for?¡± On the other end of the line, Christopher joked in a flirting manner and hurriedly said, ¡°For you!¡± ¡°Christopher!¡± Yuliana got angrier at Christopher because he was being cheeky. ¡°There, there, Ana, please don¡¯t get angry. Quick,e down. It¡¯s so cold in the hotel lobby. It¡¯s raining outside.¡± His soft voice came from the other end of the phone. Suddenly, Yuliana could not bear to get angry at him. She walked to the window and looked out. It was indeed drizzling. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Is It Not Dirty? Romdale was no better than Juxshire. The weather here was gloomy and cold. Apart from the flimsy hospital coat Christopher had on, he was not wearing anything warmer. He was crazy to run out of the hospital in such weather. At the thought of this, Yuliana immediately put on her coat, took the key card, and rushed downstairs. In the hotel lobby, she saw Christopher standing at the reception counter dressed in a hospital gown with just a gray knitted coat and a bandage around his head. Yuliana had no clue where he got the guts to run out like that. Christopher was chatting with the youngdy at the front desk. He delighted the girl, who couldn¡¯t stop giggling and pursing her lips while gazing at him. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana stopped and looked at them for a while. Christopher seemed to notice something. He turned his head around and found Yuliana standing there. Her expression was impassive, but her eyes were stained with an unreadable emotion. He smiled and said to the girl. ¡°My wife is here. Thank you for the umbre.¡± With that, Christopher took the transparent umbre in hand and walked toward Yuliana. The receptionist nced in the direction he was walking in and noticed a stunning woman standing nearby. Yuliana wore a white down jacket with a white fur circle around the hood¡¯s brim. The jacket perfectly hugged her waist, and she wore casual light-colored wide-legged trousers below, making her legs seem long and straight It was amon outfit, but for reasons unknown, it looked different on Yuliana. The man walked over and put his arm around the woman¡¯s waist, but the woman was clearly a little upset. She struggled twice and red at him unhappily. Nevertheless, as the guy whispered to her with a smile, the woman¡¯s eyes softened. She then lifted her hand to pat down the man¡¯s cowlicks twice. The man walked to the hotel entrance, holding thedy in his arms. He held the umbre over the woman¡¯s head as they arrived at the entrance. Huddling together intimately, the couple went into the rain. It was not until the pair disappeared from the receptionist¡¯s line of sight that she finally tore her gaze away. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Her colleague had returned and saw her standing there, staring toward the door. The youngdy smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. A handsome guy just came to borrow an umbre.¡± Her colleagueughed. ¡°Are you interested in him?¡± The young woman shrugged and jokingly said, ¡°I am, but he has a girlfriend.¡± Despite the rain, business was brisk on an old night market street nearby. A plethora of tantalizing smells caught everyone¡¯s attention, whetting their appetites. This type of setting was buzzing with life. People were huddled together as they ate BBQ skewers, drank, andughed. Yuliana followed Christopher inside, but she was a little reluctant to let go of him. She was a little nervous about the new environment they were in. Yuliana followed Christopher closely from behind as he walked to a vendor and casually picked a spicy BBQ skewer from the te before him. Christopher then positioned one near Yuliana¡¯s mouth, saying, ¡°Try it.¡± Yuliana nced at the sign on the stall that read BBQ Chicken Skewers. It smelled good, but it looked spicy. Yuliana and Christopher gazed at each other for two seconds before she opened her mouth and ate the skewer. It wasn¡¯t as spicy as Yuliana had thought. In fact, it was delicious. ¡°It¡¯s good, right?¡± Christopher was a little proud. He raised his hand to wipe the corners of her mouth and licked the sauce off his fingers. Looking at his movements, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Is it not dirty?¡± Christopher put his arm on her shoulder and said, ¡°Not at all.¡± After paying, he asked the vendor for a box, picked up a bunch of skewers, and continued walking with Yuliana As they strolled, Christopher would feed Yuliana a BBQ skewer from time to time. At first, Yuliana was a bit resistant to walking and eating on the streets, but she gradually got used to it after Christopher fed her. After all, everyone around was doing the same thing, so it wasn¡¯t weird. However, it was easy for one to stain their lips from eating messy food like this. Christopher took advantage of every chance to kiss her and lick away the sauce. People in the night market couldn¡¯t help but cheer for them when they witnessed this. It was pointless for Yuliana to resist Christopher because he refused to stop no matter what. In the end, Yuliana eventually caved in after Christopher wore her down. All she could do was let it slide. They went shopping in the night market. Yuliana ate a lot of food. Everything was delicious and completely different from what she had eaten in Juxshire. Even the same food tasted different. This was probably a taste that the locals there liked. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t walk anymore, so she pulled on Christopher¡¯s sleeve. Christopher pinched her earlobe lightly. Yuliana looked like a satisfied kitten that was very soft and cute. He could not help but want to ravage her. ¡°Okay!¡± Christopher readily agreed. They walked back along the way they came, but when they arrived at an intersection, Christopher suddenly pulled her into a deep alley. Yuliana grabbed his hand and said, ¡°We didn¡¯te from here just now.¡± Christopher held her by the shoulder and walked into the alley. ¡°It¡¯s closer from here,¡± he replied, trying to coax her. Yuliana followed him in with suspicion. She intended to question him when she realized it was a dead end, but Christopher had already gently pushed her against the wall, and his tall shadow towered over her. Christopher¡¯s lowered his slightly cool lips and ardently kissed Yuliana. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Run Away Ana In a dimly-lit alley, raindrops spattered on the ground, and the air was humid. With her hand against Christopher¡¯s chest, Yuliana whimpered as she pushed him gently. Meanwhile, Christopher held her face with his palm, stroking her earlobes and nape with his fingers. Being very patient, heforted and coaxed her little by little. His kiss was so gentle that Yuliana could not help but indulge herself. As the kiss prolonged, Yuliana¡¯s stiff body softened and gradually changed from just passively epting to actively responding to the kiss. Yuliana started to feel weak on her knees and could not stand stillter on Noticing that, Christopher took a brief pause. He slightly distanced away and looked down at her for a while, then ced her arms onto his shoulders. Christopher leaned down, kissed her ear, and said hoarsely. ¡°Ana, hold me tight.¡± With her racing heartbeat, Yuliana slowly moved her arms and ovepped them on the back of Christopher¡¯s neck She was feeling slightly insecure, so she lightly called his name, ¡°Christopher¡± ¡°Ana, don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Christopherforted her as he understood her thoughts. With his hand, he tugged her hair tenderly and kissed her on her cheek. He continued, ¡°I want to kiss you for a while.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana leaned her head against his chest and slowly exhaled through her mouth. Noticing her behavior, Christopher chuckled. ¡°What? Are you disappointed?¡± While she was still slightly hyperventting. Yuliana did not respond to him immediately. After a while, she chuckled along with her voice as soft as a kitten¡¯s. Suddenly, Christopher felt a sh of pain from his corbone, and it turned out that Yuliana had bitten him. In response, Christopher hissed in pain. He then clenched the back of her neck a little tighter. ¡°You¡¯re bing naughty, even learning to bite me,¡± hemented. Yuliana felt the tingles on her back that reached her head. As she felt this strong sensation, her whole body almost copsed. Christopher instantly held her waist tightly. He felt pleased and said happily, ¡°Hey, I just gave you some compliments, don¡¯t be so useless.¡± Hearing hisment, Yuliana became slightly bothered and looked up at him. Although she was still annoyed at the previous second, she seemed to forget everything instantly. In the dark, his eyes appeared to be like ck holes, as if they could suck people in. Yuliana¡¯s heart pounded wildly again when she looked at his face. In a serious tone, she imed, ¡°Not only have I learned how to bite, but I also know something else. Do you want to try?¡± Hearing that, Christopher raised his eyebrows and asked out of curiosity. ¡°What is it?¡± Yuliana stared at him for two seconds, then tiptoed and kissed him voluntarily. Allowing her to do whatever she wanted, Christopher didn¡¯t move, wanting to know what she would do. Within a short minute, Yuliana began to feel sore in her legs. Her neck was turning stiff, and her arms were almost not hanging on Christopher¡¯s neck. She thennded her heels and stepped back. Immediately, his sneer was heard. ¡°That¡¯s all you can do, huh?¡± That made Yuliana feel a little annoyed, and she red at him. Christopher then stroked her eyes. Her eyes started to turn misty, which made her look beautiful. He said, ¡°Ana, leave this physical work to me.¡± Right after he finished his sentence, his kiss fell on her again. And this time, the tenderness was gone. His kisses became intense, just like a fierce beast trying to tear up the prey in its mouth. The sound of raindrops gradually faded away, and only the sound of breathing at the same frequency left ringing in their ears. Christopher was not wearing thick clothes, and due to being drenched in the rain, he began to sneeze when he returned to the hotel. Yuliana said that he deserved it, but she still urged him to take a hot shower as soon as possible. Yet, the hot shower was not helpful. So, on the next day, Christopher¡¯s throat began to itch and ache. His nose was blocked. He could hardly breathe and ended up having a fever. When he returned to the hospital, the doctors and nurses taught the pair a lesson after checking his symptoms. Yuliana felt regretful as she heard the scolding at the side. She knew very well that Christopher had a head injury, yet she still acted without thinking. On the other hand, La had booked an evening flight. In the afternoon, she instructed her assistant to pack Christopher¡¯s belongings at the hotel and complete the hospital transfer procedures. By the evening, they went directly to the airport from the hospital. Lincoln, Howard, Timothy, Cameron, and other executives from Romdale had alle to the airport to see him off. Yorick made a call to La and politely expressed his apologies for not being able to see him off at the airport. He med himself for not taking good care of Christopher, which had led to such an ident. Afterward, Yorick did not forget to wish Christopher a speedy recovery after returning to Juxshire. Christopher was quite impressed hearing Yorick¡¯s earnest wishes. On the other hand, the hospital in Juxshire had been contacted. It was alreadyte when the nended. Since Yuliana had to teach her students tomorrow and was pregnant, she could not dy her rest. La then arranged a car to send Yuliana back to Celestial Garden while she and Christopher took another car to the hospital. On the one hand, the performance had to be acted in full swing. Yorick had more or less arranged his spies at Juxshire. Thus, Christopher¡¯s actions would be supervised. On the other hand, Christopher did need to stay in the hospital for two more days to be observed. Earlier, Yuliana was separated from Christopher at the airport. Before she went to bed, she made a video call with Christopher and asked him about his condition in the hospital. However, Christopher could not stop coughing throughout the video call. Without getting to talk much, Yuliana decided to stop the call. She then asked him to take medicine, rest early, and not go anywhere else at night. Noticeably, Christopher¡¯s emotions slightly differ from usual after he fell sick. He was in a low mood and looked a little indifferent. Whatever Yuliana said, he only gave a simple response without saying anything else. No one knew whether he listened to what she had said. After hanging up the call, Yuliana dozed off on her bed. Not knowing how long she had been asleep, she felt the ce beside her sink slightly while still in a daze. Her eyebrows twitched, and she opened her eyes. Instantly, Yuliana noticed someone lying behind her back when she saw the back of a head. As she was about to turn on the light, she heard an intense cough from the person beside her. His blonde hair came into her sight at the moment the light was turned on. Yuliana looked at the man lying with his back facing her. She could not help wanting to be angry, as she felt that he did not listen to her advice. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything seriously when she heard his coughs. ¡°Did you take the medicine?¡± she asked. Christopher answered faintly. Seeing him in this condition, she could not tell whether he had eaten. Yuliana ced her hand on his shoulder and attempted to turn him over, but she could not. Instead, Christopher reached out his arm, held her hand, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to me. It will spread to you.¡± Hearing that, she scolded in a stern tone, ¡°So you knew it might spread to me, yet you ran out of the hospital!¡± Yuliana continued to nag, ¡°Did you take your medicine? If you didn¡¯t take any, I¡¯d get you some medicine now. Go to rest after you take your medicines.¡± In turn, Christopher turned around abruptly and hugged her waist, his face pressed against her thighs and his breath burning. Not being able to hold back, she touched his forehead and noticed that it was a little feverish. Christopher then held Yuliana¡¯s hand again and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve taken medicine. I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll be fine after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± After she heard his response, Yuliana went back to sleep with peace of mind. Late at night, Yuliana was roused awake by a strange sound again. She found that Christopher was sleep-talking when she woke up. His face was covered with sweat, and his eyebrows were frowning. It was unknown what he had dreamed of, but he seemed afraid and even waved his hands in the air asionally. Even after knowing Christopher for such a long time, it was still the first time Yuliana had seen a terrified expression on his face. She lightly patted his face while trying to wake him up. ¡°Christopher, wake up!¡± And suddenly, Christopher grabbed her hand and said in horror, ¡°Run! Ana, run!¡± Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Not Going To Let It Off Christopher shouted so loudly that his voice cracked. Beads of sweat rolled down his temples and blended into the pillow. The muscles on his body tensed up, and he was trembling. ¡°Ana, quick, run!¡± Yuliana¡¯s hand was painful from Christopher¡¯s grip. In that way, however, she could feel more clearly how fearful he was in the dream. She nudged Christopher on the shoulder and called him out loudly, but she couldn¡¯t wake him from the nightmare, and his body shook even more violently. Seeing him like that made Yuliana feel her heart wrenched. She was at a loss for what to do. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but hug him tightly. ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a dream¡­¡± Somehow, Christopher seemed to dream about something again and began to struggle. Yuliana couldn¡¯t hold him at all. She only heard him shout while swinging his arms in panic. ¡°Get out of the way Quick¡­¡± Tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes at the same time. The veins on his neck popped out, looking ferocious and terrifying. Yuliana¡¯s eyes went misty when she saw that. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and kept calling his name. Finally, Christopher quieted down. He no longer screamed in terror and only murmured. Yuliana looked at his beautiful thin lips. It seemed that he was repeating something. She then moved her ear closer to his mouth and listened to him carefully. After some time, she finally heard him clearly. Her body stiffened at his words, and she gradually became expressionless. After a moment, she let go of Christopher, sat on her knees at the side, and looked at him quietly for a long time. Such a situation only happened because Christopher had a high fever that night. Yuliana went to Hailey and handed her the fever-reducing medicine, asking for her help feeding Christopher with the medication. Then, she requested Hailey to clean up the vacant room, as she would be sleeping there tonight. When Yuliana woke up the following day, Christopher¡¯s fever had already subsided, but he was still asleep. She went into the room and took a look at him. After breakfast, she went to school. It was Tuesday, and Yuliana had exchanged a ss with Albert. As such, she would have five sses instead of four that day. In the morning. Christopher texted her. [How about I pick you up at noon?] Since Hailey came, Yuliana had been going home for lunch and would take a nap at home before returning to school. The timing was just perfect. However, Yuliana didn¡¯t n to go home that day and replied: [No need. I¡¯m going to stay at school to mark the assignments at noon. I¡¯m not going home.] Later, Christopher called. Yuliana was giving a ss and did not answer the call. It was already noon when she saw it. She did not return Christopher¡¯s call, however. There was a snack bar that sold handmade beef wraps opposite the school. Yuliana had invited Fiona to have beef wraps for lunch. As soon as they went downstairs, someone rushed up to them. Before Yuliana could react, she felt a pail of cold water pouring on her head. Yuliana¡¯s hair, face, and clothes were all wet. She was a little confused. Only when she opened her eyes did she find Margaret standing in front of her with hatred, holding an empty pail. Judging from the design and condition of the pail, Yuliana could tell it was from the school. She did not know how Margaret got the pail. The campus was crowded with teachers and students at that hour, and many people had witnessed the scene. Fiona was the first one to react. She was also sshed with water but much less than Yuliana. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fiona said to Margaret fiercely before going to check on Yuliana. Seeing that Yuliana¡¯s hair and face were wet, she hurriedly took a tissue from her bag. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, are you okay?¡± Yuliana took the tissue and expressed gratitude before wiping the water on her face. ¡°Huh! Yuliana, does one like you deserve to be a teacher?¡± Margaret sneered. Fiona looked around and saw quite a number of teachers and students looking in their direction. Fiona was infuriated at the sight of the arrogant Margaret and asked solemnly, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing at our school?¡± Margaret nced at Fiona and said, ¡°I¡¯d suggest you mind your own business. This is between Yuliana and me.¡± She then shifted her gaze to Yuliana and continued, ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m going to reveal your true colors to your colleagues and students today!¡± ¡°Everyone,e over!¡± Margaret threw the pail away and shouted, ¡°Ms. Livingstone used to be my sister-inw. However, she was unfaithful and cheated on my brother, Harry. So, my brother divorced Yuliana I felt sorry for her and had been taking good care of her. I didn¡¯t expect her to seduce my fianc¨¦ one day! Tell me Does this immoral woman deserve to be a teacher? If she continues to stay in the school, she will mislead the children!¡± Upon hearing Margaret¡¯s words, the crowd began to whisper among themselves. Yuliana halted her actions and stared at Margaret coldly. Fiona, however, lost her temper and said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Margaret looked around and added, ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense. My boyfriend was on a business trip to Romdalest weekend. After Yuliana knew about it, she followed him, and I caught them in bed!¡± She spoke with certainty and seemed to be telling the truth. Fiona couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Where are the security guards? Why haven¡¯t theye over and thrown this crazy woman out?¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. In fact, the security guards already rushed over once they heard the noise. But since Margaret didn¡¯t do anything wrong, they stood in the crowd and didn¡¯te forward immediately. After hearing Fiona¡¯s words, they approached and said, ¡°Miss, this is school. You¡¯d better not make trouble here anymore.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me! Or I¡¯ll make your life difficult in Juxshire!¡± Margaret shouted. Margaret¡¯s domineering temperament was somehow intimidating, and the two security guards dared not to touch her. The people around the scene took pictures with their mobile phones. If they posted it online, the consequences would be too ghastly to contemte. ¡°Get your principal here!¡± Margaret pointed at one of the security guards and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I won¡¯t let this off if the school doesn¡¯t punish Yuliana today!¡± Suddenly, a series of sneers rang out from the crowd. ¡°Tell me. How are you going to do that?¡± Yuliana, momentarily stunned, subconsciously lifted her gaze and looked in the direction of the voice. It was then that she saw Christopher standing not far away from them, staring at Margaret coldly. Probably because he had yet to recover from the cold fully, his face was still pale. He was injured and had caught a cold in the past few days. As a result, he had lost a lot of weight, and his trousers seemed loose. Margaret turned around and looked at Christopher in the crowd. Her lips couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°C- Christopher.¡± Christopher withdrew his gaze from her and strode toward Yuliana. When he saw Yuliana soaking wet, the hostility in his eyes intensified. He took off his coat and wrapped it around Yuliana before he fished out his phone and called the police without hesitation. ¡°Hello, sir. This is Juxshire Primary School. There was an undesirable person causing trouble here, which seriously affected the teachers and children in the school. Pleasee over immediately.¡± Widening her eyes in disbelief, Margaret rushed up to Christopher immediately and tried to snatch his phone. However, Christopher raised his hand, and Margaret failed. Christopher then red at the two security guards coldly. ¡°Did the school hire you for nothing?¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Shut Her Up After hearing Christopher¡¯s words, the security guards immediately stepped forward and pulled Margaret away. Margaret was furious. Her eyes reddened when she saw Christopher protecting Yuliana defensively. She thought, ¡°Why should I sleep with that pig? Howe Yuliana can have Christopher?¡± She was feeling indignant. She would not allow Yuliana to have it easy when she herself was having a difficult time. Margaret had no time to care about anything else. She kept cursing incessantly without holding back. ¡°Yuliana, you bitch! You will definitely die a terrible death! Do you think Christopher likes you that much? He¡¯s just ying with you, you shameless bitch!¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± Margaret struggled to free herself from the two security guards. She kicked them while she shouted again, ¡°Guys, look! The school security guards are hitting me! Look!¡± Yuliana only listened and didn¡¯t utter a word. She seemed very calm. Her eyes looked indifferent, and she appeared slightly cold. Her emotions couldn¡¯t be interpreted at all. Christopher lowered his gaze and looked at Margaret. In a stern voice, he said, ¡°Shut her up!¡± The two security guards were startled. They nced at Christopher, but they didn¡¯t dare to make a move. Christopher looked at them and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the consequences. You won¡¯t be responsible for it.¡± The two security guards exchanged nces. Then, one of them controlled Margaret, while the other quickly ran into the bathroom nearby and brought back a rag from the sink. That rag was used by cleaners to clean the sink. When Margaret saw that it was from the toilet, her eyes widened in shock. She kicked the security guard who came over. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me! I will kill your whole family! An uncultured countryman like you doesn¡¯t even deserve to carry my shoes! Don¡¯t touch me with your dirty hands!¡± The security guard was reluctant to do it at first. However, upon hearing this, his face turned cold immediately. He rolled the rag into a ball, pinched Margaret¡¯s chin, and stuffed it into her mouth. The cursing stopped, leaving only a whining sound. Christopher nced around. There were a lot of people watching the scene, and some were secretly taking photos or videos with their phones. He nced at them with his cold eyes, and those holding their phones immediately put them away. ¡°All the people here are Ana¡¯s colleagues. I don¡¯t want to make things too ugly. If you delete the photos and videos you took, I¡¯ll pretend that nothing has happened. If today¡¯s incident spreads out, don¡¯t me me for being cruel!¡± A subtlemotion came from the onlookers upon hearing Christopher¡¯s words. However, when they saw Christopher¡¯s eyes and thought of the girl with a rag in her mouth, they were terrified. Hesitantly, those teachers, who had taken photos and videos of the scene, deleted them from their albums. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. A few minutester, the police from the nearby police station arrived. The principal of the school came along with them. The police asked about the cause of the incident and took Margaret away. Christopher talked to the principal and took Yuliana out of the school. Her hair and clothes were wet, so she felt cold when the wind blew. After getting in the car, Christopher dried her hair with a towel in silence. Then, he unbuttoned her shirt. Yuliana subconsciously grabbed her shirt cor and looked at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christopher pursed his thin lips and said coldly. Take off your clothes.¡± Yuliana came to her senses and let Christopher take off her coat. He put his clothes on her and then turned on the heater No one spoke in the car for a while. Christopher asked, ¡°Do you still feel cold?¡± Yuliana shook her head and said nothing. ¡°Ana¡­¡± Yuliana tilted her head and looked into his eyes. The expression on her face was subtle. Nobody could have guessed what she was thinking. Christopher felt a sense of powerlessness deep down. He grabbed Yuliana¡¯s wrist and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed her face. ¡°Don¡¯t allow other people to bully you in the future.¡± His embrace was warm, and he smelled fresh. She put her arms around his back and said, ¡°I¡¯m not bullied by anyone else.¡± In fact, if Christopher didn¡¯te, she would have dealt with it herself. However, this society was very realistic. There were things that Christopher could do, but she couldn¡¯t. On the way back, Christopher ordered Hailey to prepare ginger tea. When they got home, he asked Yuliana to drink it while it was still hot. After drinking it, her whole body warmed up, and she was even sweating a little. She had no appetite, so she ate only half a bowl of oatmeal at noon and went back to her room. When Christopher entered the room, Yuliana was already asleep on the bed. He sat by the bed for a while and touched her face. His whole heart was instantly softened. Margaret had caused a bad influence in the school. However, she did not cause any physical injury. Therefore, she was administratively detained for fifteen days in ordance with the regtions on public security administration punishment. She was also required to write an apology letter to all the teachers and students of Juxshire Primary School, especially Yuliana. Margaret felt wronged. She thought, ¡°It¡¯s all Yuliana¡¯s tricks. I can¡¯t ept either of the punishments.¡± When the Ziegler family got the news, they rushed to the police station. They tried to bring Margaret out using their connections. However, it was a failure. Margaret wanted to go out so badly. She cried, ¡°Mom, help me to think of a way! I don¡¯t want to be detained. It¡¯s half a month. I would rather die!¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about? It¡¯s only half a month, and it will pass soon,¡± scolded Quincy. Of course, Quincy didn¡¯t want her daughter to suffer in the detention center for half a month. She couldn¡¯t bear to see her only daughter being locked up. However, when she was negotiating with the police, she got the idea that it would not be an easy task to bring Margaret out of the police station. ¡°Mom!¡± Hearing Quincy¡¯s words, Margaret couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She cried as she continued, ¡°No! Go tell Dad and let him think of a way. If he really can¡¯t find a way, ask Grandpa. He loves me so much that he will certainly not allow me to suffer in the detention center!¡± Quincy got a headache from hearing Margaret¡¯s shout. ¡°Do you think that you haven¡¯t caused a big enough scene? Aren¡¯t you embarrassing enough? Do you want everyone in the Ziegler family to know about it? Do you want people tough at us? Did I not teach you to behave yourself? I¡¯ve told you to control your temper and not mess with people. What did you do instead? Why did you mess with Yuliana?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to mess with her. She stole my boyfriend from me!¡± Margaret couldn¡¯t help but cry. Quincy asked upon hearing that, ¡°Who?¡± Margaret paused for a moment and answered, ¡°My boyfriend!¡± Quincy frowned and said, ¡°You mean the one you posted on your Instagram? Why would you fight with her for that kind of man?¡± Quincy had seen the post posted by Margaret on Instagram. It was a video of a few seconds. In the video, the man was a little far away, and the light was dark, so the shooting was unclear. However, his golden hair was very eye-catching. Quincy thought he was not a good man at first sight. However, she thought that Margaret was still young. So, it would not be a big deal for her to date someone like him. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 I Am His Margaret was unhappy to hear her mother¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean? He¡¯s Christopher from the Sce family. I¡¯ve loved him for a long time. How can you¡­ ¡°What did you say?¡± Quincy interrupted her. Margaret was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Who did you say he is?¡± Margaret replied, ¡°Christopher¡± Quincy was delighted. ¡°Is he really the Mr. Christopher Sce from the Sce family?¡± Margaret raised her chin and said, ¡°Of course! Mom, I have good taste, right?¡± Quincy asked again, ¡°Are you really in a rtionship with him?¡± Hesitation shed across Margaret¡¯s face. However, she soon nodded firmly. ¡°Of course, and¡­¡± Quincy said excitedly, ¡°And what?¡± Margaret lowered her eyes and said shyly, ¡°Besides, in Romdale, I already became his!¡± Hearing this, Quincy felt unspeakable joy in her heart. The Sce family cared about their family¡¯s reputation very much. Even though Christopher was a little rebellious, Margaret was the innocent daughter of the Ziegler family. If he had done it with her, the Sce family would have to take responsibility for what happened once they knew about it. If Margaret got married into the Sce family, she would be Mrs. Sce. Quincy would then be a rtive of the Sce family. Quincy thought, ¡°I can finally hold my head up in the Ziegler family at that time. Nobody will dare to look down on us anymore.¡± The more Quincy thought about it, the more pleased she was. She hurriedly said, ¡°Marge, tell me what happened between you and Christopher.¡± Margaret told Quincy about how she and Christopher met and fell in love, and how Yuliana used dirty and shameless means to seduce and make him abandon her. While speaking, she cried out of sorrow uncontrobly. Seeing how sad her daughter was, Quincy med everything on Yuliana. ¡°Marge, don¡¯t worry. No one can take Christopher away from you when I¡¯m here!¡± Margaret was overjoyed and asked, ¡°Mom, what are you going to do?¡± Quincy stroked her hair and said, ¡°Just stay in the detention center for a few days, and I¡¯ll handle other things. Even if Christopher is seduced by Yuliana, he can¡¯t do anything in the Sce family! Marge, you¡¯re innocent. The Sce family will have to give us an exnation, right?¡± Margaret avoided Quincy¡¯s gaze and lowered her eyes. Quincy was too excited and didn¡¯t notice her daughter¡¯s abnormal reaction. Under the persuasion of Quincy, Margaret wrote an apology letter and asked the police to hand it over to the school. Her words were sincere, and she expressed her regret for the bad influence she had on the teachers and students of Juxshire Primary School. Margaret also epted the administrative punishment and was detained for 15 days. When Yuliana heard the result from the principal, she knew that Christopher must have done something behind. Otherwise, with Margaret¡¯s temper and Quincy¡¯s love for her daughter, Margaret would never be detained. This incident had hencee to an end for Yuliana. On Sunday, Yuliana finished her ss in the morning. The course of this semester was almost over. Only the final exam was left. Time flew by, and the semester passed in a blink of an eye. After lunch, Yuliana slept for a while. She became easily tired as she was pregnant for more and more months. Especially after a day of ss, she had to rely entirely on her strong will not to go to bed after returning home. She only wanted to lie on the bed when she had free time on the weekend. The baby bump had be noticeable. However, it was not obvious as she woreyers in winter, and her coat was loose. At least no one in the school, except for Fiona, knew about her pregnancy. Under Hailey¡¯s care, she looked much better, and her body was noticeably plumper. However, Yuliana used to be really thin. At this time, she gained a few pounds and looked rounder. Her body looked more alluring at this time. Christopher was still ¡°living¡± in the hospital, and he nned to continue ¡°living¡± in there for a while more. The stitches on his head had been removed, and the wound was recovering well. It was just that he hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the cold and had been coughing. He had taken the prescribed medicine. Hailey had even tried different folk remedies on him. However, none of them worked. Christopher didn¡¯t care much about the coughing. However, it affected the cultivation of the rtionship between him and Yuliana. He was afraid of infecting her with the cold. Hence, he couldn¡¯t kiss or touch her when he wanted to. It was especially tormenting to him when Yuliana got plumper. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. At night, smelling the scent of Yuliana, Christopher couldn¡¯t suppress himself anymore. He whispered in her ear. Yuliana hadn¡¯t fallen asleep at that time. She immediately noticed his intention. However, Christopher didn¡¯t give her a chance to react and kissed her on the ear directly. This was normal for couples. Yuliana didn¡¯t resist. Sensing Yuliana¡¯s tacit consent, Christopher got further in his movements. There were times when things got out of control during the process. When it was finished, he gently sucked her neck and corbone while calling her name over and over again. Yuliana¡¯s fingertipsbed through his hair. She identally touched the wound. She stopped for a while and rubbed on it very gently. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Christopher was still breathing heavily. He answered faintly, still reluctant to let it end. ¡°Ana, please help me again¡­¡± Christopher said in a hoarse voice. This kind of stuff was addictive. When Waylon came back from a business trip, he learned from Quincy that Margaret was detained. He immediately scolded Quincy. Margaret was his only daughter. He had been taking great care of her since she was young. He couldn¡¯t bear seeing her suffering in the detention center. He asked Quincy the way to get her out. Quincyforted him and said, ¡°Honey, I know you care about our daughter. However, Marge has done something wrong this time. She shouldn¡¯t have made a scene at school. There are teachers and children in the school!¡± Hearing this, Waylon sneered. ¡°So what? Does it have anything to do with us? Are they as important as Marge?¡± In Waylon¡¯s opinion, Margaret was more important than anything else. Noticing that Waylon was concerned for his daughter, Quincy was secretly rejoicing. However, her eyes reddened as she pretended to say hesitantly, ¡°Of course, I know how important my daughter is, but¡­¡± Waylon immediately noticed something was wrong. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Quincy told Waylon everything. After hearing this, Waylon pped his palm on the table. ¡°I thought she was a very obedient person. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so shameless as to seduce Marge¡¯s boyfriend!¡± Quincy wiped her tears and said, ¡°Honey, what should we do about this? Marge really likes Christopher from the Sce family. She said that they¡¯d already done it. The Ziegler family is not just an ordinary family. We can¡¯t let Marge live in humiliation!¡± Waylon couldn¡¯t stand Quincy¡¯s tears. His heart ached the moment he saw her crying. He hurriedly hugged andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± He was silent for a while before saying in a deep voice, ¡°We must ask the Sce family for an exnation. We can¡¯t let our daughter be bullied in vain.¡± Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Marry Into The Sce Family The next afternoon, Waylon and his wife went to the Sce residence, bringing some expensive gifts with the excuse of visiting Winnie. Zachary and Winnie were the only ones present other than the housekeepers. The Sce family had always kept a low profile and rarely held activities in their name. Hence, the Sce family did not interact much with upper-ss society, but that did not mean they were ignored in Juxshire. On the contrary, if any other family held an event, the attendance of the members of the Sce family would fill the upper-ss society with heated discussion. This was the first time Waylon and Quincy visited the Sce residence, and it was different from what they imagined. The courtyard was vast, but the residence was only one main building. It looked somewhat ancient. Although the interioryout design was detailed, many setups were obviously quite old. One could say they were outdated The housekeeper led the way as Quincy tooked around. She thought a ce like the Sce residence should be very magnificent. The housekeeper took Waylon and Quincy to the lounge on the first floor. The lounge was not spacious, but the furnishing was quite excellent. However, Quincy could not point out what was unique. On the other hand, Waylon walked to a vase and carefully examined it. Quincy nced in the door¡¯s direction and guessed no one would enter for a while. She hurriedly walked to Waylon and whispered, ¡°Honey, didn¡¯t you say that the Sce family has a family history of a few centuries? They don¡¯t seem like it.¡± ¡°Could it be just a false rumor?¡± She pondered. Waylon looked at her sideways displeasingly. ¡°Sit back down. Don¡¯t talk nonsense if you don¡¯t know anything.¡± Everything about Quincy was good. She looked attractive and had a nice figure. She was thoughtful and prioritized Waylon in all aspects. However, she was poorly educated and knew little. After being married into the Ziegler family, she had not improved at all. Quincy would show respect to Waylon outside and obey him. After hearing his orders, she immediately returned to her seat and sat properly. She straightened her posture and puffed up her chest. When she did not speak, she looked like a true wealthydy. The two sat in the lounge for nearly a quarter of an hour when Zachary came in hand-in-hand with Winnie. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Ziegler, our apologies for keeping you waiting.¡± Winnie said with a smile. Waylon and Quincy immediately stood up. Waylon said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Mrs. Sce. It¡¯s us who came to visit without early notice. We should be the ones to apologize.¡± With that said, Waylon looked at Zachary. Thetter nodded lightly and sat Winnie on the main seat. Winnie waved and said, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Have a seat.¡± Waylon and Quincy took their seats. In terms of age, Zachary and Winnie were about ten years older than Waylon, and Waylon¡¯s eldest son was about the same age as La. In terms of seniority, they were the same. Even so, Waylon still felt slightly guilty as he stood in front of Zachary and Winnie. Perhaps it was because Zachary was present that Waylon could hold his spot. After sitting down, Quincy could not help but secretly examine Winnie. Winnie was almost 70 years old and did not look young. Her hair was nearly all white, and she was a bit plump, but she had amanding aura even though she was old. Quincy felt both jealous and inferior. All these years, the Ziegler family and the other affluentdies of the society had considered her undignified and shameless As she stole nces at Winnie, thetter suddenly turned to look at her. Their eyes met, and Quincy became embarrassed. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Yet, Winnie smiled at her calmly and eyed the couple. ¡°Why did youe here today, Mr. and Mrs. Ziegler?¡± Waylon said, ¡°I heard you were in poor health, so we wanted an opportunity to visit you, Mrs. Sce. Unfortunately, there was too much work, and we couldn¡¯t find the right time. We returned from abroad yesterday and brought some supplements, so we wanted to bring them to you.¡± He delivered his message beautifully, but the people present were all over the age of 50. No one was a fool, and they merely listened to the courteous talk Winnie replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Ziegler.¡± Quincy quickly added, ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s what we should do. There¡¯s no need to be polite with us.¡± As soon as she said that, Waylon red at her coldly. Quincy was puzzled and thought, ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± She looked at the other two again. Winnie still had a gentle smile while Zachary was enjoying some coffee. Both seemed like they did not mind. Quincy could not understand what they were thinking. Waylon hurriedly exined, ¡°My wife is young and ignorant. Please forgive her, Mrs. Sce.¡± Winnie¡¯s smile widened. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, Mr. Ziegler.¡± Hearing that, the corner of Waylon¡¯s mouth twitched awkwardly. Quincy felt Winnie had said something nice, but Waylon did not seem to like it. Quincy was confused. Waylon coughed to clear his throat and went straight to the point. ¡°Actually, I have other reasons for visiting you two, Mr. and Mrs. Sce.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Winnie raised her eyebrows with interest. ¡°I wonder what it is.¡± Zachary also looked at Waylon. Being the subject of their interest, Waylon paused for a while before he smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s about my daughter and Mr. Christopher Sce.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Winnie stared at Waylon for two seconds. ¡°Our Christopher?¡± Waylon nodded. ¡°I also heard about them recently. Christopher and my daughter, Margaret, are dating, and they¡­¡± Waylon did not continue speaking, but Zachary and Winnie both understood him. The two exchanged looks without showing much emotion on their faces. Only Winnie subtly frowned. Then, Waylon exined what had happened to Zachary and Winnie. After hearing this, Winnie¡¯s frown deepened. She looked at Waylon and Quincy with some hesitation. Zachary¡¯s expression was a little cold as he said nothing. Seeing this, Quincy panicked and could not help but say. ¡°This is all because of one¡¯s evildoing. Yuliana¡¯s father was Damian, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of him. Before this, she used to be the Ziegler family¡¯s daughter-inw. A few months ago, our Harry had just divorced her. The Ziegler family had treated her well for three years, and we took care of her after what happened to her father. We didn¡¯t expect her to be so inappropriate and fool around with other men behind Harry¡¯s back. Harry had no choice but to divorce her. He didn¡¯t disclose this to the public out of respect for her.¡± Quincy continued, ¡°I don¡¯t usually bring up family affairs publicly, but I don¡¯t think of you as an outsider, Mrs. Sce. We were sincere with Yuliana, but she turned out to be an ungrateful snake. Not only did she bite the hand that fed her, but she also stole Marge¡¯s boyfriend!¡± Quincy wiped her tears. Winnie gazed at her and stopped smiling. Zachary nced at Winnie and spoke at the right time, ¡°We understand what happened. Rest assured. The Sce family will give you an exnation.¡± Hearing this, Quincy secretly grinned as she covered her face. After sending Waylon and Quincy away, Winnie grumbled angrily, ¡°Who do they think they are to let their daughter marry into the Sce family?¡± Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 I Am Begging You Zachary sat down beside her and patted her on the back of her hand. ¡°Alright now. The doctor said you can¡¯t get angry with your current state. Getting pissed off and ruining your health because of them isn¡¯t worth it!¡± Winnie nced at him and dodged his hand. After letting out a hum, she said nothing more. She calmed down and asked in a worried voice, ¡°Is there really something between Christopher and the girl from the Ziegler family? Her parents aren¡¯t all that great. I doubt their daughter is any different from them. Surely Christopher doesn¡¯t have such bad taste? Also¡­¡± Winnie¡¯s voice trailed off. Zachary was picking up the teacup to take a sip when he heard her. He nced at her and asked, ¡°Also what?¡± Face glum, Winnie was silent for a moment. ¡°Also, although I¡¯m not very satisfied with Yuliana, the two of them are already married after all. She is probably 5 or 6 months pregnant. Christopher is a jerk if he really did something like that!¡± Zachary took a sip of tea. ¡°Christopher knows his boundaries. We can just get someone to check what is really going on.¡± They looked at each other before Winnie sighed, ¡°How worrisome!¡± Before school was over, Yuliana received a call from Joyce asking her and Christopher to go back to the Sce residence for dinner. She was caught by surprise. In the past, La was always the one who contacted her regarding anything with the Sce family. Fiona saw Yuliana still sitting in a daze even after the school bell rang. She packed up her things and walked over to her desk before she knocked on the table. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± she asked, bringing Yuliana back to her senses. Yuliana shook her head, and with a smile, she replied, ¡°I am.¡± With that, she picked up her bag and went out of the office with Fiona. When she went downstairs, she saw Spencer and another teacher walking up to her. They were leaving after work. ¡°Ms. Livingstone! Ms. rk!¡± They nodded and smiled as they walked toward the school gate together. ¡°You didn¡¯t drive today, Mr. Carl?¡± Mr. Wilson, who was with Spencer, asked. Spencer pushed his sses on the bridge of his nose, and answered with a smile, ¡°My car had a small issue on the weekend. I took it to get it fixed.¡± Fiona nced at him and then at Yuliana before she quietly shook her head. ¡°Ah, unrequited love,¡± she thought When they reached the school gate, Mr. Wilson jabbed Spencer, prompting thetter to nce at him without any giving other reaction. Disappointed in Spencer for not doing anything, Mr. Wilson gave it a thought and suddenly offered, ¡°Ms. Livingstone and Ms. rk! Mr. Carl and I are going for a seafood boil. Join us!¡± Fiona didn¡¯t respond and only looked at Yuliana subconsciously Yuliana was about to refuse when she saw a familiar figure walking toward her, leaving her stunned. Fiona, who noticed her strange reaction, looked in the same direction Yuliana was looking. She was also surprised. If it weren¡¯t for the person¡¯s unique temperament, she would have thought that it was someone else who wasing toward them. Yuliana came back to her senses after they walked up to her. She looked up and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Her eyes then fell on his head. He had gotten a haircut. The blonde hair that initially covered his eyes was gone, leaving only his ck roots However, he could only get a crew cut as the ck part was still a little short. The contours of his ears and face were all exposed. His red earring was particrly eye-catching. Only then did Yuliana realize that his ears were somewhat wide and pointed like an elf¡¯s Due to their height difference, Christopher could smoothly sling his arm around Yuliana¡¯s neck. He casually told her that he was there to pick her up after school before he nced at the three people with Yuliana. ¡°Dear, introduce your colleagues to me!¡± He smiled and suggested in a nonchnt tone. His eyes finally fell on Spencer Yuliana was a little embarrassed. She wasn¡¯t used to being intimate with Christopher in front of her colleagues, especially when they were standing at the entrance where there were other teachers, students, and even the students¡¯ parents who came to pick up their children. She lightly pped him on the arm. ¡°Stand properly,¡± she scolded. Her voice was still quiet. They have a kind of intimacy between lovers in which outsiders couldn¡¯t intervene. Christopher nced at her with a face full of smiles. Not only did he not stand up straight, but most of his body was tilted against Yuliana. Yuliana had no choice but to introduce them. These are Mr. Carl and Mr. Wilson. This is Ms. rk who shares an office with me.¡± She then nced at the man next to her. ¡°This is my boyfriend, Christopher Sce. You must have met him during Mr. Norris birthday party.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re Mr. Carl Christopher smiled andmented in an odd tone. After looking at Spencer for another two seconds, he turned to Fiona. ¡°Ms. rk, I¡¯ll have to trouble you with taking care of Ana at school in the future¡± He remembered Fiona as the only one who protected Yuliana when Margaret came to the school to cause trouble Fiona was taken aback at first, but she soon let out a sheepish titter. ¡°It is Ms. Livingstone who has been taking care of me!¡± Fiona wasn¡¯t wrong at all. Whenever she stumbled upon a problem at work, she would always ask Yuliana for a solution. Yuliana had helped her a lot all these years. Juxshire was a somewhat xenophobic city. She was not a local, but most of the teachers in the school were, so she found it difficult to get along with everyone else when she first entered the school. If it weren¡¯t for Yuliana, she wouldn¡¯t have known whether she could stand working here for so long Christopher grinned upon hearing that ¡°You can take care of each other then.¡± Fiona couldn¡¯t help butugh ¡°Ms Livingstone¡¯s boyfriend seems like a nice person.¡± Yuliana then brought up. ¡°I can¡¯t go for a seafood boil with you guys. I have something to do tonight. You should go ahead I¡¯ll treat you next time Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After that. Yuliana said goodbye to the teachers and got in the car with Christopher After getting in the car, Yuliana fastened her seat belt, and couldn¡¯t help but stare at Christopher¡¯s hair. ¡°Why did you suddenly cut your hair?¡± she asked. Christopher started the car engine ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s too long? You told me to cut it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yuliana stopped for a second there. She somehow recalls saying something like that. However, she didn¡¯t expect Christopher to do as she said. Christopher looked much more refreshing and mature after cutting his hair. But it was just the appearance that was different. No one could change their personality with a haircut. After buckling up, Yuliana asked a question when she remembered something. ¡°Did Joyce call you?¡± Christopher started to drive slowly while he kept his eyes on the road. He only hummed in reply. After getting into traffic, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡± Yuliana was surprised by his words Why not?¡± Christopher tilted his head and looked at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t ourst visit to the Sce residence taught you anything?¡± Yuliana was silent for two seconds. We can¡¯t possibly avoid them for the rest of our lives, can we?¡± Moreover, it was mostly because Christopher refused to believe that Joyce called her. Yuliana couldn¡¯t imagine what the Sce family would think of her if she and Christopher didn¡¯t go back for dinner tonight. Yuliana put her hand on his arm and coaxed softly. ¡°Maybe they are calling us because something is wrong. Let¡¯s go back for dinner, okay?¡± Christopher nced at her hand. The satisfaction he felt almost made him blurt out an agreement. As he made a turn, he drawled, ¡°Ana, are you begging me?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and whispered. ¡°You can think of it that way. So¡­ please?¡± Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Is That All A sense of familiarity shed through Christopher¡¯s mind. He suddenly remembered that he had had a simr conversation with Yuliana. ¡°Ana, do you remember? You begged me once before.¡± Christopher turned his head to look at her again. Yuliana was confused for a moment. Before she could remember, she heard him say. ¡°This time is the same asst time. I can promise to return to the Sce residence with you for dinner, but you have to promise me something!¡± Hearing this, Yuliana suddenly remembered. That time, Xandria fought with Annabelle for her and was dragged into the police station. For Xandria, she begged Christopher once. At that time, Christopher asked her to agree to a condition to avoid trouble for Xandria. However, Christopher hadn¡¯t mentioned his request until now. Yuliana withdrew her hand from his arm and sat down. ¡°Why should I promise you a condition? I¡¯m going back to your home. I¡¯m doing this for you!¡± After a pause, she looked at Christopher and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you amnesic? What now? Has your memory suddenly recovered?¡± Christopher said, ¡°Well, I just remembered it.¡± Yuliana was stumped for words. How shameless he was! After arriving home, Yuliana went back to her room to change her clothes. Christopher pushed the door open and came in. She nced at it, picked up a light sweater, and put it on. The sweater was slightly bodycon. After putting it on, the position of her abdomen was quite obvious. Christopher sat on the bench at the end of the bed and spun his phone between his fingers. He stared at Yuliana for a while. ¡°Do you really want to go back and have a meal?¡± Yuliana turned her back to him and stood in front of the mirror, not responding to his words. His eyes fell on Yuliana¡¯s waist. From this point of view, no one would know Yuliana had been pregnant for more than five months. Her waist was still slender. Yuliana looked in the mirror and put on a coat. She tidied up her clothes and suddenly said, ¡°Come here and help me with my hair.¡± Hearing this, Christopher¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. He tossed away his phone, walked behind Yuliana, and pulled out the hair hidden under her clothes. He said in a hoarse voice. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, he happened to gaze at the mirror. When Christopher was about to leave, Yuliana turned around and tugged at him. She looked at the top of his head calmly and said in a soft voice, ¡°Let me see your wound.¡± Christopher looked down at her and asked, ¡°What do you see?¡± Yuliana nced at the ce where he sat just now and pointed at him with her chin, ¡°Sit down.¡± Christopher sat back. His wound was behind the left side of his head, around three inches above his left ear. Yuliana stood in front of him with her hands around his head and her fingers on his head. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Christopher hadn¡¯t gotten used to it. He touched the wound with his soft hand. His face was almost close to Yuliana¡¯s abdomen. At that moment, he could smell a faint fragrance that emanated from Yuliana¡¯s body. He was most energetic in his twenties and was addicted to sleeping with a woman after an attempt. However, he couldn¡¯t have enough because Yuliana was pregnant. He raised his hand around her waist and stroked her back across the clothes. Yuliana noticed his movements and lowered her eyelids to look at him. She noticed a surge of fiery desire under his eyes. She sat on hisp. She then kissed Christopher¡¯s lips and said, ¡°Christopher, can you go back to the Sce residence with me?¡± Christopher snorted coldly and pinched her face. ¡°Is that all?¡± Yuliana¡¯s fingers were a little cold as she stroked him from his ears to his shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when we return home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what you said.¡± Christopher looked at her for a while and kissed her for a moment. After Yuliana calmed down, he patted her butt and said, ¡°Get up. Let¡¯s go there now, and we cane home early!¡± It was almost eight o¡¯clock when they arrived at the Sce residence. The meals had been served, and everyone had dinner as soon as they arrived. La arrived a few minutes earlier. Kendrick had a party that night, so he wouldn¡¯te back for dinner. The dinner was quite peaceful. Although Winnie was still cold and didn¡¯t take the initiative to talk to Yuliana, she didn¡¯t deliberately ignore Yuliana when thetter spoke to her. After eating. Joyce took Yuliana to the courtyard. Winnie stopped Christopher and asked him to stay in the living room. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He nced at Zachary, Winnie, and La. When Winnie was about to say something, her eyes fell on him. ¡°Why do you wear a cap at night?¡± When he went out, Christopher asked Yuliana for a cap. It was pink. It belonged to ady, and it was a little small. Fortunately, Christopher could still fit in it. It was only a little tight. He was afraid that Zachary and Winnie would be worried about him and didn¡¯t let them know about his injury. He cut his hair which made the wound obvious if it was not covered. Christopher slumpedzily on the couch, yed with his phone, and said casually, ¡°I¡¯m not used to my new hairstyle.¡± Hearing this, Winnie was a little surprised and asked, ¡°Why did you cut your hair?¡± Christopher dyed his hair blonde during high school. The school teacher chased after him with scissors and called Kendrick several times. However, Kendrick didn¡¯t think it was a big issue. After Kendrick told the school his stance, the school let Christopher go. For many years, Christopher went to dye his hair every once in a while. Winnie was worried about whether his hair would be permanently damaged by the chemicals. Christopher responded casually, ¡°I trim my hair when I feel like it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not an alien. Why do you dye your hair? Look in the mirror! You look great now.¡± Winnie was quite conservative. She didn¡¯t like the youngsters to dye their hair in a mboyant way. Incidentally, Yuliana¡¯s hair was pretty good. It was dark and bright. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t dyed her hair. Winnie stared at Christopher for a while and asked, ¡°What happened between you and the girl from the Ziegler family?¡± Christopher yed the game with deafening sound effects. He didn¡¯t hear it clearly for a moment and asked, ¡°What?¡± Winnie raised her voice as she said, ¡°The youngest daughter of the Ziegler family! Waylon¡¯s daughter! Her name is¡­¡± ¡°Margaret.¡± La was just replying to her work emails. Sensing that Winnie couldn¡¯t say her name, she helped her As soon as Waylon and his wife left. Winnie called La and told her about the situation. After La learned about it, she immediately asked around about the Ziegler family. Christopher did have some interaction with Margaret However, it was not that easy to find out if anything happened. 1 Christopher didn¡¯t raise his head. ¡°I have nothing to do with her.¡± Hearing what he said, Winnie felt a little relieved. She knew her son well. He would admit it if he had done it. Since he said he didn¡¯t, she trusted him. However, the Ziegler family wouldn¡¯t tell them these for no reason. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Bad Taste Christopher didn¡¯t know if there was any misunderstanding. ¡°Margaret¡¯s parents came to the Sce residence today and brought a pile of things here!¡± Zachary took a sip of tea and said, ¡°She said she came to visit your mother.¡± Christopher finally reacted when he heard this. He looked up at Zachary and Winnie, ¡°What did they say?¡± The Sce family and the Ziegler family always had no contact. At most, they had business deals. However, the two families were alsopetitors, so the possibility of cooperation was very low. Over the years, the Ziegler family had been suppressed by the Sce family. They were kind and generous on the surface. In reality, they scolded the Sce family secretly. Would theye and visit Winnie with a pile of gifts? No one would believe it. Winnie sighed and became angry. ¡°They said you have forcefully taken their daughter and asked us to be responsible for her!¡± Although Waylon and his wife didn¡¯t say anything, Winnie understood what they said. Christopher sneered and lowered his head to y the game again. Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, Winnie was a little confused. ¡°You don¡¯t really have anything to do with the daughter from the Ziegler family, do you?¡± Christopherughed. ¡°Is my taste that bad?¡± Hearing this, Winnie was relieved. Then, she paused and couldn¡¯t help saying. ¡°How good do you think you are?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t argue with her. Looking at her son¡¯s arrogant countenance, Winnie was a little angry. She said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted the marriage. Since you are married, you have to shoulder the responsibility of a man. Look at you! How can you be a husband and a father?¡± Christopher rubbed his ears, lifted his eyelids, and nced at Winnie. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ve passed menopause, Mom.¡± ¡°Christopher!¡± Zachary shouted. Christopher immediately stopped talking. Usually, Zachary didn¡¯t care much about Christopher and even La. He only raised Kendrick up. And Kendrick and Zachary were very simr in temperament. But since he stepped down, Zachary had be much calmer. Except for Winnie¡¯s matter, he didn¡¯t bother to interfere in anything else. La put away her phone, looked at the two elders, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to investigate this. I won¡¯t let the Ziegler family stain Christopher.¡± Winnie nodded. ¡°Find out what¡¯s going on as soon as possible. We can¡¯t get involved in these messy things. ¡± When they got back, Joyce stuffed a lot of tonics in Christopher¡¯s car. Looking at the bags, Yuliana felt a headache. ¡°Joyce, I haven¡¯t finished what you gave mest time!¡± Joyce smiled and said, ¡°I gave it to youst time, and this time it was Mrs Sce¡¯s order. Yuliana, do you want to let her down?¡± Yuliana was stunned and looked in the direction of the main building. Joyce said, ¡°Mrs. Sce said that you are too thin. Go back and ask Hailey to cook them for you. It¡¯s for health replenishment.¡± Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°Joyce, please thank Mrs. Sce on my behalf.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Joyce answered with a smile. ¡°Get in the car and go back. It¡¯s gettingte. You have to go to ss tomorrow! Yuliana nodded, said goodbye to Joyce, and got in the car. Joyce walked to the driver¡¯s side and said, ¡°Have a safe drive.¡± Christopher replied, ¡°Joyce, we¡¯ll leave now.¡± The car slowly drove out of the Sce residence Yuliana was still a little confused. Today, Joyce called them back to the Sce residence to eat dinner. Was it only a simple dinner? Yuliana remembered that Joyce deliberately took her for a walk in the yard and stared at Christopher for a while Christopher noticed her gaze and tilted his head to look at her. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Yuliana was stunned. She stared at him and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My handsomeness!¡± Christopher was so arrogant that he felt a little silly after saying that. Yuliana ignored him and turned her head to look out of the window. After a moment of silence, Christopher looked at her again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She felt something was amiss. Why did Winnie suddenly change her attitude toward her? It was quitete when they got back to Celestial Garden. Yuliana had to prepare for the next day¡¯s ss. It was almost 12 o¡¯clock after washing up.. After a while, Christopher pestered Yuliana. However, she ignored him and fell asleep. La arranged for someone to check Margaret¡¯s recent whereabouts. She also found that Christopher went with Margaret on a business trip to Romdale some time ago. She contacted Cameron to learn about the situation. She confirmed with Cameron that Christopher must have nothing to do with Margaret. Why did Waylon and his wife say that Margaret and Christopher had slept together? Only Margaret knew the entire picture. A few dayster, the investigation came to an end. La received a video from the hotel surveince cameras. In the video, Margaret and Lincoln entered the hotel together. The next day, they came out of the hotel room one after another. What happened was self-evident. La told Winnie about the investigation result. She was frustrated. She didn¡¯tment on Margaret¡¯s behavior. It was disgusting to frame Christopher up for this kind of thing. ¡°I can¡¯t just let it go like this!¡± Winnie said. La was stunned. ¡°What do you want to do, Mom?¡± Winnie sighed. ¡°Isn¡¯t your father¡¯s birthday around the corner?¡± La nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the first day of next month. It falls exactly on New Year¡¯s Day.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Winnieughed and said, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s hold a banquet in the name of his birthday and invite all families in Juxshire, especially Mr. Waylon and Mrs. Waylon, to join us.¡± La¡¯s scalp went numb. ¡°Mom, what do you want to do?¡± Since Zachary handed over the matters of the Sce family to Kendrick, Winnie hadn¡¯t taken care of anything at all. She and Joyce were in charge of many social engagements. Obviously, Winnie had something her sleeves this time. up Winnie told La about what Quincy said that day and said, ¡°The others don¡¯t have the right to talk about the Sce family!¡± La understood what she meant and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll discuss this with Joyce.¡± Soon, the news of Zachary¡¯s birthday party that would be held in the Sce residence came out. The whole upper ss of Juxshire started to talk about it, and the invitations were sent to the families one after another. When Quincy received the invitation, she was so happy that she hurried to thepany and told Waylon about it Honey Mr Sce hasn¡¯t held a birthday party for many years. This year is only his 68th birthday it shouldn¡¯t be that eventful Do you think it has something to do with our daughter since he chooses to organize a birthday party this year?¡± was two days away from Margaret being released from the detention center. The news spread out all of a sudden. The invitation was sent in a hurry. Obviously, it was a temporary decision Looking at the invitation, Waylon couldn¡¯t helpughing. 1 think so.¡± Since Zachary stepped down, they have rarely made public appearances. They won¡¯t hold this birthday party for no reason.¡± Hearing Waylon¡¯s words, Quincy became more confident. ¡°Marge will be out in two more days, and she can join in time But do you think we should discuss this with the Sce family again? If anything goes wrong, it will be bad¡± Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Meet Your Future In Laws Waylon regarded her with admiration. ¡°I remember the Sce residence from before. Zachary is no longer in charge. We need to speak with Winnie about it. Because you are both women, it makes it easier tomunicate. You must make time to speak with Mrs. Sce these days.¡± Quincy couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, ¡°All right.¡± When Margaret and Christopher get married in the future, she and Winnie will be family. She couldn¡¯t help but get excited when she remembered thest time she saw Winnie in the Sce residence ¡°Let¡¯s see who still refuses to take me seriously from now on,¡± she mused. Two dayster, Margaret was released from the detention center, and Quincy went to pick her up in person. She lost a lot of weight after being locked up for half a month with subpar food and lodging, which distressed Quincy ¡°Why¡¯d you lose so much weight?¡± Quincy drew her daughter in for a closer look. Margaret pursed her lips and said, ¡°A dozen or so people live in one room, and the food they serve daily is revolting. How could I possibly not lose weight?¡± Quincy looked at her, sighed deeply, and touched her face once more. ¡°It¡¯s nice to be thinner. You were a little chubby before, but you¡¯ve dropped a few pounds now! Zachary¡¯s birthday party at the Sce residence is just a few days away, and we¡¯ll show everyone how lovely my daughter is!¡± Margaret was unaware that the Sce residence was nning a birthday party, so she inquired, ¡°What kind of birthday party?¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Quincy smiled. ¡°The first day of next month will be your future father-inw¡¯s 68th birthday. The Sce family has decided to hold a grand ceremony for Zachary. The invitations have been sent out, and both your father and I have also received the invitation!¡± Quincy couldn¡¯t help but feel proud when she thought about this. Although the rest of the Ziegler family also received the invitation, it was all thanks to her daughter. Margaret was perplexed. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Sce family always maintain a low profile? Why would Mr. Sce suddenly throw a birthday party?¡± Quincy raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°What do you think the reason could be? Of course, it¡¯s because of you and Christopher! All right, let¡¯s not put this off any longer. Let¡¯s go home and freshen up. I¡¯ve prepared all of your clothes. We¡¯ll go to the Sce residence to meet your future inws this afternoon.¡± Margaret¡¯s face flushed, and her eyes were filled with excitement. ¡°Okay!¡± Quincy and Margaret dressed up and went to the Sce residence in the afternoon, but Zachary and Winnie were not there. ording to Sofia, they had an afternoon tea date with their friends and went out after lunch. Quincy didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Could you please call Mr. and Mrs. Sce for me and tell them that I¡¯vee to visit with my daughter? We can wait!¡± Sofia felt conflicted butplied anyway. Sofia left to make the phone call and returned with a smile to inform Quincy. ¡°Mrs. Ziegler, Mr. and Mrs. Sce are meeting with some important friends today, and they can¡¯t leave halfway. However, Mrs. Sce promised they would return as soon as possible. Do you want to wait a little longer?¡± Quincy immediately smiled and said, ¡°Of course. Marge and I have nothing to do in the afternoon. We can wait!¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll prepare some refreshments for you two,¡± Sofia said. Sofia then turned around and left the living room. She made a jug of coffee, prepared some more refreshments, and served it to them ten minutester. It was already dusk, and Zachary and his wife hadn¡¯t returned. They were left hanging in the living room for several hours, with Sofia stopping by every now and then to refill their coffee jug. Sofia reappeared in the living room after dark. ¡°My apologies, Mrs. and Ms. Zielger. Mr. and Mrs. Sce. should have returned by now, but when I called, they said the guests had to take them to dinner together. They probably won¡¯t be able to return for a while. Why don¡¯t youe over on another day?¡± Quincy couldn¡¯t keep a smile on her face any longer and said with a gloomy face, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that they wouldn¡¯t be able to return? We¡¯ve been waiting for hours in vain!¡± Sofia kept apologizing. In the end, Margaret tugged on Quincy¡¯s hand and gave her a look, signaling her to stop talking. Quincy backed down for the sake of her daughter Quincy mmed her bag into the back of the front seat when they got into the car. Her face was twisted with rage. ¡°I think the Sce family is toying with us!¡± Margaret grabbed Quincy¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mom, that¡¯s not true. Didn¡¯t you say that Mr. Sce¡¯s birthday party was held because of me? Mr. and Mrs. Sce are probably too busy to return! Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for them to make us wait. They would have demanded that we return immediately!¡± Quincy considered her daughter¡¯s words for a moment and concluded that what she said was reasonable. She suppressed her anger and looked at her. ¡°You have matured a lot after being in there for half a month!¡± she eximed, relieved. Margaret became enraged when the incident was mentioned, and she secretly sneered. In the evening, Sofia called the Ziegler family again and apologized to Quincy on behalf of Zachary and Winnie. Margaret arrived at Juxshire Primary School early the next morning with a fruit basket and other gifts. She imed that she wanted to apologize to Yuliana. The security guard at the school gate recognized her and refused her entry. Scarlett, who was standing next to Margaret, said softly, ¡°Marge came here today to apologize to Ms. Livingstone. Additionally, I also came to see my cousin, who is a student in Ms. Livingstone¡¯s ss. Don¡¯t be concerned. I promise Marge will not cause any problems today!¡± Margaret agreed and stated, ¡°I apologize. What I did was wrongst time. I¡¯ve reflected on my mistakes. I came here to apologize sincerely to Ms. Livingstone!¡± The security guard didn¡¯t dare to be careless because the headmaster had previously chastised him. He then looked up Yuliana¡¯s phone number in the school directory. However, Yuliana did not answer his call. Scarlett tried to persuade the security guard once more. Finally, he saw their sincerity and took them in personally. If anything went wrong, he could put a stop to it right away. When the security guard brought them to the office, Yuliana had just returned from the bathroom when she noticed the three people standing at the door from a distance and stopped for a few seconds before walking over. The security guard exined the situation in advance, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, this girl said she came here to apologize to you. You didn¡¯t pick up the phone when I called, so I brought her in because I don¡¯t think she has any malicious intent.¡± Yuliana was well aware that the security guards were in a difficult situation as well. They couldn¡¯t afford to offend any of the students at this school who came from a prestigious family background. Yuliana nodded and looked at Scarlett, who smiled and nodded at her. Then, Yuliana only looked at Margaret. Margaret handed Yuliana the items she had prepared and smiled as she said, ¡°Yuliana, please ept my heartfelt apologies. I hope you¡¯ll be able to forgive me!¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t ept her peace offerings. She looked at her indifferently and said, ¡°You¡¯ve already apologized You don¡¯t have to make another trip here. As for these things, you can bring them back!¡± She was about to walk into the office after she said that. Margaret moved quickly and stood in front of her. ¡°Aside from apologizing, I have something else to tell you!¡± Yuliana frowned slightly and looked at her without answering. Margaret continued, ¡°On the first day of the next month, Mr. Sce¡¯s birthday will be held at Rhodes Hotel. I wonder if Christopher will bring you to the party with him!¡± A moment of doubt shed across Yuliana¡¯s face. She had no idea Zachary was nning a birthday party. If she remembered correctly, his 68th birthday was not this year Margaret couldn¡¯t help but smile again when she saw Yuliana¡¯s reaction ¡°Did Christopher not tell you about 197 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Is It Good? Yuliana inquired, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ording to Margaret¡¯s temperament, it was impossible for her toe to Yuliana just for Zachary¡¯s birthday party. Margaret¡¯s eyes were full of arrogance andcency. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you can¡¯t enter the birthday party in the Sce residence with your identity, so I came to tell you in advance.¡± She suddenly took a few steps closer to Yuliana. Yuliana stood still, but the security guard was nervous and almost stepped forward to stop her. He stopped when he noticed Margaret had stopped moving. Margaret lowered her voice and said to Yuliana. The Sce family will announce my engagement to Christopher at the birthday party!¡± Sofia calledst night. Quincy had a pretty good guess, even though they didn¡¯t say it explicitly. Apart from throwing a party for Zachary, the most important thing was to use this asion to announce Christopher¡¯s marriage to the rest of the world. That was why she couldn¡¯t help but brag in front of Yuliana. Margaret¡¯s heart ached when she remembered how protective Christopher was of Yuliana. However, a woman like Yuliana could only be a disgraceful mistress. Even if Christopher had feelings for her, he would not marry her! Margaret assumed Christopher had a soft spot for her. Otherwise, even if the two elders of the Sce family were unaware, Christopher knew that he had never slept with her, but he admitted to it. How could he be willing to suffer such a loss if he didn¡¯t have feelings for her? Yuliana¡¯s brows moved slightly as she listened to Margaret¡¯s words, and her doubts deepened. She asked solemnly. ¡°Are you done?¡± Margaret thought it was ridiculous when she saw Yuliana pretending to be calm and pretentiously said, ¡°Yuliana, you don¡¯t have to be sad. I¡¯ll introduce you to a suitable housekeeper from the Sce residence in the future! I know you want to be a part of the Sce family. Marrying a Sce residence housekeeper can still be considered achieving the same goal via a different route!¡± ¡°What are you doing here again?¡± A voice sounded from behind her. Yuliana tilted her head as she heard the sound and saw Fiona approaching with several books. The latter had just returned from her ss the previous period. Margaret¡¯s face became tense when she noticed Fiona. She didn¡¯t need to stay here any longer now that she had said everything she needed to say and had seen Yuliana¡¯s dejected expression. She soon left with Scarlett. As soon as they were gone, Fiona approached and asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, what is she doing here again?¡± Yuliana shrugged, as she was also confused. After giving it some thought, she picked up her phone and sent a message to Christopher: [Mr. Sce is having a birthday party?] Christopher was in Kendrick¡¯s office at this time. There were some things that were found out in Romdale Even though Christopher had left Romdale, he hadn¡¯t been gone in vain for the past month or so. Other important departments, in addition to Cameron, dispatched personnel over here. There were also divisions within the Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. Not everyone was used to Yorick¡¯s nepotism, especially some practical people who had their own skills but were always suppressed by Yorick because they didn¡¯t know how to suck up and tter others. Instead, those with limited abilities continued to rise through the ranks. These people hade in handy recently The headquarters would send other people to investigate the incident, especially after Christopher was transferred away from Romdale. Yorick was rushing to erase the evidence, so he would eventually reveal his true colors Kendrick pinched his brows and remained silent for a while after reading the information sent from Romdale Christopher was sitting on the couch and drinking tea when his phone rang. He took it, looked at the message, and replied: [Yes This Sunday.] He waited a while, but Yuliana didn¡¯t send any more messages. Christopher put away his phone and nced at Kendrick, who was still silent. Christopher inquired, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± Kendrick sped his hands and stared at Christopher There¡¯s nothing wrong, but something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± The project in Romdale was not the only recent issue for the Sce Corporation. There were also issues in other branchpanies. ¡°Why is there nothing wrong with the leadership of other branches if Yorick has shown signs of betrayal?¡± In addition, with such a big project, even if Yorick had ideas of betrayal, how would he execute it? If something happened, he would be held ountable! Christopher sipped his coffee and casually stated, ¡°You¡¯re overly suspicious. You overthink everything!¡± Kendrick didn¡¯t say anything. He closed the Sce Corporation Romdale Branch file and shifted another stack of documents in front of him. Christopher stated, ¡°The Romdale issue will be resolved once we have a thorough understanding of Yorick¡¯s crimes over the years and have turned the pieces of evidence over to the police. Then I¡¯ll owe you nothing. I will not meddle in the affairs of the Sce Corporation in the future.¡± Associates also had to settle their debts. Kendrick didn¡¯t take his words seriously and went on to open other documents. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a good fit for this job?¡± Christopher rebutted, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± He slept in Kendrick¡¯s office and drove out of the Sce Corporation Building around five o¡¯clock to pick up Yuliana. The final exam was scheduled for next month, with more than two weeks remaining. Some new courses were still unfinished, and Yuliana needed to organize the materials for the final review. Because fourth grade differed from first, second, and third grades, Yuliana was busier during this time than in previous years. It took her more than half an hour to get out of school. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. It was already dark outside. She heard a horn beep when she approached the door. She followed the sound and came across a car parked on the side of the road. Yuliana approached the car, opened the door, and got in. Christopher then handed her a box containing fried chicken from some influencer¡¯s restaurant. She froze for a moment Last night, she just told Hailey that she wanted to eat it. Her preferences had recently shifted. She didn¡¯t like them before but had been craving themtely. Christopher was ying games in the living room at that time. Yuliana took the box and held it still Christopher asked, ¡°Do you not want to eat it?¡± Yuliana nced at him and said, ¡°TII eat when we get home.¡± Christopher unwrapped the packaging and said, ¡°When we get home, it¡¯ll be cold and won¡¯t be delicious anymore. You should eat it now.¡± Then, he took a piece and fed it to Yuliana. Yuliana hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth and taking a bite. Christopher was feeding her a fried drumstick with a lot of meat. It had a crisp skin and tasted fresh and tender She discovered for the first time how delicious fried chicken was. Christopher looked at her satisfied expression, wiped the scraps from her mouth, and softly asked, ¡°Is it delicious?¡± Yuliana squinted her eyes and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Since it¡¯s delicious, shouldn¡¯t I be rewarded tonight?¡± Yuliana paused and red at him. She turned to the side with the box of fried chicken in her arms and ignored him. The tips of her ears were a little red. In a blink of an eye, It was Sunday. The day before yesterday, the Sce residence sent clothes and jewelry over. Yuliana understood what the Sce family meant after she saw them. Yuliana was nervous. She didn¡¯t sleep well at night and only fell asleep as dawn approached. When she woke up, it was almost eight o¡¯clock. She had to do her makeup and hairter, and she was running out of time. Yuliana hurried into the bathroom to wash up. When she was about to brush her teeth with a toothbrush, her attention was drawn to her fingers, and she noticed something new between them. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Give Me A Kiss? It was a ring. Yuliana bit the toothbrush head as she turned the ring on her left ring finger with her free hand. The silver ring had some simple patterns engraved on it with a red diamond embedded in the center. The diamond wasn¡¯t particrly big. It was cut into a square shape, and it sparkled brilliantly under the light. The red diamond and the ring were well-matched. The ring was simple and generous, yet it retained a sense of design and beauty. She wondered when Christopher put it on her. Yuliana stared at the ring on her finger and pondered for a moment, but she didn¡¯t remember it at all. She came back to her senses and continued to brush her teeth. After that, she took off her ring and put it on the sink As she squeezed some face wash and started to wash her face, she heard the door of the bathroom open. Christopher was woken up by a phone call from the Sce residence early in the morning with several instructions given. When he hung up and returned to the room, he saw that the bed was already empty, and he heard the sound of running watering from the bathroom where the lights were on As he pushed the door open, he saw Yuliana wearing a tank top and shorts, draped in a loose nightgown. One side of the nightgown had slipped off, revealing her round and slender shoulders. Her hair was casually tied up in a topknot, and she was bending slightly over the sink to wash her face. Most of her clothes were in in color, and those she wore at home were even lighter in color. His gaze shed and caught sight of the ring on the sink. ¡°Pass me two facial towels,¡± Yuliana suddenly spoke as she washed the foam off her face. Christopher stepped forward, took two facial towels from the shelf, and stood next to Yuliana. ¡°Turn around.¡± Yuliana tilted her face slightly and turned toward Christopher. Her face was wet, and she couldn¡¯t open her eyes. She could only see a tall figure standing in front of her, emanating warmth like a heat source. Even though there was some distance between them, she could still feel a constant stream of heat washing. over her face Christopher wiped the water droplets on her face. When she opened her eyes, she could clearly see the man¡¯s excessively charming face. Yuliana was lost in thought for a moment. Christopher looked into her eyes, and their gazes met The familiar underlying feeling gradually surged. ¡°Give me a kiss?¡± His voice was a little hoarse, and his lips curled into an evil grin. After saying that, he gently grabbed her chin, lowered his head, and kissed her deeply. As their lips met, a wave of shivers ran through her body, and she sank deeper into his arms. Christopher chuckled as he gently pressed against her lips. ¡°It¡¯s just a kiss. Are you so sensitive?¡± The hot air he exhaled fell onto Yuliana¡¯s lips. It was ticklish and seductive. She responded in a low voice. Her breathing was slightly shallow, and all her attention fell on the man¡¯s lips. After hesitating for two seconds, she took the initiative to kiss him. It was rare for Yuliana to be so submissive and proactive. After hesitating for a moment, Christopher lifted her onto the washstand and took back the initiative. The situation was getting out of control. Just as Christopher was about to take off his clothes, Yuliana stopped him. She looked into his eyes and said in a trembling voice, ¡°No, we¡¯re running out of time.¡± Christopher kissed her again, and only then he managed to suppress his surging desire. He helped her put on the nightgown. After that, he picked up the ring on the sink and said in a low voice, ¡°Hold out your left hand.¡± Yuliana was a bit slow to react at the moment She didn¡¯t react until she saw the ring he was holding. At the same time, she also noticed the silver ring on his right ring finger. She stretched out her hand and watched Christopher put the ring on her left ring finger. He slightly turned and adjusted the ring a little so that the red diamond was right in the center of her ring finger. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. At that moment, Yuliana¡¯s heart skipped a beat as if she had been struck by lightning. She looked at the ring on his finger, and she lifted his hand to take a closer look It also had the same pattern as her ring, but his one was just a in band without a red diamond and slightly wider Obviously, the two rings were a matched set. ¡°When did you prepare it?¡± Yuliana asked. Christopher didn¡¯t answer instead, he asked, ¡°Do you like it?¡± He assumed all girls would like it. It was already 8:30 am when they came out of the bathroom. The birthday banquet started at 12:30 p.m., and guests began to arrive one after another at about 10 a.m. When Christopher and Yuliana arrived, it was almost 12 p.m. They didn¡¯t enter through the main entrance. Instead, they drove directly into the underground garage of the hotel, Christopher took Yuliana to the lounge and went downstairs to receive the guests. Apart from close rtives and friends, everyone who could be named was invited to Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet, regardless of whether they had any previous dealings with the family. The entire Rhodes Hotel was reserved by the Sce family, which included several banquet halls and 500 tables. He was certain that Kendrick and the others would be too busy to handle everything. Shortly after Christopher left, someone knocked on the door of the lounge. It was Xandria. Yuliana was stunned for a while. She hadn¡¯t seen Xandria for quite some time. She sent a few messages to Xandria and wanted to ask thetter out for a talk. However, Xandria ignored her. On the way here, Christopher mentioned to her that he also invited the Yeager family to the birthday banquet. She thought about taking the opportunity to talk to Xandria today, but she didn¡¯t expect Xandria would take the initiative to approach her They sat on opposite sides, somewhat far apart from each other. The atmosphere was a little tense. In the end. Yuliana broke the silence. ¡°Xani.¡± Xandria nced at her and asked in a firm voice, ¡°What?¡± Yuliana moved toward her. ¡°Are you still angry?¡± Xandria rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the point of getting angry?¡± In fact, after Christopher apologized to her, she wasn¡¯t that angry anymore, but she still felt a little hurt. She felt that Christopher was more important than her in Yuliana¡¯s heart, and she was a little unhappy about it. As time went by, it became harder for her to swallow her pride. They looked at each other for a while, and finally, Yuliana smiled at her. Xandria couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter ¡°What are youughing at? Yuliana, if Christopher bullies you in the future, don¡¯te crying at me. I won¡¯t care. You¡¯re the one who asked for it,¡± Xandria said fiercely as she plopped down beside Yuliana. Yuliana grabbed Xandria by the arm and made a sound of disbelief. ¡°You won¡¯t really ignore me.¡± ¡°Yes. I will,¡± Xandria replied. The banquet hall was crowded with many guests. Waylon and his family had also arrived. Waylon was discussing finance and business matters with someone while apanied by his eldest and second sons. Meanwhile, Quincy was chatting with the wives and daughters of various families while apanied by her daughter. Margaret wore a red princess dress with a big hem, and she had a bow on her head. She also had a green. heart-shaped gem ne around her neck, making her attire particrly eye-catching. It seemed that Quincy had spent a fortune on her outfit for today. She wore a luxurious and high-end ensemble. The mother and daughter walked with their heads held high, radiating confidence and satisfaction, unlike their usual timid demeanor ¡°Mrs. Ziegler, your daughter is getting more and more beautiful.¡± One of thedies buttered her up. Today, all the families heard rumors that the Sce family was going to announce Christopher¡¯s marriage at Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet. In fact, Quincy and her daughter couldn¡¯t keep their mouths shut and had already leaked the news. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Your Future Wife Is Here On that day, many people knew that the Sce family nned an arranged marriage with Margaret, the daughter of the Ziegler family. Due to the circumstances, those who initially looked down on Quincy and Margaret had to take the initiative to butter the duo up. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Quincy smiled and said. ¡°You¡¯re ttering me, Mrs. Collins!¡± As she nced at the young girl beside Everley, she pulled the shawl over her shoulders and smiled before adding. ¡°Ms. Collins is pretty too. It¡¯s just that her cheeks are a little puffy. Nowadays, stic surgery is quite popr. Mrs. Collins, you can consider taking her to facial contouring surgery!¡± Everley and her daughter¡¯s faces immediately darkened when they heard Quincy¡¯s remark. If it were in the past. Everley would have already fought back. Quincy snorted inwardly, ¡°Mrs. Collins has been deprecating me a lot, and now I finally get to give her a taste of her own medicine.¡± Not far away. Joyce and La were attending to the guests When Quincy caught a glimpse of that, she behaved as if she was thedy of the house and said to Everley, ¡°Mrs. Collins, Ms. Collins, make yourselves at home. Do help yourself. Enjoy the food and drinks and have fun. I have something to talk about with Joyce, so I¡¯ll take Marge over first.¡± Everley said nothing, her face cold. Quincy didn¡¯t care much about it and smiled elegantly before taking Margaret to approach Joyce and La. While watching Quincy and Margaret leave, Everley snorted coldly. Meanwhile, other women standing a few steps away heard their conversation. After Quincy and her daughter left, they came over to Everley and sneered, ¡°I wonder what kind of taste Mr. Sce has. How could he fall in love with this kind of girl?¡± Everley nced over and sneered, ¡°Well, now that she¡¯s in that position, she¡¯s acting all high and mighty. When she topples one day, she will end up in a more miserable state. Let¡¯s wait and see!¡± In the meantime, Joyce and La were talking to a woman of simr age. Thedy¡¯s husband had business dealings with Sce Corporation, and Joyce, La, and thedy were all familiar with each other, so they were immersed in the chat. Thus, they didn¡¯t notice Quincy and Margareting to them. ¡°Joyce, La¡± Quincy¡¯s voice suddenly intervened, interrupting the three of them. The three looked in the direction of Quincy and her daughter Quincy nced at the woman next to Joyce and La and noticed she was dressed inly and didn¡¯t wear any essories. With that, she withdrew her gaze and turned around to smile at Joyce and La. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see Mr Sce and Mrs Sce?¡± she asked. Joyce answered with a smile, ¡°Winnie is not feeling well, and Zachary is apanying her to rest in the room. They¡¯lle downstairs when the banquet starts.¡± Quincy replied, ¡°That¡¯s good. Since there are so many guests today. Mrs. Sce should get some rest.¡± Suddenly, she remembered something and turned to look at Margaret beside her. She reprimanded softly, ¡°Marge, you¡¯re an adult. How could you not greet people?¡± Margaret nced at her mother and then at Joyce and La. After a pause, she greeted obediently, ¡°Joyce, La¡± Joyce maintained a decent, polite smile and nodded to Margaret. Meanwhile, La frowned slightly. She appeared somewhat cold, yet she didn¡¯t say anything. On the contrary, the woman who was chatting with Joyce and La was a little surprised when she saw the interaction between the duo and Margaret. She thought, ¡°It seems that the rumor is true. Ms. Zielger is really going to get engaged to Mr. Christopher Sce ¡°Mrs. Sce, Ms. Sce, please excuse me. I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± The woman was sensible enough to make an excuse to leave. Joyce looked at Quincy and asked politely, ¡°Mrs Ziegler, is anything the matter?¡± Quincy was stunned for a moment, and then she immediately smiled and responded, ¡°Joyce, don¡¯t call me Mrs. Ziegler. We¡¯re going to be family soon. There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± Joyce merely looked at Quincy with a smile and remained silent. Quincy felt slightly restless and anxious by Joyce¡¯s gaze, which made the former instantly forget the words she nned to say. In order to ease the awkward atmosphere, she pushed Margaret forward before uttering. ¡°Well, Marge and I have been here for a while Marge wants to meet Chris Where is Chris?¡± Joyce looked around and saw Christopher, Raymond, and Leonard together while Leonard¡¯s mother, Rosalyn, was beside them. The Fuller and the Quinn families had always been in a good rtionship with the Sce family. There were too many guests that day, so Joyce and La were too busy attending to them Since Rosalyn had already arrived for some time, it would be unreasonable for the duo to have yet to greet the former Before Joyce could speak, Margaret saw Christopher first. She couldn¡¯t help but say excitedly. ¡°Christopher is over there!¡± Quincy followed her gaze and looked at him. In fact, it was the first time she had seen Christopher in real life In the previous video, his hair was long and dyed, looking like a gangster And now, he had cut his hair, which made him appear clean and refreshing. He was in an oversized white suit, yet it caused him to look particrly suave and handsome. Upon seeing that, Quincy mused, ¡°My daughter indeed has good taste.¡± ¡°Calm down. As ady, you have to be reserved!¡± Quincyughed, then looked at Joyce and La and imed, ¡°Joyce, La, please don¡¯tugh at her. My daughter is devoted to Chris. For the past few days, she¡¯s been talking my ears off about him!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Margaret tugged at Quincy sheepishly before she looked at Christopher in the crowd reluctantly and whispered, ¡°Mom, I want to see Christopher!¡± Quincy nced at her daughter pretentiously and replied in a motherly manner, ¡°Fine, go ahead. Behave yourself Don¡¯t forget that today is Mr. Sce¡¯s birthday!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Margaret was overjoyed ¡°Joyce, La, I¡¯m going over to Christopher!¡± With that said, Margaret lifted the hem of her dress while walking toward Christopher. After Margaret left, Quincy remembered her thoughts from earlier and took the initiative to speak. ¡°Joyce, you two must be too busy to handle everything, as there are so many guests today. Since I¡¯m free, how about I help you guys entertain guests?¡± ¡°No need for that.¡± This time, La was the one who talked. She looked at Quincy indifferently and uttered, ¡°Mrs. Ziegler, you¡¯re a guest. You shouldn¡¯t busy yourself with that. If you need anything, you can tell the hotel staff. Joyce and I have things to do. Please forgive me for my negligence, Mrs. Ziegler.¡± After that, without giving Quincy a chance to speak, La took Joyce and walked toward Rosalyn. Joyce nced at La and said with a smile, ¡°What a temper!¡± La shot a nce at Quincy, who was standing on the spot in a daze, andmented mockingly. ¡°Mom is right. Mrs. Ziegler is undoubtedly weird!¡± As Margaret approached, she called out gently, ¡°Christopher!¡± Hearing that, Raymond looked over at Margaret first and smirked meaningfully. Then he nced at Christopher mockingly before uttering, ¡°Chris, your future wife is here!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Christopher kicked him. Margaret couldn¡¯t help smiling shyly. She slowly moved next to Christopher and stood side by side with him. As Christopher nced at her, his expression turned grimmer. When he was about to find an excuse to leave, he saw Joyce and La walking over. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 You Wanna See Yuliana That Much? La nced at Margaret and said, ¡°Christopher, Ken is looking for you. Go and see him.¡± Christopher said, ¡°Joyce, La, please keep Mrs Jenkins apanied for a while. I¡¯ll go find Ken.¡± Christopher was going to see Kendrick, so it wouldn¡¯t be good if Margaret followed him. Margaret was not familiar with these people in front of her They were chatting, but she couldn¡¯t engage in their conversation and couldn¡¯t understand much of what they were saying Staying there for a minute or even a second was torture to her. She couldn¡¯t wait to find an excuse to leave Finally, she saw Scarlett. She smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Joyce, La, I saw my friend. I¡¯ll go to her for a while!¡± La nced at her and said nothing. Joyce smiled and nodded ¡°Go ahead.¡± Margaret sighed with relief and went to Scarlett. Harry was on a business trip and didn¡¯te to attend the birthday party hosted by the Sce family Scarlett came with her parents She had seen Margaret and the matriarch of the Sce family together. Looking at Margaret standing beside the matriarch cautiously like a clown, she felt it was ridiculous. Margaret imed that Christopher was going to get engaged to her. But what Scarlett saw was that the Sce family didn¡¯t take her seriously. Seeing Margaret walking towards her, Scarlett smiled and said, ¡°Marge, you look so beautiful today!¡± Margaret smiled proudly. Standing in front of Joyce and the others made her feel uneasy. She felt much morefortable in front of Scarlett. Especially when she heard Scarlett¡¯s ttery, she was even happier ¡°Joyce and La were talking to me just now. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯te to you immediately. You wouldn¡¯t be angry, right? Scarlett smiled and said, ¡°Why would I?¡± Margaret nced at the time and found that it was almost half past twelve, and the banquet was about to start ording to her mother, the Sce family would definitely announce the engagement between her and Christopher during the banquet. She had to touch up her makeup and receive everyone¡¯s attention in her most beautiful state. ¡°Scarlett, can you apany me to the restroom?¡± Scarlett nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± They went to the restroom, but there were too many guests today. The restroom on the banquet hall floor was basically full. Moreover, there were too many people inside, so it was not hygienic. Margaret didn¡¯t want to step into it while lifting the hem of her dress. Scarlett suggested, ¡°How about going upstairs to the lounge¡¯s restroom?¡± Birthday banquets like that usually have lounges, which were not only convenient for the host and his acquaintances to rest but also to prevent emergencies. Margaret nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the lounge!¡± Scarlett asked the hotel waiter to take them upstairs Margaret went to the lounge to touch up her makeup and tidy up her hair. After resting for about ten minutes, she came out of the lounge when the door of the other lounge opened, and Xandria walked out Margaret and Xandria knew each other, and they were on bad terms. Margaret¡¯s expression darkened, and she asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Xandria had also heard of those rumors. Now she looked at Margaret and felt funny, but she didn¡¯t intend to break it to Margaret now. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to surprise Margaretter? She closed the door as she didn¡¯t want to let Margaret see Yuliana in the lounge. She smiled and said, ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here? If you could be here, so could !!¡± In Margaret¡¯s eyes, Xandria and Yuliana were jackals from the sameir! Margaret snorted coldly and said, ¡°Xandria, aren¡¯t you good friends with Yuliana? Why didn¡¯t you bring her with you?¡± ¡°If Yuliana was here, she would be able to see and hear in person the Sce family announce my engagement to Christopher,¡± she thought. Xandria smiled mysteriously. ¡°Do you want to see Yuliana that much?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Looking at Xandria¡¯s expression, Scarlett became alert. Thinking of Xandria deliberately closing the door, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the door behind Xandria Margaret didn¡¯t take Xandria¡¯s words seriously and sneered, I do want to see her, but I guess she can¡¯t even get into the hotel!¡± All the distinguished guests from Juxshire came today, and every session was subject to strict scrutiny With Yuliana¡¯s status, even Xandria couldn¡¯t bring her in But she didn¡¯t have time to talk to Xandria. The banquet was about to begin. She had to go downstairs and get ready now! She nced at Scarlett and said, ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s go downstairs. It should start soon.¡± Scarlett withdrew her thoughts and said, ¡°Ms. Yeager, I¡¯ll go down with Marge first!¡± Xandria and Scarlett exchanged looks.. She knew Scarlett. When she was downstairs in the banquet hall, her friend pointed Scarlett to her from a distance Scarlett was in a rtionship with Harry now If nothing goes wrong, they will get married. At the same time, her friend also hinted that Harry divorced Yuliana soon after Scarlett returned from abroad There was something between them. Although Xandria could be careless, she still understood certain rules in the circle. It was reasonable for Harry to choose Scarlett. The Lynch family only had one child and an adopted son. But the adopted son wasn¡¯t blood-rted, so the future heir of the Lynch family was still Scarlett.. After Harry married Scarlett and when her father passed away, everything in the Lynch family would belong to him. Until then, no one in the Ziegler family could stop him. Xandria judged people intuitively. She didn¡¯t like Scarlett, although Scarlett was quiet and graceful, always looking well-educated. Speaking of which, Scarlett¡¯s temperament was somewhat simr to Yuliana¡¯s. The difference was that the feeling Scarlett gave her was superficial and fake. Besides, she didn¡¯t like anyone who could get along with Margaret. Seeing Margaret and Scarlett leave, Xandria walked in the opposite direction with her phone. At half past twelve, the banquet began. As the main character today, the emcee invited Zachary to the stage for a few words after the opening remarks Zachary held the microphone, put his hands together, bent down slightly to the audience, and then said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m delighted and honored today to have so many friends and rtives here to celebrate my birthday.¡± It had been nearly ten years since Sce Corporation was handed over to Kendrick. In the first two days, it was in the transitional stage. asionally, he would help Kendrick. After Kendrick officially got on track, hepletely left the corporation in Kendrick¡¯s hands A few years ago, Winnie was in poor health, so they traveled the world. During that time, they made many new friends from the other circle, thus, they hadn¡¯t kept in touch with their previous circles for a long time. Standing on the stage speaking at that moment, he looked different from when he was the head of Sce Corporation. He¡¯s very easygoing and friendly, just like an ordinary and kind elder. After Zachary said a few words briefly, there was a burst of apuse from the audience. Then Kendrick, Joyce, La, and Jared came to the stage with their sons and daughters to wish Zachary a happy birthday. Kendrick and Joyce prepared a painting, which was the work of Zachary¡¯s favorite artist. It took them a lot of effort to get it. La and Jared bought a fishing tackle as a present because Zachary liked fishing. Finally, Christopher came to the stage. 10 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Wedding Preparation Christopher wore a casual, loose-fitting white suit. He had a ck undershirt without a tie. Two buttons on his shirt cor were unbuttoned, slightly revealing his corbone. He was tall, lean, and slender. His outfit perfectly entuated his figure and showcased his unruly temperament Christopher nced below the stage, raised the microphone to a position about ten centimeters away from his lips, and said with a smile. ¡°Hello, everyone I¡¯m Christopher.¡± There was arge screen in the banquet hall. The Ziegler family was seated a little far away from the stage. They couldn¡¯t see Christopher clearly on the stage, so they could only watch it from therge screen. At that moment, Margaret was obsessed with the man on the screen, and she felt her heart race as she looked at him on the screen. Her mother, Quincy, had found out about the banquet procedure. Christopher would make an important announcement when he congratted Zachary on his birthday. It was obvious that it must be the announcement of his engagement. Or, maybe he would directly announce his marriage. Margaret couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about the scene when she walked on stage gracefully and stood beside Christopher in front of the nobles of Juxshireter. After Christopher introduced himself, he paused for a while and then continued, ¡°Ken, Joyce, La, and Jared have given their beautiful wishes just now, so I¡¯ll keep it simple now. Happy birthday, Dad, and I wish you good health. Stay in love with Mom for another hundred years!¡± Then he looked at the table where Zachary and Winnie were and nodded at them. Zachary and Winnie couldn¡¯t help butugh when they saw Christopher¡¯s cheeky look. Christopher withdrew his gaze and continued, ¡°Joyce and Ken gave Dad a painting he likes. La and Jared gave Dad fishing tools because he likes fishing. I also prepared a special gift!¡± After saying that, he snapped his fingers, and the light in the banquet hall instantly darkened. All the guest¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to the sight. A beam of light shone at a ce not far from the stage, and someone stood in the light. Therge screen of the banquet hall immediately cut the scene to where the light was shone. It was a woman in a long white dress with an elegant temperament. She was slowly walking toward the stage Christopher strode off the stage and reached out his hand to the woman. The woman looked up at him, smiled, and ced her hand on his palm. When the camera pulled closer, the scene on the screen also zoomed in, and the woman¡¯s face appeared clearly on the screen. Instantaneously, a series of whispers resounded in the crowd. When Margaret saw Yuliana¡¯s face, she was stunned Waylon and Quincy were also caught off guard. ¡°How could it be Yuliana¡± they eximed simultaneously in their heart. Looking at the scene on the screen where Christopher took Yuliana to the stage, Margaret was deeply hurt, and her anger and hatred reached the limit. She rushed forward recklessly. However, Quincy grabbed her ¡°Mom!¡± Her eyes were reddened and brimmed with tears as hatred filled her eyes. Quincy was furious. She wanted to ask the Sce family for an exnation. However, the whole banquet hall was full of nobles of Juxshire, and they would only make a joke out of themselves if they rushed on the stage ¦°¦¯¦´ Margaret, calm down!¡± Quincy warned. With a gloomy face, Waylon held back the urge to lift the table. He nced at Margaret coldly and said, ¡°Listen to your Mom. Sit down!¡± Margaret snorted heavily, sat down, and looked at the screen again with even more hatred in her eyes. Not only that Waylon felt sorry for his daughter, but he was also embarrassed by the Sce family in front of so many people. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t let it go easily. He said to Margaret, ¡°Marge, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get justice for you!¡± Meanwhile, Christopher and Yuliana had walked to the stage. There were a lot of people below the stage. Even though Yuliana had prepared herself in advance, she still felt slightly nervous. Christopher held Yuliana¡¯s hand tightly and turned in the direction of Zachary and Winnie. He held his usual brazen self back and said solemnly, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, who¡¯s beside me, is the special gift that I¡¯ve prepared. Dad and Mom, do you like my gift?¡± Winnie stood up from the chair. Zachary, next to her, hurriedly got up and held her. They left the table and walked toward the stage. Christopher and Yuliana hurriedly went up to them. Aftering on stage, the host handed over another microphone. Zachary took it. He didn¡¯t speak but handed it to Winnie. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana stood next to Winnie and held her arm. Winnie looked at Yuliana lovingly and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve lived to this age, and I don¡¯t have anything to worry about now. The only person that I can¡¯t let go of is Christopher. As parents, we hope to see our children starting a family soon. Now that Christopher has settled down, I feel relieved. What more can I ask for?¡± After saying that, Winnie took off the emerald bracelet on her wrist, took Yuliana¡¯s hand, and put it on her. After putting it on Yuliana¡¯s wrist, Winnie held Yuliana¡¯s hand and said to the audience, ¡°In fact, we¡¯ve met Yuliana before today, and we¡¯re preparing for their wedding. We¡¯ll share the good news with everyone when everything is ready, and we hope to see all of you at the wedding.¡± What Winnie said was an acknowledgment of Yuliana to be her daughter-inw. Hearing this, Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She looked at Christopher from afar. Christopher also looked at her, smiling and raising his eyebrows. The scene on the screen cut to the moment where their eyes met and even caught their minor expression, making the audience burst intoughter. Then, the screen cut to their hands, and the matching ring on their fingers was eye-catching. Everyone at the Ziegler family¡¯s table darkened their expression. The guests seated around them knew the Ziegler family. They had long heard of the rumor that Margaret wanted to marry Christopher. And now, Quincy and Margaret¡¯s reaction confirmed the rumor. No one had expected that Christopher was going to marry someone else. Besides, some people present had met Yuliana before, and some that were close to the Ziegler family knew Yuliana and Harry used to be husband and wife. Quincy¡¯s arrogant and smug look earlier had offended many people. Hence, they were pleased to see that Christopher would rather marry a divorcee than Margaret from the Ziegler family After the three siblings of the Sce family had congratted Zachary on his birthday, the banquet began. Zachary and Winnie specially arranged two seats at the table for Christopher and Yuliana. Kendrick, Joyce, La, Jared, Alexzander, and Zofia were also seated at the table. After the banquet began, Yuliana and Christopher ate and chatted with them for a while before he took her to greet the rtives of the Sce and Fuller families. There were many rtives in the Sce family, and they were seated at more than dozens of tables. On the other side, there weren¡¯t many rtives in the Fuller family. Christopher had only one uncle, and there was only one cousin in the uncle¡¯s family. Others were the distant rtives he wasn¡¯t close with. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Help Both sides of the family got the news in advance and prepared gifts. Yuliana followed beside Christopher. He was socializing with everyone, so she was rxed. The wines handed to her were all drunk by Christopher. However, Yuliana wore high heels to match her dress, and her feet hurt after walking around for so long in the banquet hall. From time to time, therge screen would show the scene where Christopher and Yuliana went to greet the rtives of the Sce family. Looking at that, Margaret felt as if her body had been torn apart. ¡°It should be me standing next to Christopher! How can a woman like Yuliana stand next to him?¡± she eximed inwardly She was furious and indignant. Scarlett came over, pulled Margaret to the corner of the banquet hall, and asked, ¡°Marge, what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re going to marry Christopher? Why is he marrying Ms. Livingstone?¡± With that, she looked at the couple on the screen. At that time, Christopher held Yuliana¡¯s back with one hand and toasted with other people with another hand. Scarlett just found out that day that the man in Margaret¡¯s Instagram video was Christopher. At that time, he still had blonde hair. However, he had a buzz cut today. Even though Scarlett wasn¡¯t obsessed with good looks, she had to admit that Christopher was extremely handsome. Yuliana, on the other side, was wearing a white dress. The pieces of jewelry she wore were not ordinary jewelry. There all looked elegant and ssy When the two stood together, it was not an exaggeration to say they looked like a perfect couple Margaret¡¯s eyes were slightly red and swollen. She red at Yuliana and said, ¡°That bitch must¡¯ve used some dirty tricks. I won¡¯t let her off!¡± Scarlett withdrew her gaze, nced at Margaret indifferently, and advised, ¡°Marge, Ms. Livingstone has many tricks up her sleeves. You¡¯re no match for her. I advise you not to mess with her!¡± Hearing this, Margaret became even angrier. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of her!¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. After a few rounds of drinking. Yuliana couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Christopher took her to the public lounge next door for a rest. Christopher called Xandria and asked her to keep Yulianapany. However, Xandria was talking to Raymond¡¯s mother and couldn¡¯t leave at that moment. Yuliana sat for a while and was about to go to the restroom. As soon as she walked to the door, she saw Margaret walking toward her with reddened eyes and happened to meet her gaze. Margaret looked at her with an unpleasant look, like an angry beast. She wished she could dash toward Yuliana and tear her apart. Yuliana frowned and had her guard up against Margaret. ¡°Yuliana, you bitch!¡± Margaret walked toward Yuliana, raised her hand, and was about to p Yuliana in the face. Yuliana reacted quickly and grabbed Margaret¡¯s hand in midair. Margaret¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and her face contorted as her hand struggled. Her strength was so great that Yuliana was on the brink of losing control of her hand. Suddenly, a figure appeared in Yuliana¡¯s sight, and the man pulled Margaret away. Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the man who helped her. It was a handsome man in his thirties. Margaret stumbled and looked at the man who helped Yuliana. She cursed, ¡°Fuck off, you idiot fool! Mind your own business!¡± The man nced at her indifferently and said, ¡°Youngdy, there are police assisting at the banquet today. If you don¡¯t want to be taken away by the police, I advise you not to get physical!¡± The man smiled, but his eyes were icy. That man¡¯s expression reminded Margaret of Christopher. However, the strange man in front of her made her panic more than Christopher. Margaret flinched under extreme fear and dared not to rush toward Yuliana again. She red at Yuliana with hatred and warned, ¡°Yuliana, I won¡¯t let you off easily! Just wait and see!¡± With that, Margaret stomped away angrily The man turned around and looked at Yuliana when he saw Margaret walk away. Yuliana nodded slightly to him. ¡°Thank you.¡± The man stared deeply at Yuliana before he smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re wee.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help staring at the man and felt he looked familiar. However, she was sure she hadn¡¯t met him before. ¡°I have something else to do. I¡¯m leaving now. Be careful!¡± Yuliana nodded and watched the man leave. Realization suddenly dawned upon her when he walked away. She thought the man looked familiar because he looked a little like Christopher, especially his nose. At the end of the banquet, Waylon and his wife took Margaret to the Sce family to settle a score with them. ¡®Zachary! Winnie! What are you guys doing? Do you think I¡¯m afraid of the Sce family? How could you all bully us like that?¡± With a darkened expression, Waylon put one hand on his hip and pointed at Zachary and Winnie with the other. Anger was written all over his face. Quincy didn¡¯t bother to pretend anymore. She threatened them like a shrew, ¡°No matter what, the Sce family must give my daughter an exnation today. We, the Ziegler family, are not someone easy to mess with. The bastard of your family took advantage of my daughter. If you don¡¯t give us an exnation, I¡¯ll sue your son for sexual assault!¡± Winnie sneered and asked, ¡°Do you have any evidence that my son sexually assaulted your daughter?¡± Quincy pulled Margaret to the front and said, ¡°Marge, don¡¯t be afraid. Tell Mrs. Sce if that bastard took advantage of you!¡± In the lounge, not only there were Zachary, Winnie, and the members of the Ziegler family, but Kendrick and Joyce were also there. Margaret nced at them and hesitated for a moment. ¡°Speak!¡± Quincy hurriedly urged. Margaret exchanged res with Quincy and said, ¡°Mr. Sce and Mrs. Sce, I¡­ had sex with Christopher If you don¡¯t believe me, I can go to the hospital for a test. I¡¯m not a virgin anymore.¡± She lowered her eyelids as if she was about to cry. Margaret thought, ¡°It¡¯s been so long, and I¡¯m indeed no longer a virgin. The Sce family has no evidence to prove that Christopher didn¡¯t do it. He can¡¯t deny it unterally as long as I insist it was him. Even if things got out of hand and damaged the Ziegler family and my reputation, it would have a greater impact on the Sce family.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± A sneer rang out from behind her. Everyone turned around and saw Christopher walking in with Yuliana in his arm. Christopher nced at the Ziegler family coldly, then helped Yuliana sit down on the chair and said with a faint smile, ¡°Tell me when and where I had sex with you?¡± Margaret was startled, and her thought became a mess. ¡°U-Uh¡­ It was when I came to see you when you were on a business trip at Romdale. W-We had sex in the hotel.¡± ¡°Which hotel?¡± Christopher asked. Margaret panicked even more. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember anymore!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember, but I do!¡± Winnie was the one who said that. Hearing this, everyone present was stunned except for Kendrick and Joyce. Winnie gave Joyce a look. Joyce took out her phone, operated it, and handed it to Waylon. Waylon nced at Joyce and took over the phone. Shortly after, Waylon¡¯s expression changed drastically. Seeing his expression, Quincy asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Waylon didn¡¯t say anything. He threw the phone into Quincy¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Look at the daughter you taught.¡± Quincy was stunned. She picked up the phone and looked at the screen. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Do You Have Any Objections? What Joyce showed Waylon and Quincy was nothing else but the surveince footage of Margaret and Lincoln entering and leaving the hotel. ¡°Impossible! This isn¡¯t reall¡± Quincy did not want to believe it at all after watching it. She looked at Zachary and Winnie with anger in her eyes. The Sce family is so shameless! Even if you don¡¯t want to be responsible, you don¡¯t have to nder my daughter!¡± ¡°nder?¡± Joyce smiled faintly. ¡°Mrs. Ziegler, why don¡¯t you ask your daughter if this is nder?¡± Yuliana could not help but nce at her. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Joyce was different from how she was previously. She wore a long pale golden dress and stood there with her hair tied. Even though the expression on her face was amiable, her aura made Quincy speechless. Quincy came back to her senses and looked at Margaret Marge, tell me that this is not true!¡± Margaret did not see what was on Joyce¡¯s phone. However, when she saw Waylon and Quincy¡¯s expressions after they looked at the phone, Margaret had a sense of foreboding. Her face darkened. She lowered her eyes and bit her lip tightly. She did not dare to look Quincy in the eye. ¡°Speak!¡± Quincy roared. Quincy understood her daughter too well. Just by judging the expression on Margaret¡¯s face, Quincy knew the answer. Nevertheless, there was still a trace of hope in her heart. She hoped her guess was wrong. Hearing Quincy¡¯s voice, Margaret trembled. After a while, she raised her reddened, teary eyes and stared sharply at Christopher and Yuliana. She really liked Christopher. She liked him since the first time she saw him. Back then, she had just graduated from high school, and Christopher was in his senior year. At a formal reception, Christopher was also dressed in a white suit with blonde hair. He was as handsome as a prince in a fairy tale. At that time, Margaret was still fat and had low self-esteem. She only dared to look at him from a distance and did not dare to go forward to talk to him at all. After going to university, she began to work hard to lose weight to be beautiful, hoping for a day when she could stand beside Christopher. However, at the moment, all her efforts had gone down the drain. Standing next to him was Yuliana, someone who had been married before. ¡°Why? Why can a woman like Yuliana do it, but I can¡¯t?¡± Margaret thought. Margaret was dissatisfied. She bit her lip tightly, and her tears instantly rolled down. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you showed to my parents, but I know what I did and what I didn¡¯t do. The person who was with me that night was indeed Christopher!¡± Margaret said usibly. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Yuliana frowned slightly and looked up at Christopher. Christopher looked down at her and did not rush to exin. When Winnie heard Margaret¡¯s words, her face darkened. She did not expect Margaret to be so stubborn. If she had not known what kind of person Christopher was, she might have believed Margaret¡¯s words. She wondered if the Sce family would be able to live in peace if such a woman got married into the family. Quincy was relieved when she heard her daughter¡¯s words. No matter whether the footage on the phone was real or not, they must not admit that they were guilty. If they admitted it, not only would her daughter¡¯s reputation be gone, but also the Sce family would be proven right. Quincy sneered, ¡°The Ziegler family has strict family rules. Although Marge is a little immature, she knows how to love herself. She didn¡¯t even get into a rtionship when she was in university. Now you are ndering my daughter for that bastard¡¯s sake Isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Joyce finally understood the situation. Quincy and her daughter were being shameless to the extreme. They were determined to put the me on Christopher Over the years, Joyce interacted with a lot of people, and she encountered difficult ones, too. However, it was the first time she saw scoundrels like Quincy and Margaret. Joyce said, ¡°Too much? You don¡¯t have the say in that An Ms. Zielger said, she knew what she had done and what she hadn¡¯t done. This footage was taken from the surveince camera of a hotel in Romdale Mr Ziegler can go and verify it personally Mrs Ziegler and Ms. Zielger, if you really want to put the me on Christopher, we can only ask a third party to intervene in order to prove our innocence and seek justice for Ms. Zielger. By then, things will get serious. As for who will be at a disadvantage in the end, please think about it yourself¡± Hearing that, Waylon paused for a moment and nced at Joyce. ¡°Mrs. Sce, you are pretty sharp- tongued!¡± he sneered. Being oppressed by Zachary and Winnie was enough for him. However, even a woman, who was younger than him, was disrespecting him and teaching him how to do things! ¡°Mr. Ziegler, do you have any objections?¡± Kendrick, who had been keeping quiet, gave him a faint look. Waylon and Kendrick had never dealt with each other directly, but Waylon had heard a lot about Kendrick from other people. He became sessful at a young age. When he was a teenager, he joined Sce Corporation and learned skills from his father, Zachary. Before he turned 20 years old, he was already capable of dealing with things independently and he took over Sce Corporation from Zachary in his early 30s. Waylon was almost 20 years older than Kendrick, but he still felt a little weak-kneed when he met Kendrick¡¯s eyes He pursed his lips and did not answer Kendrick¡¯s question. No matter what, he was someone of the same generation as Zachary and Winnie. Being lectured by those of the younger generation continuously made him infuriated. Quincy had no idea what to do anymore. If the Sce family were to involve the police and make the situation worse, things would be bad for them. It would be hard for Margaret to gain a foothold in the circleter on, and it would be difficult for her to marry a good man. Nevertheless, Quincy was dissatisfied. Everyone in the circle had heard that her daughter was going to marry the youngest son of the Sce family However, the Sce family pped them in the face in front of everybody. She and Margaret had already be aughingstock. ¡°Waylon,¡± Quincy called aggrievedly. She looked like she was about to cry. Waylon had nowhere to vent his anger. When he saw that Quincy was going to cry, his anger spiked. He scolded, ¡°Shut up. Are you not embarrassed enough?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Quincy was startled. She immediately regained herposure and did not dare to say another word. Seeing that, Margaret could not help but walk to Waylon and choke him with indignation. ¡°Dad, you have to stand up for me!¡± Waylon shook off her hand and pped Margaret directly to the floor. Waylon pointed at Margaret and scolded, ¡°Shameless woman! You embarrassed the Ziegler family! Don¡¯t call me dad. I don¡¯t have a daughter like you!¡± After saying that, he nced at the members of the Sce family again. He flung his hands and snorted heavily before walking away. Quincy helped Margaret up in a hurry. Margaret was stunned. She did not expect that her father, who always loved her the most, would hit her in front of outsiders. He even left her and Quincy behind. ¡°Mom¡­ Waylon had left. Quincy no longer had any confidence to stand there. With a defeated look, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°No!¡± Margaret refused and looked at Christopher again. ¡°Marge!¡± Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 I Will When Waylon went back, he went into the study and sat on a chair. He smoked the cigarettes one after another. His face was extremely gloomy, and his eyes were cloudy. He looked like a demon. Quincy knew that she could not escape. She had to let Waylon vent his anger. Waylon had two marriages before the one with her. In his first marriage, he married a woman who had a simr family background as his. She was gentle and mild. She was the mother of Waylon¡¯s eldest son and second son. In his second marriage, he also married a woman who had a simr family background as his but her temper was as bad as his. ording to the elders of the Ziegler family, they often fought with each other after getting married. Quincy used to be a rookie artist. After knowing him, she had be his mistress. At that time, Waylon and his second wife had not divorced yet, but they had no feelings for each other at all. After their divorce, Quincy tried every means to get pregnant. The first child she conceived was not Margaret. After getting pregnant, she coaxed Waylon to marry her, The first time Waylon hit her was when she was nearly three months pregnant. At that time, she apanied Waylon to go out for a social engagement. She said something wrong, making him embarrassed in front of the outsiders. The project that was being discussed was messed up too. When they got home, he attacked her. The baby did not survive. It took her more than a year to conceive Margaret. Quincy stood at the door of the study for a while before entering. Smiling, she walked to Waylon gracefully and called, ¡°Honey.¡± With a lighted cigarette in his hand, Waylon narrowed his eyes at her. There were no emotions in his stare. ¡°Where¡¯s Margaret?¡± Quincy swallowed the lump down her throat a few times. ¡°Marge knows that she is wrong now. She¡¯s also very sad. Please don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡± Her voice was getting softer and softer. In the past, Waylon used to like that method. She knew how to please him to make him happy. Nevertheless, at the moment, Quincy was not sure at all if it was going to work. While thinking, Quincy stretched out her hand to wrap around Waylon¡¯s neck. Just as she was about to sit down on hisp, she suddenly screamed in pain, and her whole face twisted. Waylon grabbed her hair. He pulled her head back and pressed the cigarette on her arm. Quincy¡¯s tears rolled down instantly. ¡°Honey, I was wrong. Can you spare me?¡± she begged pitifully. Waylon kicked her to the ground and stepped on her face. ¡°Bitch, what a good daughter you have! After so many years of living, all my pride and dignity have been disgraced by you!¡± Waylon flew into a rage. He could not hold himself back. After venting. Waylon looked at Quincy who was lying in pain on the ground. His chest was still heaving up and down. He straightened his clothes and walked out of the study. When he went downstairs, he asked the housekeeper to tidy up the study. As soon as the housekeeper entered the study, she saw Quincy. Quincy¡¯s face was covered with blood, her facial features were distorted, and her clothes were messy. If it were not for her convulsions from time to time, the housekeeper would have thought she was dead. ¡°Mrs. Ziegler, are you okay?¡± The housekeeper helped Quincy up. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. When Quincy heard her voice, she opened her eyes and looked at her coldly. She warned her weakly, ¡°If you dare to spread what happened today, I¡¯ll cut your tongue.¡± In the evening. Christopher and Yuliana had dinner at the Sce residence. After dinner, Winnie asked Yuliana to spend some time with her in the parlor. That parlor was the first ce she came to when she went to the Sce residence for the first time. It was also where she met Winnie. Winnie took a sip of coffee and said faintly, ¡°Are you very dissatisfied with me?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Not really.¡± She paused and looked at Winnie. ¡°If I say I¡¯m not disgruntled with you, you won¡¯t believe it. But if I look at it from a different perspective, I can actually understand you. I can be considered a mother too. In the past few months, I¡¯ve learned how hard it is to have a child, not to mention having to spend more than 20 years raising him.¡± ¡°Only those who have experienced the hardships can understand it.¡± Winnie¡¯s expression softened a little. ¡°I¡¯m d you understand. I did have some thoughts about you because of your past. I didn¡¯t want Christopher to be with you. I was afraid that he would regret it and be criticized by the people in the circle. Christopher is the child who I feel sorry for the most. I don¡¯t ask much of him. I just hope that he can lead a safe and smooth-sailing life, but he insisted on choosing you.¡± Winnie nced at Yuliana for a moment. She removed the bracelet from her hand and put it on Yuliana¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been wearing this bracelet for decades. It was a gift Zachary gave me for our tenth wedding anniversary. Yuliana did not expect such a bracelet to be so precious. When Yuliana was about to take it off and return it to Winnie, Winnie pressed her hand gently. She said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve given it to you. It¡¯s yours now. I hope you won¡¯t let me down and will take care of it as I did.¡± Yuliana was stunned. She understood what Winnie meant instantly. Winnie said, ¡°Christopher is a little different from Kendrick and La. After he was born, I seldom took care of him due to physical reasons. Most of the time, he was taken care of by the housekeeper. Perhaps because of that, he isn¡¯t good at expressing his inner feelings. Many things are kept hidden in the depths of his heart. You haven¡¯t been with him for a long time, and there may be many things awaiting you in the future. I just hope you can give him more patience. You can regard this as my selfish motive as a mother.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°I will.¡± At night, after sending Christopher and Yuliana away, Joyce stood in the yard for a while before going upstairs to see Alexzander. Alexzander had fallen asleep. He was lying obediently on the bed. That part of him was very simr to Kendrick. Except for asional naughtiness, they did not need to worry about him most of the time. Alexzander had learned to take care of himself since he went to kindergarten. However, Winnie loved her grandson too much. She always wanted to keep him protected and well- taken care of. Joyce sat on the edge of the bed for a while. Then she went back to her room. The light in the bathroom was on, and the sound of water came through. Joyce nced at it. She went to the dressing room to take her clothes and headed to the shower area. When she came out, Kendrick had already done washing and left the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, Joyce blew her hair with a hair dryer. Then she brushed her teeth and washed her face. When she was applying the skin care products, the bathroom door opened, and Kendrick walked in a robe. She spared a nce at him and withdrew her gaze. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything else to do tonight?¡± As Kendrick¡¯s wife for so many years, Joyce was aware that Kendrick seldom returned to the room so early to rest. Most of the time, he would be busy until one or two o¡¯clock in the morning. Kendrick hummed in response. He then turned on the faucet and washed his hands. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 You Are Pregnant With A Son After washing up, he looked up and his gaze stopped at Joyce¡¯s reflection in the mirror. Joyce was applying neck cream while slightly lifting her jaw. She was wearing a set of white cotton pajamas with floral patterns printed on them. Her hair was casually tied back, and the loose strands were pinned up with tworge hair clips. Even though she had given birth to a child and was over thirty years old, her skin and figure were still the same as when she was in her twenties. Compared to when they first met, she had a nicer body shape now. Their gazes met in the mirror, and Joyce¡¯s action of applying cream came to a halt. Recently, Kendrick was very busy. When he came back to the room to rest, Joyce had often fallen asleep. They hadn¡¯t been intimate with each other for a while. She lowered her eyelids and continued to apply the cream. Kendrick withdrew his gaze, wiped away the water from his hands, and turned to get out of the bathroom. Joyce nced at his leaving figure through the corner of her eyes for a moment and couldn¡¯t help pouting. A few minutester, when she came out of the bathroom, Kendrick was already in bed. Lifting the nket, she went to bed. She crossed her arms over his waist and kissed his ear. ¡°Honey¡­¡± Kendrick lowered his eyelids and nced at her. Then, he pulled her hand away and moved aside. His action made Joyceugh in exasperation. She lifted the nket, sat up, and was about to get out of bed with the pillow in her arms. Kendrick grabbed her arm and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Joyce said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you. I¡¯m going to sleep on the couch.¡± Hearing this, Kendrick pulled Joyce back, but failing to bnce herself, she fell on the bed. ¡°Childish.¡± As their gazes met, Kendrick held her chin and kissed her heavily. Joyce bit him back, and Kendrick moved back momentarily while still holding her jaw in his hand. She retorted, ¡°You¡¯re the childish one.¡± They looked at each other silently for two seconds. Joyce pinched his face and said, ¡°Are we doing it? If we¡¯re not, don¡¯t disturb me. I want to rest.¡± Kendrick grabbed her wrists, pressed them on the pillow, and lowered his head to suck her lips. Christopher and Yuliana arrived at the entrance of Celestial Garden, but they didn¡¯t go home immediately. Instead, they parked the car on the side of the road and went to a barbecue shop by the entrance. It was prettyte then, but business was good in the shop. The tables were full inside, and there were only two vacant seats left at the table at the door. Christopher went to ce the order for food, and Yuliana sat down at the empty table. There were two tables next to her. On one table, there were a few young men. They looked like they had just graduated from university. Their expressions were full of vigor. The tes in front of them were full of BBQ skewers, and they drank beer while they chatted. They looked very rxed. On the other table sat a man and woman with a little boy. A baby was also sleeping in a stroller. They seemed to be a family of four. The man was teasing the little boy with the BBQ skewer, causing the boy to scream. The woman was laughing at the side and ncing at the stroller from time to time. Looking at them, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help thinking that maybe in a few months, she could also be pushing the stroller out with Christopher toe out for barbeque. At that time, they would be a farnily of three. When Christopher came back, he saw Yuliana staring at the table next to her, lost in her thoughts. He pulled out the chair and sat down beside Yuliana, with his arm resting on the back of her chair, Christopher took a nce in the direction she was looking at. ¡°What is it that has you so focused?¡± Yuliana pointed and answered, ¡°That stroller is so beautiful. Let¡¯s buy one too.¡± Christopher nced at the stroller Yuliana pointed at. It was pink, with various small decorations in pink and blue. He couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°It¡¯s too fancy¡± ¡°How is it fancy?¡± Yuliana felt that it looked good. Christopher stared at her, wanting to say something, but hesitated. Yuliana saw that his expression looked odd and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Christopher nced at her stomach. ¡°Joyce and La said that the baby in your stomach should be born. with something extra.¡± When Winnie asked to speak to Yuliana that night, Zofia asked Christopher to have a girl. As a result, La and Joyce started discussing that Yuliana was pregnant with a boy. It so happened that La had given birth to a daughter while Joyce had given birth to a son. Everything they said sounded logical. Combined with Yuliana¡¯s pregnancy situation, what they said sounded true. Christopher thought to himself, ¡°If the baby is a son, so be it. He wouldn¡¯t be too bad, as he inherits my genes.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yuliana was a little confused and didn¡¯t understand his words. Seeing her confused face, Christopher couldn¡¯t help but touch her face and exined, ¡°It means that you are pregnant with a son.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know for sure.¡± Although Yuliana doesn¡¯t care whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl, she also felt that Joyce and La¡¯s imscked much credibility. If it could be identified by simply using the naked eye, there would be no need to visit the hospital for a checkup. ¡°Besides, what¡¯s wrong with a boy being a bit fancy? Who says boys can¡¯t be fancy?¡± Christopher¡¯s entire attention was on Yuliana¡¯s face, not on what she was saying. He leaned in and kissed her on the corner of her mouth. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yuliana looked around guiltily with a flushed expression. Then, her gaze met a pair of gleaming eyes. It was the little boy from the table next to her. He was about four or five years old, wearing a ck down jacket, a hat, and a scarf. Seeing Yuliana looking at him, he quickly covered his eyes with his hand. The boy¡¯s parents also looked at them when they found something unusual. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Yuliana blushed and nodded at them. The couple smiled back. After a while, the boss served the grilled BBQ skewers. Christopher fed Yuliana a BBQ skewer as she snuggled her hands in the sleeves of her coat, not bothering to stretch out her hand. She simply sat there and enjoyed Christopher¡¯s service. Yuliana only took one bite, and Christopher ate the rest. Seeing the oil stains on the corners of his mouth, she pulled a tissue and wiped it for him. Then, she tasted the barbecue in her mouth and said, ¡°It seems to be not as delicious as the one we had in Romdalest time.¡± Christopher handed over another BBQ skewer. Yuliana nced at it and couldn¡¯t tell what it was. She shook her head and didn¡¯t dare to eat it. ¡°You have it. I¡¯m not eating this.¡± Christopher lowered his gaze and sneered, ¡°How picky.¡± Yuliana ignored him and took a vegetarian BBQ skewer. As she was eating slowly, she asked casually, ¡°How did Ken and Joyce know each other?¡± After having two BBQ skewers, Christopher stopped and took a sip of hot coffee. ¡°Why do you suddenly ask this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± Yuliana took a skewer of roasted wings BBQ skewer for him and said, ¡°There seems to be a huge age difference between Ken and Joyce.¡± Christopher took a bite and chewed slowly. ¡°They have a couple of years of an age gap. However, I don¡¯t know much about the situation between them.¡± When Kendrick and Joyce met, Christopher was still in high school and was not on very good terms with Kendrick. So, he didn¡¯t even care about Kendrick¡¯s rtionship at all. However, when Joyce got pregnant and Kendrick raised that he wanted to marry her, the family quarreled for a while. Zachary and Winnie both disagree. Kendrick was the eldest son of the Sce family. He inherited the Sce family¡¯s family business. So, he had to make some sacrifices. He couldn¡¯t just get into marriage with any woman. At the very least, the person had to be worthy of the Sce family¡¯sdy of the house. Later on, Kendrick withstood pressure from every party and married Joyce. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Are You Not Calling Her Back? In the first few years of her marriage, Joyce didn¡¯t have an easy life in the Sce family. There were many conflicts between her and Kendrick. Even to this day, Christopher believed Kendrick married Joyce purely out of obligation to her. Moreover, it was hard for Christopher to imagine that a man like Kendrick, who put all his heart and soul into his work, would even fall in love. Yuliana didn¡¯t ask more. Actually, after interacting with Joyce several times, Yuliana thought Joyce was a very nice person. Christopher ordered a lot of food, but Yuliana was not that hungry. She just remembered the barbecue she had at the night market with him in Romdale and suddenly craved food, so she wanted to try the restaurant. She didn¡¯t eat a lot of BBQ skewers. Eventually, Christopher was the one who finished them all. After eating the barbecue, they went home. Hailey had already gone to bed. Yuliana went to wash up first, followed by Christopher.. While waiting for Christopher, Yuliana got a book and sat on the bed to read it. However, she began to get sleepy before she could read any further. Her eyelids drooped uncontrobly. Just then, Christopher¡¯s phone rang. Startled, Yuliana dropped the book on the floor. She jolted awake and bent down to pick up the book before reaching for the ringing phone. When Yuliana saw the name shing on the screen, she froze for a moment. After looking at the phone quietly for two seconds, she put the phone back. Some timeter, the phone stopped ringing. Yuliana then picked up the book and flipped through another two pages. When Christopher finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, he only wore a pair of pajama pants. The waistband of the pajama pants hung loosely around his hips, and the muscles on his t abdomen were prominent. He looked just like a model. As Yuliana looked at him, she was in a daze for a moment. It was not until Christopher approached her that she snapped back to her senses. ¡°Is my body very attractive? Christopher asked. Yuliana looked away in embarrassment. She tried to focus on the book in her hands and said calmly, ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Not bad? That¡¯s all?¡± Yuliana kept her gaze fixed on the words in the book and hummed faintly. Christopher took the book from her hand and threw it at the end of the bed. Trapping her between his arms, he uttered, ¡°Ana, say that again. Hmm?¡± He was tantly threatening Yuliana. Yuliana met his eyes and kissed him on the corner of his lips. ¡°Your body is very attractive. Happy now?¡± Christopher stared at Yuliana¡¯s lips for a while. When his gaze swept across her slightly open cor, his throat felt tight. ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± he said in a hoarse voice. The next moment, he stretched out his hand to hold Yuliana¡¯s neck and kissed her. Yuliana pressed her hands against Christopher¡¯s chest. She could feel his chest burning with passion when her fingers touched it. Out of reflex, she flinched as if she had been electrocuted. Afterward, Christopher carried Yuliana to the bathroom and cleaned her up before bringing her back to their bed. Yuliana was extremely sleepy. She was so sleepy that she could immediately fall asleep as soon as she hit the pillow, but since there were still some thoughts lingering in iter mind, she couldn¡¯t sleep well. In a daze, she forced herself to open her eyes and looked at the man behind her. She said, ¡°When you were taking a shower in the bathroom just now, the phone rang. It was Annabelle. Do you want to call her back?¡± Yuliana never asked about Annabelle. Nevertheless, she noticed Annabelle seemed to be away from Juxshire during this period. Christopher took his phone and cast a nce at it before putting it back. He hugged Yuliana, then kissed and bit her on the back of her shoulder. He didn¡¯t bite hard, so instead of feeling pain, she felt a bit ticklish. Yuliana noticed Christopher liked the back of her shoulder a lot. Every time they finished making love, he would kiss her on the shoulder many times. Yuliana closed her eyes and moved her shoulders away from him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to call her back?¡± she asked in a muffled sound. Christopher was silent for a few seconds. ¡°She¡¯ll call again if something is up,¡± he finally said. Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything more and soon fell asleep. Listening to her calm breathing, Christopher sat on the bed for a while. He gently lifted the quilt and got out of bed. Then he put on a shirt and got a box of cigarettes and his phone. Pushing open the door to the balcony, he walked outside and closed the door behind him. Christopher lit a cigarette and smoked. After some time, he unlocked his phone and stared at the missed call for a while. Finally, he lightly tapped the number and called it. In her sleep, Yuliana felt a bit cold, so she habitually moved a bit to the space next to her. However, she didn¡¯t expect the spot to be colder. Yuliana opened her eyes. The lights in the room were off. Even so, she could see that there was no one beside her. Yuliana froze for a moment. She stared at the ceiling for a while before closing her eyes to continue sleeping. The next day was Monday. However, it was New Year¡¯s Day holiday, so there was no work. At 8:00 a.m., Yuliana woke up. She turned around and found that Christopher was still asleep. Perhaps he felt a little hot, so he slept topless without covering his upper body with the quilt. Yuliana watched him quietly for a while, then got up and went to wash up. Yesterday, Yuliana made an appointment with Xandria. They would have lunch and go shopping together in the afternoon. They hadn¡¯t hung out together for a long time due to their previous conflict. Seeing that Yuliana was up, Hailey prepared a bowl of chicken soup for her. While Yuliana was eating, Christopher came out of the room. Hailey asked, ¡°Mr. Sce, what do you want for breakfast?¡± Christopher nced at Yuliana¡¯s bowl and said, ¡°Same as hers.¡± With that, Hailey went to the kitchen to prepare chicken soup again. Rolling his neck, Christopher yawned and asked, ¡°Why did you get up so early?¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I have an appointment with Xani. I¡¯m having lunch with her.¡± Christopher paused and frowned. ¡°When did you make the appointment with her?¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Christopher asked. Yuliana nced at him and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± said Christopher. However, Yuliana didn¡¯t respond. Her answer was obvious. Christopher had to settle for less by driving Yuliana to the ce where she would meet up with Xandria before driving to Prestige Club. It was still early. The birthday of Raymond¡¯s mother was around the corner, so Xandria ordered a brooch for her. The item had already arrived, and Xandria nned to collect it first. The counter was not far away. It would only take Xandria and Yuliana ten minutes or so to reach the counter. While they were on the way there, Yuliana asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to let things go on like this with Raymond?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Xandria felt annoyed. She could neither advance nor retreat at that moment. Both families thought Xandria was dating Raymond. Moreover, their parents already met each other and believed Xandria and Raymond¡¯s rtionship was quite stable When the parents saw Christopher and Yuliana at the birthday banquet of the Sc¨¦ family yesterday, they even brought up Xandria and Raymond¡¯s marriage N?velDrama.Org content rights. Raymond¡¯s mother liked Xandria and treated her very well. Whenever Xandria remembered she was deceiving Raymond¡¯s mother, she felt quilty. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s not talk about this. It stresses me out!¡± Xandria tended to escape the problem whenever she encountered one. She changed the subject and said excitedly, ¡°Yuliana, listen. The mother-daughter duo from the Ziegler family has be aughingstock of Juxshire.¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Teasing Yuliana Xandria had always been righteous and straightforward, so she was on good terms with many women in the circle. Naturally, she was in all sorts of celebrity group chats. Those group chats of hers had been flooding with messages ever since Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet was held. the day before. Everyone was talking about the incident that had happened during the birthday banquet. The Ziegler family had leaked out the news a few days before the birthday banquet, iming that Margaret would be marrying into the Sce residence, and Zachary had arranged for such a grand birthday banquet just to take the opportunity to announce the news. Quincy and Margaret, in particr, had appeared both high-profile and proud on the birthday itself, so much so that everyone bought their im. The atmosphere was on point. Quite a fewdies from other families were jealous of Margaret, but they were all ready to ept reality. Unexpectedly, there was a huge plot twist. It turned out that Margaret was not the one who would be marrying into the Sce family. The former daughter-inw of the Ziegler family, Yuliana, would be marrying into the Sce family instead. Because of that, Quincy and Margaret were thoroughly humiliated in public. Thedies who had been offended and had always looked down on Quincy and Margaret would naturally not miss the chance to shame the mother-and-daughter duo. Needless to say, they began circting the news to everyone they knew. Soon enough, even people who were never informed of the inside scoop had also gotten knowledge of the matter. Xandria could not be happier with the oue.. The only thing disturbing her was that Yuliana was also caught in the middle. Judging by the current circumstance, the group ofdies would certainly use Yuliana just to step on Quincy and Margaret. Be that as it might, if Yuliana were to be a hindrance in the future, they would also use other people to treat Yuliana just the same. When Xandria thought about that, she sneaked a nce at Yuliana, only to find thetter¡¯s calm visage. Xandria thenposed herself and uttered, ¡°Yuliana, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Yuliana. Xandria lowered her gaze and remained silent for a while before voicing, ¡°Actually, Christopher came to me to apologize for what had happened in high school.¡± ¡°What? When?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment. ¡°It was just when we were in a conflict after you told me you decided to be with him.¡± Xandria paused briefly as she looked at her friend again. She added, ¡°In fact, I think he apologized to me because of you.¡± Christopher was a prideful man through and through. He and Xandria had not been in contact for ages. If Christopher did not do that for Yuliana¡¯s sake, Xandria could not fathom what other reasons might have been his motivation. However, upon viewing the matter from a different standpoint, Xandria thought that Christopher actually cared about Yuliana a great deal. At the very least, Christopher was a more thoughtful man than Harry could have ever been. Moreover, Xandria could also see how important Yuliana was to the Sce family based on what happened at Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet the day before. That alone was more than enough evidence to show that the Sce family was so much better than the Ziegler family. All in all, Christopher was quite a gentleman to be with.. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Yuliana, on the other hand, was at least expecting Christopher to apologize to Xandria, considering that all had been in the past. Right then, Xandria held Yuliana¡¯s arm and gave her opinion in a serious tone. ¡°Yuliana, if you ask me, I think Christopher¡¯s really into you.¡± ¡°Well Maybe.¡± A smile spread across Yuliana¡¯s face. Xandria then cast a nce at Yuliana¡¯s tummy. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be a godmother in a few months, huh?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just be one for nothing!¡± Yuliana shed Xandria a grin as she spoke. A snort escaped from Xandria¡¯s lips. She patted Yuliana¡¯s tummy lightly and reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be a dutiful godmother! I will buy this future godson of mine some of the most beautiful clothes in the world!¡± With that, the two of them went to pick up the brooch Xandria had ordered before they had lunch at noon. After eating, they took a moment¡¯s rest and then started shopping. To be honest, Yuliana had nothing on her wish list. She was purely apanying her friend, Xandria. Xandria kept her promise and brought Yuliana to several maternity stores. She bought dozens of clothes for newborns and even those for two-year-olds. Not only that, but she also bought various baby products. Xandria had gotten so much stuff that the two of them could barely carry all the items by themselves. It took multiple attempts before Yuliana finally dissuaded Xandria from buying more. After Xandria paid for the items and after they left the maternity store, Yuliana suddenly caught sight of something familiar. It was the stroller she had seen the day before when she was having a meal with Christopher. ¡°Oh, you like this?¡± Xandria shook the stroller slightly. Yuliana did not offer a response. All she did was scrutinize that stroller. Seeing Yuliana¡¯s reaction, Xandria immediately went on, ¡°I¡¯ll get this for you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll buy this myself,¡± insisted Yuliana. After that, she summoned the sales assistant to fetch her a brand new piece of that stroller. She then fished a card from her bag and handed it to the sales assistant. ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯t want me to buy it for you,¡± remarked Xandria with a smirk. Given that they had way too many things in their hands to carry, they put the things in the car first before finding a ce to chill out. Later, they continued to shop again. At 5 p.m., Yuliana received a call from Christopher. He asked if they had finished getting what they wanted. Noticing that Xandria was also tired, Yuliana figured that Xandria should be pretty much done with it, so she replied, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you and Xandria find a spot to rest first? I¡¯lle to meet up with you two. We¡¯ll be having dinner somewhere. Bring Xandria along.¡± suggested Christopher. ¡°Is someone else joining us?¡± asked Yuliana. ¡°Yes. Just Raymond, Leonard, and the gang.¡± Christopher answered. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana¡¯s tone was indifferent as she gave her reply. After all, those guys were good friends with Christopher. As Yuliana hung up the phone, she told Xandria about the dinner at night. With that, they wandered around the ce all afternoon. Eventually, they were exhausted, so they decided to give themselves treats at a dessert shop. They ordered some desserts and fruit juice as they sat and waited for Christopher¡¯s arrival. After the duo waited for half an hour, Christopher showed up. Yuliana hopped into Christopher¡¯s car while Xandria drove in her own car, following the couple as they made their way to a Clusian restaurant. The Clusian restaurant was owned by Leonard¡¯s rtives, and it would always be fully booked during the holidays. There was no way for anybody to get a table without booking one in advance. Thankfully, the group relied on Leonard¡¯s connections and got themselves extra seating to dine in. Among Christopher¡¯s friends, Yuliana was only acquainted with Raymond and Leonard. Even though the others looked familiar to her, she did not know them. Just as Raymond was about to greet Yuliana, he saw Xandria behind them, and his expression changed instantly. ¡°Hey, chubby girl! Why are you also here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Xandria rolled her eyes at him. Immediately afterward, she strode in and took a seat. As Raymond touched his nose, he turned to Yuliana and teased, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, should I be addressing you as my dear little sister-inw from now on?¡± Raymond was a few months younger than Christopher but still about a year older than Yuliana. ¡°If I were to address her formally, things wouldn¡¯t have been fun,¡± Raymond pondered. With that thought in mind, he found his idea of calling Yuliana his little sister-inw delightful. Christopher hurled a kick toward Raymond upon hearing those words. Sadly, Raymond did not see it coming. Thus he groaned in pain. Then came Christopher¡¯s sneer. ¡°She¡¯s not your little sister-inw, okay? My mom only gave birth to three children, so don¡¯t you even think of pretending to be my sibling¡± Raymond¡¯s face was filled with grievances. He secretly cursed Christopher. The rest looked at Raymond¡¯s mien andughed at him. Among them, Xandria guffawed the loudest. Raymond red at Xandria with a grim countenance. ¡°How dare youugh at me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Am I bothering you?¡± retorted Xandria as she arched a brow. Christopher ignored them, pulled out a chair, and urged Yuliana to sit down. He then briefly introduced the rest of the group to Yuliana. Some of the group were Christopher¡¯s ssmates from high school, while some were Christopher¡¯s ssmates from university. Only Raymond and Leonard grew up together with Christopher. ¡°Ms. Livingstone!¡± A male voice rang out abruptly. That was Craig Newton, sitting next to Leonard. He was one of Christopher¡¯s ssmates from university. Yuliana had no impression of that man. ! Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Shut Up When Yuliana heard Craig calling her name, she subconsciously looked at him. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, do you remember me?¡± Craig smiled at Yuliana. He had a delicate face and a very infectious smile. He also had a cute little canine tooth. If Yuliana hadn¡¯t known that he was a ssmate of Christopher at university, she would have thought he was still a university student. Hearing his words, Yuliana was stunned for a moment and then thought about it carefully. Although she and Christopher were in the same university, their majors were different. The university campus was bigger than the high school, so it wasn¡¯t easy to meet someone. Besides, Yuliana and Craig didn¡¯t know each other. Even if they met asionally, they would pass by each other and wouldn¡¯t remember each other. However, what Craig meant was that they had met before. Craig looked at Christopher and sighed regretfully, ¡°I don¡¯t think she remembers.¡± Yuliana also nced at Christopher, who was pouring coffee and didn¡¯t show much emotion. She turned her eyes to Craig again and asked, ¡°Have we met each other before?¡± Craig didn¡¯t say anything. He only used his hands to gesture. At first, Yuliana didn¡¯t see what he was gesturing. Later, she realized that he was doing the action of holding an umbre. Yuliana was confused for a few seconds. Then, she suddenly remembered something and said in surprise, ¡°Umbre!¡± Craig replied, ¡°Do you remember now?¡± Yuliana nodded and said with a smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t thanked you yet!¡± Raymond looked at them and didn¡¯t understand what was going on. He asked, ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Yuliana was about to exin when Craig said, ¡°What does it have to do with you? This is the secret between Ms. Livingstone and me!¡± Craig¡¯s words were ambiguous, so Yuliana shot Christopher a sideways nce and saw him sipping coffee while ncing toward Craig. Raymond poked Christopher and asked, ¡°Chris, listen. Does he know what he is saying?¡± Christopher¡¯s ears turned red. He nced at Raymond coldly and said, ¡°Shut up.¡± Craig raised his eyebrows at Raymond proudly. Yuliana didn¡¯t expect it to be such a coincidence that the umbre she borrowed that night was from Christopher¡¯s schoolmate, Craig. Yuliana remembered she was in her sophomore year that night. The final exam was around the corner, so she was studying in the library. When she left, it was a littlete and raining heavily. The library was quite far from the dormitory, and it would take more than 20 minutes to walk back. When she was standing at the library door and didn¡¯t know what to do, someone suddenly handed her an umbre. Before she could react, the man stuffed the umbre into her hands and rushed into the rain in his hoodie. Yuliana didn¡¯t even see what the person looked like. She wanted to find an opportunity to return the umbre, but the man who borrowed her that night didn¡¯t show up until she graduated from university. When Yuliana moved out of the dormitory after graduation, she lost the umbre. After graduation, Yuliana also forgot about that matter. The waiters began to serve the dishes one after another, and everyone was chatting while eating. Most of Christopher¡¯s friends were male. Besides Yuliana and Xandria, there was another woman who was one of Christopher¡¯s friend¡¯s girlfriends. Perhaps because she was not very familiar with the people there, so she didn¡¯t speak much and had a weak sense of presence. There were many men, so they drank a lot, especially Christopher. Raymond took the lead to drink with Yuliana but was stopped by Christopher. When the group of men gathered together, they began to talk a lot after drinking too much. However, Christopher was slightly better. He didn¡¯t say much. Most of the time, he listened to Raymond and the others talk. He wouldugh when he heard something funny and interrupt asionally. It could be seen that Christopher was very rxed when he was around these people. This was something Yuliana had never seen before. Christopher took off his coat and put it on the back of the chair. He was wearing a ck round-cor sweater with his sleeves folded up. He put one hand on the back of Yuliana¡¯s chair while holding the wine ss and toasting with others on the other hand. With that, he downed his wine in one gulp. After finishing his wine, Raymond filled up Christopher¡¯s ss again while he smiled at the others. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. Christopher noticed something and looked at her. As their eyes met, Christopher pinched Yuliana¡¯s earlobe with the hand on the back of her chair, asking, ¡°Are you tired?¡± Christopher¡¯s skin was pale, and he blushed easily after drinking alcohol. After a few sses of wine, his whole face had turned red. Even his eyes were dark and bright when he looked at her. Yuliana shook her head and withdrew her gaze. She felt thirsty, so she took a sip of warm water. Christopher saw the cup in front of her was empty, so he stretched out his long arm, picked up the kettle from the rack behind him, and refilled her water. Yuliana picked up her cup and drank it slowly. Xandria also drank a lot, and people were ying drinking games with her. However, she kept losing, so she did most of the drinking. Then, Yuliana apanied her to the bathroom, and she vomited. When they were returning to their private room, they met someone who was a friend of Xandria. Yuliana had also met him before but couldn¡¯t remember his name. Xandria had good alcohol tolerance, so she was notpletely drunk. She heard someone calling her name. After a moment, she quickly recognized the man. ¡°Golden?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. It looks like you¡¯re still sober.¡± Golden smiled and pointed to the public area behind him. ¡°Xani, Larry is also there. Do you want to go with me?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Xandria frowned slightly and lost bnce. As she stumbled, the man immediately reached out to hold her. Xandria fell into his arms and touched his nose, saying, ¡°No!¡± Then, she shook off the man and wanted to leave with Yuliana. Golden called Xandria again, but thetter didn¡¯t answer. She took Yuliana back to their private room. Golden went to the bathroom and came back. He sat beside Larry and said, ¡°Larry, guess who I met just now?¡± Larry drank his wine and looked back at him. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Xani, and her friend, Yuliana.¡± Golden¡¯s actual name was Ondo Golding. His friends nicknamed him Golden. He met Xandria through Larry. In the past, Larry and Xandria were very close to each other. Wherever Xandria appeared, Larry would basically be there too. Golden once thought Larry liked Xandria. After a long time, he knew they weren¡¯t in a rtionship after realizing they had nothing going on. If he hadn¡¯t met Xandria just now, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed that Larry hadn¡¯t mentioned her for a long time when they were hanging out together. Hearing what Golden said. Larry¡¯s eyes turned cold. He said nothing but raised his head and drank the wine as if he didn¡¯t hear it. Then heughed and chatted with the others. Golden scratched the back of his head, looked at Larry in confusion, and didn¡¯t mention Xandria again. Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Drink Less At nearly ten o¡¯clock, a group of people came out of the restaurant. Everyone there drank except for Yuliana and another girl called Amber Hudson. Although Yuliana had a driver¡¯s license, she had never been on the road. Now that she was pregnant, she dared not drive alone. Hence, she contacted several chauffeurs. There was no way Christopher¡¯s sports car could fit three people in it. Because of that, Yuliana asked the chauffeur to take Raymond home using Christopher¡¯s car. Meanwhile, she and Christopher went back to Raymond¡¯s car. She did not get in the car with Christopher until the others left. After getting in the car, Christopher adjusted his posture and leaned his head on Yuliana¡¯s shoulder. Yuliana touched his face and asked softly, ¡°Do you want to buy something to ease your hangover?¡± Shutting his eyes, Christopher grabbed her hand and kissed it repeatedly. Feeling tipsy, he murmured in a hoarse voice, ¡°No. It¡¯s fine.¡± His face was still flushing. Yuliana said, ¡°I read somewhere on the inte that people who flush when they drink might have trouble. digesting alcoholpletely.¡± Christopher chuckled and responded, ¡°Well. So?¡± ¡°So, you should drink less in the future. It¡¯s not good for your health.¡± Christopher opened his eyes to nce at her. ¡°Are you telling me what to do?¡± Yuliana met his eyes and asked, ¡°I can¡¯t do that?¡± Christopher yed with her fingers and bit her ring finger. ¡°Of course, you can. You¡¯re my wife,¡± She smiled. The New Year¡¯s Day holiday was over. Soon, it would be the end of the semester. The final exam fell on the 10th of January. There was only a week or so until the day arrived. After the final exam, Yuliana nned to visit Damian before going to Jeahron with Christopher. Thest time Yuliana saw Damian was before she got divorced from Harry. Ever since Damian got imprisoned, he did not want Yuliana to visit him there. He would put on a long face and throw a tantrum at Yuliana each time she went. Nheless, Yuliana knew that Damian refused to let her see his condition in jail. He did not want Yuliana to waste her energy on him. ¡°Twenty years¡­ I don¡¯t know if he can survive until the day he gets out of prison,¡± thought Yuliana. Nheless, nothing ever turned out as nned, as something happened in Romdale before the final exam. Yorick passed away. ording to the news from Romdale, Yorick ended his life by jumping off a building. Immediately after finding out, Christopher rushed to Romdale. Before Yorick died, Christopher managed to obtain evidence of Yorick¡¯s crimes over the years. He was certain Yorick would be arrested once the police got the evidence. However, Christopher had never expected him to end his life at that critical point. Christopher arrived in Romdale the next day. Without dy, the police proceeded to take his statement. The police were in the midst of investigating the incident. Naturally, they would not reveal any details to him. After Christopher finished his statement, he called Cameron to the office to try to understand the entire situation. ording to Cameron, Yorick jumped down from the top floor of the building. The security guard on duty heard the loud noise at night and came out to check, only to see Yorick¡¯s body shattered into pieces. He was bleeding terribly, and his internal organs were sttered all over the ground. The security guard witnessed the incident but was so terrified to do anything. Subsequently, another security guard rushed to call the police. The police sealed the scene once they arrived and started an investigation. Not only that, but the police also interrogated the people who were close to Yorick in thepany. After hearing Cameron¡¯s words, Christopher tapped his feet and turned the chair. ¡°Where¡¯s Lincoln?¡± Cameron replied, ¡°He was called to e police stationst night and only came out in the morning. He should be in his office now.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°He must be quite surprised about Yorick¡¯s death.¡± Just now, Cameron greeted Lincoln when Lincoln came back to the office. However, he looked dispirited, ignoring Cameron as he went to his room. Timothy and Howard rushed to the office about an hourter and entered Lincoln¡¯s room. They were inside for about ten minutes beforeing out. Cameron could tell that Yorick¡¯s death made Lincoln nervous. Nheless, it made sense. After all, Yorick was Lincoln¡¯s support in thepany. Because of that, Lincoln could do whatever he wanted. Without Yorick, Lincoln would be having a hard time in thepany. Furthermore, he hadmitted a number of crimes together with Yorick. His future would be doomed if someone found out what they did. Cameron asked, ¡°Mr. Sce, do you want to take this opportunity to hand over the evidence to the police?¡± Christopher shot Cameron a nce, knowing well what Cameron was thinking. Now that Yorick had died, it was the best time to hand over the evidence to the police. With that, Lincoln, Howard, and Timothy would not be able to survive for long. Losing so many high-level executives at once, Romdale would need recruiting new people for those positions. Withdrawing his gaze, Christopher got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. He looked down, only to see the bloodstains near the guard line. That was what Yorick left behind. Meanwhile, Cameron stood a few steps away. Watching Christopher¡¯s back, he could not help but feel slightly anxious. When Christopher first came to Romdale, Cameron shared the same thought with Lincoln and the rest, assuming that Christopher was nothing but a useless silver-spooned kid. Later, he was promoted by Christopher when he was under Lincoln. Christopher also made Cameron switch sides without much effort. It was at that moment Cameron realized that he was wrong about him. In fact, Christopher was observant enough to study one¡¯s intention. He could tell that Cameron refused to submit and wanted more. So, he seduced Cameron to make him work for him willingly. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Now that it was the right time, he knew that Cameron would do anything to seize the opportunity. Christopher kept silent for a long time and finally said, ¡°Give the evidence to the police.¡± ¡°Yorick¡¯s dead. It¡¯s useless to retain the evidence anymore. It¡¯s also now the best time to pass the evidence to the police,¡± he contemted. Christopher turned to look at Cameron andmanded, ¡°Let the public know that Yorick ended his life to escape punishment for his crimes.¡± Hearing that, Cameron was stunned for a moment. He was puzzled, but he did not ask further. He merely hummed in acknowledgment and went out. Other than Lincoln, Howard, and Timothy, some high-ranking executives were taken away by the police the following day. It was already the end of the year, but things kept happening in Romdale. Christopher had no other choice. but to stay there, hoping he could keep things under control in Romdale. He spent time there cooperating with the police investigation and restructuring thepany¡¯s affairs. Meanwhile, the students were on winter break in Juxshire, and so was Yuliana. Ever since Christopher went to Romdale, they did not get to talk to each other as often. Christopher was too busy. Besides, Yuliana would be sleeping when he gave her a call around two or three o¡¯clock in the morning. They only texted each other asionally, and Christopher¡¯s replies were not constant. Yuliana went to visit Damian alone. Compared to half a year ago, Damian had lost weight and grown more gray hair. Damian shed a darkened expression and uttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not toe again, Yuliana?¡± Pursing her lips, Yuliana answered, ¡°No one wille to see you other than me.¡± The corner of Damian¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to visit me. I don¡¯t have to worry about anything here. There is food for me here, and I have doctors to look after my health too. I¡¯m happy here.¡± Yuliana fixed her stare at him before asking, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want me to see you. How about your grandchild, then?¡± Chapter 187 Chapter 187 1 Chapter 187 Harry Is Not The Father Upon hearing what Yuliana said, Damian was stunned for a moment. He could not believe his ears and asked, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°My due date is by the end of May.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! This is great!¡± Damianughed with relief. Tears welled up in his eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°I was at first worried that your marriage with Harry wouldn¡¯tst long. Since you¡¯re pregnant, I guess your marriage is safe again.¡± After Yuliana and Harry were married, they did not have a baby together. At first, Damian thought Yuliana could still try for a baby in a few years since she was still young. Unexpectedly, the incident happened, and he was sent to prison. Damian was constantly worried that his affairs would affect Yuliana and Harry¡¯s marriage. Back when Harry married Yuliana, Damian knew Harry had an impure motive. If Yuliana did not insist on marrying Harry, Damian would have never allowed his daughter to be with Harry. no matter what. There was no wrong for one to be ambitious. However, if Harry did not genuinely care for Yuliana and only treated her as a tool for profit, Damian knew Harry would naturally abandon Yuliana when he deemed she was no longer useful to him. As a father, Damian wanted nothing else but for Yuliana to find someone who truly loved and cared for her for the rest of her life. Clearly, Harry did not meet Damian¡¯s requirements to be his son-inw. ¡°Since you are pregnant, you should focus on building a good life with Harry. You don¡¯t have toe here and visit me!¡± Damian¡¯s expression softened a little. He continued, ¡°Even if Harry doesn¡¯t mind youing here, the Ziegler family patriarch, your father-inw, and the other members of the Ziegler family would never want to have their names associated with mine.¡± Yuliana did not immediately exin herself, but she was in a trance when she looked at Damian. It had only been two years. Damian used to be a vigorous and powerful man, yet he was now looking like an ordinary old man. In fact, Damian was not too old. He was yet to reach 60 years old. Before the incident, Damian was chubbier, but he still looked young for his age. However, he had lost weight since then and was no longer as energetic as before. He had aged a lot.. Yuliana lowered her eyelids and contemted her words before saying. ¡°Harry is not the baby¡¯s father.¡± ¡°What?¡± Damian was so shocked that he could not believe his ears. Yuliana raised her gaze again at him and smiled faintly, exining, ¡°Actually, Harry and I have been divorced for a while.¡± ¡°Did Harry force you to divorce?¡± Damian asked sternly and clenched his fists, mming the table angrily. The prison officers heard the loud noise and immediately opened the door to check on the situation.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Yuliana was embarrassed and said, ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± The prison officers warned Damian before leaving the room. Yuliana stared at Damian¡¯s angry face and paused before saying. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he forced me. We¡¯re divorced now. To me, this is already in the past.¡± Damian rubbed his face with both hands and remained silent for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this.¡± Seeing his guilty look, Yuliana felt a little uneasy and smiled at him. ¡°Harry wouldn¡¯t have married me if I weren¡¯t your daughter. Don¡¯t feel sorry for me. These were all my decisions. Besides, I¡¯m doing quite well now.¡± Damian quietly listened to her and asked, ¡°Then, who is the father of the baby?¡± ¡°His name is Christopher Sce.¡± ¡°Christopher Sce?¡± Damian had no impression of the name. ¡°What does he do for a living? Is he good to you?¡± Yuliana thought for a while and chuckled. ¡°I am not too sure about his job in detail.¡± Although Christopher was recently busy dealing with the Sce Corporation Romdale Branch¡¯s matters, Yuliana believed it was only temporary. Christopher did not seem too interested in Sce Corporation. She only chuckled at the mention of Christopher¡¯s job because she found it funny that she did not know much about it despite being his wife. ¡°But then, he is quite good to me.¡± Damian nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Yuliana looked at the time, knowing that visit time was almost over, and said, ¡°Sabrina called me a few days ago. She and Jake have settled abroad. Jake is also attending school now. You don¡¯t have to worry about them. She said she would bring Jake back this year to visit you.¡± Sabrina Livingstone was Damian¡¯s second wife and Yuliana¡¯s stepmother. As for Jake, his full name was Jacob Livingstone. He was ten years old and the son of Damian and Sabrina. When the incident happened, Damian had arranged to send Sabrina and Jacob abroad. At first, he wanted Yuliana to go with them too, but Yuliana refused. Besides, Yuliana was already married and had her own family. It was inappropriate for Damian to send her abroad. Not to mention, Yuliana could still rely on her mother, Callie, if things became difficult for her. Before Damian¡¯s incident, Yuliana was only acquainted with Sabrina. Although they were not as hostile as other stepmothers and stepdaughters who were always at each other¡¯s throats, Yuliana and Sabrina were not close either. They even acted politely around each other. After Sabrina and Jacob went abroad, Yuliana and Sabrina started to contact each other more regrly to learn about Damian¡¯s and Jacob¡¯s current situations. Hence, they became much closer to each other. At the mention of Sabrina and Jacob, Damian remained silent for a long time. Yuliana said, ¡°Sabrina and Jake sent me some recent photos. I have printed them out and given them to the prison officers. They will hand over the pictures to you soon. Jake has lost much weight, and he¡¯s much taller than before. I think he will soon grow as tall as Sabrina.¡± In the past, Jacob did not grow any taller. The more he ate, the more weight he gained, and he was soon overweight. Damian was worried that would affect Jacob¡¯s health, so he kept urging Jacob to be on a diet and lose weight. At that time, Jacob was rebellious and had a fiery temper. If the adults stopped him from eating, he would throw a tantrum, and no one could control him. However, Jacob was rather obedient to Yuliana. Although they were half-siblings from different mothers, they were pretty close with each other. Damian said, ¡°Ana, I know I am not a qualified father to you and your brother. Jake is still a child, so I will have to trouble you more to take care of him on my behalf. Also, Sabrina is still young. Please tell her to think about herself if she meets someone better in the future. Let her know that she doesn¡¯t have to bring Jake back here. Even if they returned to the country, I wouldn¡¯t want to see them.¡± He paused and looked at Yuliana. ¡°You too. Stoping here in the future.¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± Damian waved his hand and stood up. He walked over to the door and was about to leave. But as he held the doorknob, he suddenly stopped and turned around, saying to Yuliana, ¡°Now that Jake is living abroad, you¡¯re the only person left to manage the Livingstone family. If you¡¯re filial, please remember to visit your grandparents¡¯ tombs once a year.¡± Yuliana¡¯s grandparents passed away before she was born, but Damian would bring his family to their tombs every year to pay them respect. Yuliana said, ¡°I will.¡± After leaving the prison, Yuliana felt a little at a loss. Looking up at the sky, she noticed it was gloomy and windy. Such weather in winter felt exceptionally lonely, and it could easily affect one¡¯s mood. On her way back, Yuliana recalled a lot of things about Damian. Although he could not be considered an upright and honest government official, he was also not a bad guy. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 I Missed You New Year¡¯s Eve was a momentous day for the Sce family. ording to their custom, on this day, Zachary¡¯s siblings, Zavier Sce and Zaiden Sce, and their families would be invited to have a meal together at noon to celebrate the new year. In previous years, Joyce handled all the preparations. It would be different this year. Yuliana was also the daughter-inw of the Sce family. Therefore, after Yuliana¡¯s school holiday, Joyce took the initiative to discuss the preparations with her. However, Yuliana had no experience in the matter. Neither Damian nor Callie were the people who would take care of their family much. On New Year¡¯s Eve, they would have a lot of socializing to do. They would only return home to have dinner with Yuliana at night and give her some mary gift. That was about it. When Yuliana was married to Harry, they would go to the nursing home to have lunch with Harry¡¯s grandma Amelia on New Year¡¯s Eve and then visit the Ziegler family for the family dinner in the evening. After dinner, Harry would have a lot of socializing, and Yuliana would always stay home. Therefore, Joyce was the one who came up with the idea and preparations in the end, and Yuliana could only help her out since she had no experience. Christopher returned to Juxshire the day before New Year¡¯s Eve. The Sce Corporation Romdale Branch had a lot of problems left behind, many of which needed to be solved urgently. The project that caused issues before was also prepared to resume work. It was expected to continue after the New Year holiday. Therefore, Christopher had to rush around various ces to solve the problem during this period. The case of Yorick¡¯s death was closed after the police investigated and ruled out suspicions of Yorick being murdered. Christopher went to Romdale for half a month. In the past half of the month, they had only seen each other a few times by video calling. After the holiday, Yuliana picked up some luggage and moved into Juxshire Skke Residence. After all, the house at the Celestial Garden was rented. After getting married to Christopher, Yuliana thought it would be better to spend the New Year at their home with him. Hailey cooked dinner for Yuliana and returned to the Sce residence as she was preparing the family dinner for the Sce family the next day. Christopher¡¯s flight was around seven o¡¯clock in the evening, but he reached homete, almost early in the morning, due to the flight dy of nearly an hour. Yuliana curled up on the couch and waited for him while watching TV. As her pregnancy progressed, she became drowsy easily. At about ten o¡¯clock, she felt her eyelids were heavy, so she fell asleep listening to the sound of the TV. Yuliana did not sleep long, as if she had a feeling that someone wasing back. She suddenly woke up about ten minutes before the clock struck twelve early in the morning. She nced at the time and nned to call Christopher. When she asked him about his whereabouts, she heard a noise from the door. She turned her head and saw the door open slowly from the outside. Christopher walked in with his luggage. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. They looked at each other for a while until Christopher looked at her with a gentle smile. He stretched his arms and said teasingly, ¡°Ana, you haven¡¯t seen your husband for half a month. Shouldn¡¯t you greet him warmly?¡± Yuliana returned to her senses. She hurriedly stood up and walked over. She then threw herself into Christopher¡¯s arms and hugged his waist. Christopher wrapped around her thin back tightly and looked down at her. He asked, ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Yuliana raised her head and asked back softly, ¡°Well, did you miss me?¡± Christopher did not answer. He stared at her face for a while and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. Christopher hugged her and kissed her for a while. While his lips were still caressing hers, he whispered teasingly, ¡°What do you think? Did I miss you?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re so desperate to miss me,¡± Yuliana replied. Yuliana¡¯s body trembled, and she hurriedly broke free from Christopher. She blushed and felt breathless. She stared at his lips and could not help but raise her head to kiss him again, just like how he had just kissed her. She missed him very much too. Before Christopher returned, she only thought about missing him for a little, but as time went by, she got more and more excited about his return. When Yuliana saw Christopher appear at the door, her excitement had reached its peak. She just wanted to rush over and hug him tightly, only to find that she missed him very much and wanted to hug and kiss him for a long time, refusing to release him. They kissed at the door for a while, reluctant to stop. Yuliana felt weak from the kiss and was carried back to their room by Christopher. He kissed the tip of her nose and lips, talking to her in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower ande back soon.¡± Yuliana looked into his eyes and replied in a trembling voice, ¡°I miss you.¡± There was still undissolved desire in her eyes, and her pupils were dark and bright. Christopher¡¯s heart shook twice. He gently tucked the strand of hair on her face away and bent down to kiss her again. The kiss was gentle and long, and it seemed to have a kind offorting effect. After the kiss ended, Yuliana¡¯s breath returned to normal, and her emotions calmed down. Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± After saying that, he immediately got up and went to the bathroom. Yuliana was lying on the bed, recalling their exchange just now. Her calm heartbeat turned fast again. She was not a person who would show and express her emotions easily. When she liked Harry before, she did not show her love strongly to him. However, it was as if she was a different person tonight, and she hardly recognized herself. The next day, Yuliana suddenly woke up. She picked up her phone and checked the time. It was almost nine o¡¯clock in the morning. Beside her, Christopher was still fast asleep. She patted him twice. ¡°Christopher, stop sleeping!¡± Hearing the voice, Christopher frowned and looked up with his eyes open. He started to feel anxious after seeing Yuliana was about to get out of bed. He stretched out his arm and pulled Yuliana down. He let her fall on his chest and turned over to adjust their position, tucking her hair behind. He kissed and bit lightly on her neck and shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be in a rush,¡± Christopher said lightly. Yuliana pushed him and dodged his kiss. She replied in a hurry, ¡°Stop it. We have to return to the Sce residence. It¡¯s already nine o¡¯clock.¡± He only replied, ¡°Nine o¡¯clock, and it¡¯s still early.¡± ¡°How is it early?¡± Yuliana thought. The family dinner would start at twelve o¡¯clock at noon. If they would prepare and be ready to leave now, it would be almost eleven o¡¯clock when they reach the Sce residence. The family members of Christopher¡¯s two uncles, Zavier and Zaiden, would have arrived before them. It would be inappropriate to have the elders wait for them. Yuliana shouted, ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher froze and supported his head up slowly, looking at her. She frowned and looked slightly annoyed. Her watery eyes were captivating. Christopher replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°Call me honey as you called mest night, then I¡¯ll get up right away.¡± Upon hearing it, Yuliana felt shy and annoyed at the same time. She could not help ring at him. Christopher gently pecked her lips and said, trying to coax her, ¡°Ana, I want to hear you say it. Can you say it to me again?¡± Yuliana did not understand why a man like him could effortlessly act like a spoiled child. Instead of making her feel annoyed, she could only think of agreeing to his demands regardless of anything. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Her heart softened from the action. Yuliana¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. ¡°Remember to keep your promise.¡± Christopher mentioned before that what he said in bed was untrustworthy. Yuliana had suffered from believing his words and had some experience with that. ¡°Okay. I will.¡± Christopher nuzzled the tip of her nose and chuckled. He thought, ¡°Well, she had learned to be smart.¡± Yuliana hesitated for a while. She pulled him down by his neck and gently whispered the word in his ears. Only Christopher could hear the word, and it sounded like it was from a kitten. Christopher began to toy with Yuliana again. ¡°Your voice is too soft. I didn¡¯t hear it. It doesn¡¯t count!¡± ¡°Christopher!¡± Yuliana knew Christopher would react like this. She was so angry that she could not help biting him. In the end, both of them finally got up from bed after being dyed until half past nine. It was already past eleven o¡¯clock when they returned to the Sce residence. Most of Christopher¡¯s rtives from Zavier¡¯s and Zaiden¡¯s families had arrived. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 When Did You Come Back? Zachary had two younger brothers and a younger sister. From the oldest to youngest, they were Zavier Sce, Zaiden Sce, and Zarina Sce. Zarina immigrated to Archulea shortly after she got married, and she rarely returned to the country. Zavier and Zaiden assisted Zachary in handling the affairs of Sce Corporation. Until now, they still held important positions in Sce Corporation. Zavier had three sons and a daughter. Zavier¡¯s eldest son would be turning forty in two years, and Zavier¡¯s second kid, who was also his only daughter, was a few years older than La. Zavier¡¯s thirdborn son was about the same age as La, while his youngest son just graduated from university. Except for the youngest one, the others were all married. On the other hand, Zaiden only had one son who was in his early 30s. The son was a few months older than La. When Christopher and Yuliana arrived, it was not time for dinner yet. Zavier and Zaiden yed chess with Zachary while drinking coffee. Meanwhile, Zavier¡¯s wife, Isabe Sce, and Zaiden¡¯s wife, Wendy Sce, chatted with Winnie. The younger generations were also with their own group, talking andughing. On New Year¡¯s Eve, the atmosphere at the Sce residence was very festive. The house was decorated for the asion, and the courtyard was filled with the sound of children chasing each other and ying around. From time to time, firecrackers would sound. When Yuliana and Christopher got out of the car, Zofia ran over with a few children about her age. They were wearing jackets with vibrant colors, their faces red from running and their hair wet with sweat. ¡°Hello, Uncle Chris and Aunt Yuliana! Happy new year!¡± Zofia didn¡¯t rush into Yuliana¡¯s arms this time. Instead, she went up to hug Christopher¡¯s thigh, raised her head, and looked at him while giggling. The other children gathered around Christopher and called him ¡°Uncle Chris¡± enthusiastically. Seeing this, Yuliana stepped back instinctively. ¡°Uncle Chris, happy new year!¡± Zofia looked at Christopher eagerly and stretched out her hand. ¡°Where¡¯s my gift?¡± Christopher pinched Zofia¡¯s face and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about it!¡± With that, he took out some envelopes from his pocket and gave one each to the children in front of him. He had prepared the envelopes with money on the way here. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After getting the envelope, Zofia took the lead and thanked Christopher. Then she turned to approach Yuliana and ignored Christopher. The other children were from Zavier¡¯s and Zaiden¡¯s families, so they didn¡¯t go up to Yuliana since they weren¡¯t close to thetter. ¡°Aunt Yuliana!¡± Zofia took Yuliana¡¯s hand and motioned thetter to lower her head. ¡°I have something to tell you!¡± Seeing Zofia¡¯s serious face, Yuliana felt a little amused. Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but look at Christopher, who also looked at her with a faint smile. However, he seemed a little distracted. Nevertheless, Yuliana bent down and asked gently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zofia put her hands beside Yuliana¡¯s ear and said, ¡°She¡¯s here.¡± At first, Yuliana didn¡¯t figure out who Zofia was talking about. After a while, she realized something. Surprised, Yuliana looked at Christopher out of reflex. He was still smiling like earlier. Yuliana returned to her senses, smiled at Zofia, and touched the girl¡¯s head. Turning to Christopher, Yuliana asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Christopher reached out to hold Yuliana¡¯s waist and walked toward the main hall with her. ¡°I just found out, too.¡± While they were on the way here, La sent Christopher a message, telling him Annabelle was back. Previously, Annabelle would celebrate the new year with the Sce family every year. Naturally, this year was no exception. Yuliana lowered her eyes and pursed her lips lightly without saying anything. ncing at Yuliana, Christopher was about to speak when a familiar voice came from the front. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Yuliana and Christopher looked over and saw Annabelle walking over with another woman. Yuliana remembered that woman. She was from Zavier¡¯s family, and Yuliana had met her at Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet. At the sight of the natural smile on Annabelle¡¯s face, Yuliana thought, ¡°I can¡¯t act so calm and frank like her. I don¡¯t even know how I should treat her.¡± Still, Yuliana smiled and nodded to the two women. Then she followed Christopher and greeted Annabelle. Christopher looked at Annabelle and asked, ¡°When did youe back?¡± ¡°Yesterday,¡± answered Annabelle. In fact, Annabelle didn¡¯t n toe back at first. But after giving it a thought, she decided toe back in the end. If she didn¡¯te back, then people would forget about certain things. Christopher didn¡¯t say anything more. He greeted the woman beside Annabelle and led Yuliana to walk along the outdoor corridor toward the main hall. After the couple left, the woman with Annabelle stopped and turned to look at the backs of Christopher and Yuliana. She then looked at Annabelle and sighed. ¡°Annabelle, if you hadn¡¯t run away from the marriage that. time, you would be the one by Christopher¡¯s side now!¡± The woman was Gemma Sce. She was the wife of Jayden Sce, Zavier¡¯s third son. Gemma had a good rtionship with Annabelle and had always felt sorry for Annabelle. ¡°Gemma, there are no what-ifs in this world.¡± Annabelle smiled faintly, her gaze fixed somewhere far away. Gemma looked at Annabelle and sighed again. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a pity after all those years you spent with Christopher?¡± Annabelle was silent for a while, and then sheughed. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a pity. However, nothing is perfect in life. There will always be regrets.¡± Meanwhile, Yuliana followed Christopher to meet Winnie first. As the couple arrived sote, Winnie deliberately scolded with a stern face in front of Isabe and Wendy. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a father soon, but you¡¯re still so unreliable. Look at the time!¡± Christopher let Yuliana sit next to Winnie. With a smile, he said, ¡°That¡¯s your grandchild¡¯s fault. If the baby hadn¡¯t made trouble right after waking up in the morning, Ana and I would have arrived early!¡± Yuliana nced at Christopher and thought he was lying smoothly. Winnie¡¯s face immediately softened when she heard Christopher. She looked at Yuliana¡¯s stomach and asked, ¡°The baby made you suffer again? Are you still feeling unwell?¡± ¡°Not anymore,¡± Yuliana responded. Winnie nodded and reminded Yuliana, ¡°You have to be very careful especially if you feel ufortable. Don¡¯t just let it be.¡± ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yuliana reassured Winnie. After Winnie told Yuliana a few more things thetter should take note of as a pregnant woman, Christopher led Yuliana to Zachary Zachary was ying chess with Zavier, while Zaiden was drinking coffee while watching them from the side. asionally, he would give his input about the game. Christopher and Yuliana only greeted the trio and did not disturb the chess game. Afterward, Yuliana wanted to see if Joyce needed any help, while Christopher¡¯s cousins dragged Christopher to the poker table when they found out he had arrived. With that, the couple separated. It was almost dinner time, and Joyce was supervising in the kitchen. Yuliana was going to the kitchen to see if Joyce needed a hand, but she had only been to the Sce residence a few times. As Yuliana was unfamiliar with the ce, she couldn¡¯t find the kitchen even after walking around for a while. In the end, she met a housekeeper who was refilling coffee and asked the latter where the kitchen was. Only then did she have an idea where the kitchen was located. When Yuliana was about to head to the kitchen, she saw Annabelle walking toward her. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Winning Or Losing Is A Mindset Annabelle came from the direction of the kitchen, and she was holding a fruit tter. The hallway leading to the kitchen was by no means spacious, and Annabelle and Yuliana were right in the middle. One of them had to step aside to avoid bumping into the other. However, neither of them budged to let the other pass. They held each other¡¯s gaze for a few seconds. Annabelle was the first to break the silence, smiling as she said indifferently. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve won, Yuliana?¡± Annabelle was wearing a red sweater today, which she matched with a long skirt that hemmed at her calves to reveal the delicate silhouette of her legs and ankles. Her sweater was a very pretty red, and its cutting. entuated her figure, too. She let her long and straight hair fall over her shoulders. She was also wearing makeup. Every bit of her seemed to radiate feminine charm. In contrast, Yuliana did not look half as good as Annabelle. She had been wearing a down jacket when she arrived, and she took it off the moment she was indoors to reveal a baggy, light-colored, knitted blouse underneath that hung past her hips. Yuliana layered the blouse. over a shirt, and to amodate her pregnancy, she finished her look with a pair of white, loose trousers. She also pulled her hair into a low ponytail and managed to wear a lightyer of makeup. Her shell-pink lips were bare, but she looked fresh and clean. If Yuliana was a painting in bright, bold colors, then Annabelle was one in muted shades of pastel. Nheless, it looked like Annabelle was more than capable of holding her own against Yuliana¡¯s attractive appeal. If anything, Annabelle¡¯s natural look belied a calm and collected energy, whereas Yuliana¡¯s look came off as over-the-top. Yuliana eyed Annabelle steadily and said, ¡°Think whatever you like, but I never intended topete against you in the first ce.¡± Annabelle strode forward and stopped a couple of steps away from Yuliana. Their heights were simr, but when it came to appearance, Annabelle¡¯s strong, modelesque features would capture anyone¡¯s attention at first sight. Yuliana, on the other hand, had rtively more delicate features that would not necessarily turn heads, but she carried herself with effortless grace. If she stood next to Annabelle, she would easily outshine thetter.¡± Annabelle stared at Yuliana¡¯s impassive expression. Since the first day Annabelle came to know Yuliana, she had never seen Yuliana startled or upset, like she was born indifferent. There were times when Annabelle wished she could see what Yuliana looked like when she cried. ¡°You must really hate me, Yuliana, Annabelle said, chuckling. ¡°Your beloved Harry only ever had eyes for me, and the father of your children will abandon you all without hesitation as soon as I call out for him. At the end of the day, your marriage to him means nothing.¡± Yuliana let out a light, humorlessugh, pointing out, ¡°Well, you may be right. Harry is in love with you, and Christopher would dly abandon us just to be with you, but you¡¯ve forgotten that both these men would rather have me as a wife than marry you. I¡¯m Christopher¡¯s wife now and the rightful daughter-in- law of the Sce family. You, on the other hand, have no ce in Christopher¡¯s life or his family. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s awkward for you to be here?¡± The smile on Annabelle¡¯s face slipped when she heard this. She glowered at Yuliana as her grip tightened on the fruit tter. After a while, she drawled sarcastically, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could be so sharp-tongued, Ms. Livingstone. I guess I underestimated you.¡± Yuliana had always been rational, and she did not like arguing with others. As far as she was concerned, arguing would not solve matters and would only worsen them. However, that did not mean she was a pushover. She picked up psychology because of her career, and she had dabbled in the subject during her university days. Although she did not want to use psychology as a tool to analyze others¡¯ behavior, she dived into the possible reasons behind Annabelle¡¯s constant provocation. Based on Yuliana¡¯s observation, Annabelle liked to present herself as the stronger person with all the winning cards whenever they faced each other. This was enough to show that, deep down, Annabelle actually felt vulnerable whenever she saw Yuliana. With that in mind, Yuliana smiled and stepped aside, saying, ¡°Go on, then. I¡¯ll continue this conversation with you, but I need to see if Joyce needs help in the kitchen.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Hearing this, Annabelle gripped the fruit tter so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She stared at Yuliana for a moment, then clenched her jaw and walked away. Yuliana stood in ce and waited until she calmed down before entering the kitchen. Preparations for the family dinner were almost done. In the kitchen, Joyce was assessing every dish with care. Today was a special asion, and unlike most other days, Joyce knew she could not afford to mess up the food. She was still inspecting the food when Yuliana approached and greeted her. ¡°Hey, Joyce.¡± Joyce put down the lid of the ceramic pot and asked anxiously, ¡°What are you doing here? The kitchen is hot and greasy from all the cooking. I don¡¯t want you near the smoke, either, not while you¡¯re still pregnant! If you need something, have the housekeeper give you a hand.¡± Yuliana thought this was an overreaction on Joyce¡¯s part and merelyughed it off. ¡°I¡¯m just here to see if you need help.¡± As she said this, she nced around the kitchen. This was the first time she was in the kitchen of the Sce residence. It was a massive space rivaling a full-range kitchen in arge restaurant, and it was stocked with all manner of kitchen equipment and fittings. There were four others in the kitchen with Joyce as well. Some were preparing the raw ingredients while the rest were busy operating the stove and cooking multiple dishes. All in all, the kitchen was in full swing. Joyce followed Yuliana¡¯s gaze and exined, ¡°The chefs are long-time staffers in the Sce residence, and they¡¯re usually on different shifts. They¡¯re only here together now to whip up the dishes in time to amodate the crowd. As for the other two, they were originally in charge of different jobs, but we had theme over today to help the two chefs.¡± Yuliana nodded. She vaguely recalled seeing the two who hade to offer extra help in the kitchen before, but she did not think she had ever seen the two chefs in person. After that, Joyce led Yuliana to greet the two chefs, then led her out of the kitchen. She said, ¡°There are a few more dishes to prep, and dinner will be ready afterward. I don¡¯t need any help here, and besides, you¡¯re not supposed to help out in the kitchen while you¡¯re pregnant. The floor can be slippery, and the air is filled with smoke and grease. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± Yuliana nodded and obediently followed Joyce out of the kitchen. Shortly after, they arrived at the greenhouse in the backyard. Four other women were there munching on fruit and sipping coffee while conversing. They looked like they were enjoying each other¡¯s company. Annabelle and Gemma were among them, too. Just as Yuliana and Joyce reached the entryway, thetter did not immediately pull the former into the greenhouse. Instead, she stopped and informed quietly, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯ve probably already met those women during Dad¡¯s birthday banquet. They¡¯re all daughters-inw of the Sce family.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve met Annabelle as well.¡± Yuliana nodded once. ¡°I have.¡± Joyce looked at her and appeared to hesitate before saying. ¡°I know you might feel ufortable about events like these. But the Sce family is big enough toe with its fair share ofplicated rtionships, and putting up with themes hand-in-hand with being a part of the family.¡± Joyce knew this better than anyone as she had been in Yuliana¡¯s shoes before. Yuliana had only exchanged brief pleasantries with these women during Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet, but no formal introductions were made. This was the first time Yuliana was celebrating New Year¡¯s with the Sce. family since marrying Christopher, and heaven knew what these women might say about her if she did not promptly attend to them. Joyce figured there was no better time than the present to let Yuliana meet them. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 You Should Not Have Returned Yuliana understood what Joyce was trying to tell her, and she knew that Joyce meant well. Back at the scene in the greenhouse, it was clear that the women got along well with Annabelle. Since Annabelle almost married Christopher, Yuliana realized that if she did not take the initiative to mingle with them this time, Annabelle would appear to be more like the official daughter-inw of the Sce family. If it turned out that way, she would end up as a daughter-inw who did not live up to her title. ¡°I can handle this, Joyce,¡± Yuliana assured her after dwelling on her thoughts. Hearing her confirmation, Joyce replied with a bright smile, ¡°I shall stop worrying then.¡± So, Yuliana was different from her. ¡°Joyce, I know you have good intentions. Thank you,¡± Yuliana said gratefully. In return, Joyce patted her on the shoulder with a smile and then brought Yuliana into the greenhouse. Gemma was the first one who noticed Joyce and Yuliana as they entered the greenhouse. With her eyes fixed on Yuliana for a brief moment, she called out, ¡°Joyce.¡± As the other three women heard Gemma¡¯s voice, they also turned and looked at the door. Joyce led Yuliana inside and nodded at Gemma. When she looked at the three women, she asked with a friendly smile, ¡°What are you discussing so happily about?¡± Gemma hurriedly answered, ¡°We¡¯re discussing skincare with Annabelle. Look how well Annabelle¡¯s skin is maintained. It¡¯s so fair and soft, just like a teenage girl. Oh, how we envy her so much!¡± In all politeness, Yuliana greeted everyone present. Among the group of women, Josie Sce was the eldest. She was the wife of Logan Sce, the eldest son of the second branch of the Sce family. She was 36 years old that year, four years older than Joyce. However, she still treated Joyce with full respect. The second eldest among the women was Lena Sce, the spouse of Oscar Sce. He was the son of Zaiden from the third branch of the Sce family. Gemma was the wife of Jayden, who was the third son of the second branch of the Sce family. Oscar was just a few months older than Jayden. After greeting the attendees, Joyce sat down with Yuliana. She poured a cup of tea for Yuliana and herself, and with a genial smile, she asked, ¡°How¡¯s the discussion going? Do you have any advice? We came in such a right timing because Yuliana and I are also interested in learning about skincare.¡± With what was said, Yuliana was immediately brought into the circle of discussion. Nevertheless, the three other attendees did not answer her question, as they observed the situation and glimpsed at Annabelle. With a faint smile, Annabellended her gaze on Joyce and then on Yuliana. She replied absent- mindedly, ¡°The right skincare products are necessary, but there are definitely chemicals in them. Since Yuliana is pregnant now, those chemicals might be bad for the fetus. It won¡¯t be toote for us to talk about skincare after the baby is born.¡± ¡°What Annabelle said is agreeable. Based on your appearance, I think you are pregnant with a baby boy, so yourplexion will be slightly worse than before. Since you are still so young and just one or two years younger than Annabelle, I am sure you can recover quickly after giving birth to the baby, even without much skincare maintenance,¡± Joyce agreed in response. Meanwhile, Annabelle turned to look at Joyce again. Their eyes met, and Annabelle noticed the gaze cast by Joyce onto her. Seeing that, Annabelle looked down and slightly curled up her lips, as she felt a little ironic. At first, she thought that Joyce would stand by her side after all these years of friendship with her and La. And right now, Yuliana had only known them for a few months. Annabelle did not expect that Joyce would protect Yuliana like this. Without responding to Joyce, she lowered her eyes and yed with the ring on her index finger. Suddenly, something urred in her mind, and she immediately looked at Yuliana¡¯s hand. Indeed, Annabelle saw the ring on Yuliana¡¯s left ring finger. What Gemma said was right. If she and Christopher had held their wedding sessfully back then, nothing would have happened to Yuliana at the moment, and Annabelle would be sitting here as the official wife of Christopher. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Annabelle thought, ¡°Do I regret this? Maybe a little bit.¡± Due to Annabelle¡¯s presence, Josie, Lena, and Gemma seldom initiated chit-chat with Yuliana, but they knew what Joyce was trying to do. Thus, they did not dare to make things difficult for Yuliana with Joyce around. Later on, Zofia brought two other children to the greenhouse. Being sweet and polite, she greeted everyone and then ran toward Yuliana. She took two petals of oranges from the table and handed one petal of them to Yuliana. ¡°Aunt Yuliana, this orange is sweet. Try it! My mother said that the baby boy would have fairer skin if more oranges are eaten during pregnancy.¡± Looking at Zofia, who was so close to Yuliana, Annabelle felt slightly unhappy. She forced a smile and questioned, ¡°Zofia, are you going to give oranges to Aunt Yuliana only? Are there no oranges for me?¡± Zofia quickly took an orange petal from the fruit te and handed it to her. She gave a cheerful beam and said, ¡°Annabelle, you can eat them too.¡± In turn, Annabelle took the orange. However, she only held it in her hand and did not eat it. Looking at the orange in her hand, she still felt upset about it. On the other hand, among the two children, one was Josie¡¯s son, who was eight years old, and the other was Lena¡¯s daughter, who was about the same age as Zofia. Josie and Logan got married early, and they still had two other children before this eight-year-old. The oldest child was a daughter who was already 13 years old. The second child was a son one year younger than the eldest daughter. Hence, the eight-year-old was the youngest child. Lena also had a son who was only three years old. He liked to stick to Alexzander every time he came there. Right now, he was happily ying games with Alexzander in the room. Seeing her son drenched with sweat, Josie eximed, ¡°Gosh, why are you sweating so much?¡± She proceeded to wipe the sweat off her son¡¯s face with a tissue and continued with a frown, ¡°If you could study as hard as you yed, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much!¡± This youngest son of Josie was currently in the second grade of elementary school. His academic performance ranked at the bottom of the entire grade. She had changed countless tutors for him, but nothing was effective. The York family was also a family of schrs, and they attached great importance to education. Hence, when she saw her youngest son be like this, Josie put in a lot of effort to help him. Joyce then said, ¡°Josie, Yuliana is a primary school teacher. Why don¡¯t you ask her if she has a way?¡± Hearing this, Josie looked at Yuliana. She paused and asked with a smile, ¡°Which elementary school are you? teaching in, Yuliana?¡± ¡°Juxshire Primary School,¡± Yuliana said. Josie eximed in surprise, ¡°Juxshire Primary School is not bad. I also wanted Xavier to enter Juxshire Primary School, but it was a little far away from home, so I chose a private elementary school nearby.¡± She knew that the teaching quality of private elementary schools was good, and when she was trying to choose a school for her son, Juxshire Primary School was indeed one of her choices. When it came to their children¡¯s education, these women finally chatted lively with Yuliana and threw all kinds of questions at her. Smoothly. Yuliana answered all of their questions. After being a teacher for several years and dealing with parents countless times, she naturally knew what they valued most. After discussing the children¡¯s academic performance, the topic changed to parenting and eventually moved on to the pregnancy Since Yuliana was in this stage, it was her turn to ask for advice from them. Soon, her rtionship with the threedies became closer Meanwhile, as Annabelle was still unmarried and hadn¡¯t given birth, she could not join in the conversation in this regard. At first, everyone would be considerate of Annabelle¡¯s emotions, but eventually, they no longer cared about what she felt. Only Gemma still kept a distance from Yuliana, as she was closer to Annabelle. When it was time for a meal, Sofia came in to inform them to head to the dining room. Joyce turned around and headed toward the dining room. Following Joyce, Yuliana held Zofia¡¯s hand while Zofia was talking to her, so they were walking a few steps slower than others. Joyce and Annabelle were walking ahead of them. Noticing Annabelle was beside her, Joyce took a nce and whispered, ¡°Annabelle, since you have made a choice previously, you shouldn¡¯t have returned.¡± Annabelle and Joyce were walking within a considerably close distance of each other. Being in this situation, Annabelle remembered when she used to hold Joyce¡¯s hand while engaging in conversation happily. Annabelle replied, ¡°Once, I thought I was also a part of this family.¡± Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Do You Love Him When Annabelle was first brought back to the Sce residence by Christopher, the house was like a castle in a fairy tale for her. It was beautiful and warm, causing her to feel like it was unreal. Therefore, Annabelle felt like she did not fit in and even had a sense of panic during the first few years in the Sce residence. She was afraid that everything was just a dream. However, as time passed, she got used to it and found her ce in the castle. She thought the castle had be her home, and the people living there were also her family. However, that day, she had a deep realization that she was too self-righteous to think that. The castle was neither her home nor the people staying inside her family. She was just a temporary guest there. Even Winnie, who had doted on Annabelle as if she was her biological daughter, did not look very happy to see her. Annabelle had never cared about that before. However, when shepared herself with Yuliana, she could feel a drastic difference between them. The feeling made her feel ridiculous. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Although Joyce understood Annabelle¡¯s feelings, she did not agree with them. Joyce could tell Annabelle was dwelling on something. When Joyce recalled the difficult moment she first married into the Sce family and how Annabelle had helped her many times, she hoped thetter could end up with someone worth it. ¡°Annabelle, for me, you are my family, and also my friend,¡± Joyce said calmly. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think you shoulde back. When ites to a rtionship, it¡¯s over once you miss your chance. No matter how hard you try to salvage your rtionship, it won¡¯t go back to what it used to be. Not only would it hurt others if you cannot let it go, but also yourself.¡± Pausing for a moment, she looked at Annabelle. ¡°Besides, do you really love him?¡± Looking ahead, Annabelle pursed her lips slightly without saying anything. When they arrived at the restaurant, the others also arrived one after another. Zachary and Winnie had already got seated, and all the elders of the Sce family were sitting at the same table. Zavier, Zaiden, and their wives, as well as Kendrick and Joyce, would naturally be sitting at that table. When Yuliana arrived at the restaurant, Christopher had already approached her, leading Zofia and her to his table. Josie, Lena, and Gemma went to sit beside their husbands, respectively. Obviously, Annabelle was the only person who could not find where to sit. In previous years, she always sat with Christopher. Annabelle stood hesitantly with a faint smile when she suddenly heard a voice. ¡°Annabelle,e here.¡± Not far away, Winnie gestured for Annabelle toe over generously. Joyce was still standing beside Annabelle. After hearing Winnie¡¯s words, Joyce gently tugged on Annabelle¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°Mom brought you up a lot recently. You can take the opportunity to talk to her by sitting next to her.¡± As Winnie had to look after the two aunts in the family, she did not have the chance to talk to Annabelle alone. Annabelle nodded and walked over to her. As if Winnie had thought about it beforehand, she had already added a chair beside her. After Annabelle sat down, Winnie took her hand and enveloped her palm. Then, she patted the back of Annabelle¡¯s hand with a smile and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you avoiding me today?¡±. Annabelle curled her lips into a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t. The few sister-inws dragged me over to chat just now. Joyce and Yuliana arrivedter on too. We young people have a lot to chat about. If I had stayed with Aunt Winnie and the two aunts, I would have been bored to death.¡± Isabe replied with a smile, ¡°Listen to her! This girl thinks us oldies are boring!¡± Winnie looked at her with a smile. ¡°You also said that we¡¯re old. Naturally, the youngsters can¡¯t get along with us.¡± Isabe replied, ¡°Winnie, I think you¡¯re more protective of this goddaughter than of your own son!¡± Winnie looked at Annabelle and said kindly, ¡°Sons aren¡¯t as thoughtful as daughters!¡± Wendy spoke. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Let¡¯s take my son for example. All he cares about is his wretched game. When did he ever show concern for us?¡± While Annabelle listened, her thoughts drifted away, and she could not help but turn to look at Christopher and Yuliana¡¯s side. They were sitting together, and Zofia was sitting next to Yuliana. Beside Zofia were La and Jared, followed by Oscar and Lena, with their children hext to them. It was unsure what Zofia said for Yuliana to look at her with a smile. Meanwhile, Christopher did not stop looking at Yuliana while saying something that caused Zofia to puff out her cheeks and re at him. Annabelle fell into a daze and recalled that they were also sitting in that sequencest year, except that she was the one sitting next to Christopher. At that time, Lena even teased Annabelle to ask when she would agree to marry Christopher. As Yuliana noticed Annabelle¡¯s gaze, she lifted her gaze and looked ahead, just happening to meet Annabelle¡¯s gaze for 2 seconds. After that, Annabelle smiled subtly and averted her gaze first. ¡°Aunt Yuliana.¡± After Zofia called for Yuliana again, thetter returned to her senses and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Aunt Yuliana, I¡¯m entering elementary school in a year or so. Can I go enroll in the school you¡¯re working at?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Of course.¡± After the dishes were all served, the reunion dinner began. Oscar did not work in Sce Corporation. After graduating from university, he started a gaming company with his ssmates. Now, thepany was doing quite decent, and Oscar¡¯spany developed several popr mobile games in the market. Jared was a university professor. Not only was he an expert in his major, but he was also knowledgeable in other aspects. Meanwhile, La was a manager in a corporate, while Christopher often yed games and did investments as his job. When they sat together, the conversation could still flow even if they talked about their own matters. Thus, the atmosphere at that table was quite harmonious. However, the other table waspletely a different story. At the other table were members of the second branch of the Sce family, Logan, Jayden, and Xander Sce Logan and Jayden worked in Sce Corporation in the same department, practically in the same position. As they were in apetitive rtionship in thepany, they did not get along well. Thus, they would inevitably bring their workce conflicts into their personal lives. When they sat together, they would start quarreling after a few disagreements. The youngest brother, Xander, had just graduated a few months ago and had not gotten a job yet. He loafed around daily, only knowing to eat, drink, and party. Thus, his two elder brothers were unhappy about that. When Logan and Jayden quarreled, Xander got annoyed and tried to calm them down. However, Xander did not expect to bring trouble upon himself, causing his two brothers to lecture him instead. After Xander listened quietly for a while, he was also angered. Without saying a word, he moved his stool to Christopher¡¯s side and said, ¡°Everyone, do you mind if I squeeze with you all for a bit?¡± Christopher leaned against the back of the chair, ncing at him with a smile ¡°I mind. You¡¯d better go back.¡± Xander shamelessly squeezed beside Jared and snorted at Christopher Then, Xander told Jared, ¡°You¡¯re the best, Jared.¡± As Xander was fairly young and was thus childish, he was quite straightforward when talking. Thus, he would talk about whatever came to his mind. ncing at Yuliana, Xander told Christopher, ¡°Christopher, I thought you would marry Annabelle. I didn¡¯t expect you to find such a beautiful sister-inw for me!¡± Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Send Her To The Hospital When Xander finished his sentence, everyone at the table couldn¡¯t help but look at him. Xander seemed to have noticed he had said something wrong, so he hurriedly added, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that Annabelle is not beautiful. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± The more Xander wanted to finish his sentence, the more he realized the problem with his words. Especially when he saw Christopher¡¯s gaze, he stammered for a while, unable to exin himself. Yuliana¡¯s face was pale, and she silently ate the dishes in the bowl. Christopher nced at Yuliana from the corner of his eyes before he shot Xander a stern look. ¡°Do you want me to get a needle to sew your lips up?¡± Xander immediately gestured that he would keep his mouth shut and continued to eat quietly without saying another word. After dinner, the second and third branches of the Sce family got up to leave, as they had to go back home to prepare dinner for New Year¡¯s Eve. Winnie had prepared gifts for the younger generation, which were all in the room upstairs. She asked Annabelle to go upstairs to get them up with her. Annabelle helped Winnie upstairs. The two remained silent for a while. Winnie looked at Annabelle and said, ¡°Annabelle.¡± Annabelle hummed in response. ¡°Are you ming me?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Annabelle smiled and said. Winnie did not question her words. Instead, she paused and said gently, ¡°You¡¯re right to me me. I did not handle your rtionship with Christopher in the right way.¡± Initially, she thought Christopher liked Annabelle, and she also doted on Annabelle a lot. If Christopher were to be together with Annabelle, Winnie believed they would make a perfect pair. However, she was the one who got the wrong idea. Winnie continued, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t forced you to agree to marry Christopher, things wouldn¡¯t have gone this far. So if you feel unhappy, please tell me. Don¡¯t keep it to yourself.¡± Annabelle lowered her gaze and nodded with a smile. ¡°Aunt Winnie, I¡¯m fine. If it weren¡¯t for you all these years, I wouldn¡¯t be who I am now.¡± When she heard this, Winnie felt a little ufortable. She knew those were not Annabelle¡¯s heartfelt words. ¡°She¡¯s keeping her distance from me after all,¡± Winnie mused. Annabelle helped Winnie deliver the gifts to everyone. When Zofia took the present Annabelle handed her, she eximed in confusion and subconsciously grabbed Annabelle¡¯s hand. Surprised, Zofia asked, ¡°Annabelle, why do you have so many rashes on your hand?¡± At that moment, everyone was in the hall. They looked at Annabelle when they heard Zofia¡¯s words. Yuliana also looked over. She was not far from Annabelle, and she could see the rash on Annabelle¡¯s hand at a nce. The rash spread from within Annabelle¡¯s sleeves, and they were already several rashes on the back of her hand. The back of her hand was red due to all the scratching. ¡°What happened?¡± Gemma immediately walked to Annabelle and rolled up thetter¡¯s sleeves. There were more rashes on her arms, which looked terrifying. She frowned and looked at Annabelle. Then, Gemma immediately noticed that Annabelle had rashes on her neck too. As Annabelle had long hair around her neck, no one noticed the rashes in time. Annabelle looked at the rash on her arm, stunned. She frowned and could not stop herself from scratching them ¡°I don¡¯t know. I felt itchy, so I scratched it. I didn¡¯t expect to have so many rashes on my arm.¡± Joyce looked over and asked, ¡°It seems to be an allergy. What did you eat just now?¡± Before Annabelle could answer, her breathing became quicker, and she couldn¡¯t stand still. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Christopher came back from the bathroom and saw the crowd surrounding Annabelle. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Joyce looked at him and said, ¡°Annabelle seems to have an allergic reaction.¡± When he heard this, Christopher immediately pushed the crowd away and walked to Annabelle. He saw Annabelle gasping for air, and when he nced at her bare skin, he instantly noticed the rash on her body. His face darkened. He nced at Annabelle and bent down to carry her. Then, he walked out quickly without saying a word. The others could not react in time, and they hummed in confusion. When they returned to their senses, Christopher had already carried Annabelle far away from the crowd. The people in the hall looked at each other. Joyce and La were the first to react and hurriedly chased after them. Yuliana stood quietly outside the crowd. She looked calm and showed no emotions as she watched the scene. Others came to their realization and noticed Yuliana. Some felt sympathy and pity for her, and some were gloating. Christopher got into the car with Annabelle in his arms. When Joyce and La caught up to Christopher, La grabbed the door and pulled Christopher out when thetter was about to get into the car. She looked at Annabelle, who was curled up into a ball in the car, and said to Christopher harshly in a low voice, ¡°Christopher, what the hell do you want?¡± Christopher¡¯s face darkened. ¡°She had an allergic reaction. I¡¯ll take her to the hospital.¡± Joyce remained calm and said, ¡°I can ask the driver to send her there.¡± Then, after a pause, she added, ¡°You are cing Yuliana in a difficult position by taking Annabelle away like this. The second and third branches of the Sce family are watching. How do you think they will treat her in the future?¡± Christopher hesitated. ¡°Chris¡­¡± Annabelle was so ufortable in the car that she felt she was about to suffocate. She kept scratching her body, but it did not help. Instead, her whole body was still itching. She felt as though she would die out of itchiness. Several faces appeared in her mind, including her father, Daryl Johnson, followed by Harry¡¯s and Christopher¡¯s faces. She felt as if she were drowning and desperately wanted to catch someone. Finally, however, Daryl and Harry disappeared like a shadow, and Christopher was the only one standing there. She kept calling out for him, but he stood there motionless. ¡°Are you going to leave me behind too?¡± Annabelle wondered. ¡°Chris.¡± She looked into Christopher¡¯s eyes and begged desperately. Finally, Christopher stretched his hand to her and dragged her out of the water. Annabelle had a dream. Everything around her was a mess, and everywhere seemed strange. She ran forward desperately, and after passing through a long tunnel, she saw a ray of blinding light and someone standing there. She wanted to see who that person was, but the light was so dazzling that her eyes hurt. She wanted to cry. but she still couldn¡¯t see the person clearly. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Annabelle¡¯s eyes trembled slightly after she heard Christopher¡¯s voice. Then, she moved her head in the direction of the sound. Her vision was still blurred, and she could only sense someone beside her bed. After a while, she could finally focus her gaze. She moved her lips and called out for Christopher, ¡°Chris.¡± Christopher replied faintly, ¡°Do you feel better?¡± Annabelle lowered her gaze and said nothing. Christopher waved his hand before her and asked nonchntly, ¡°Did you hurt your head?¡± Annabelle grabbed his hand and held it tightly. She looked down at his hand and thought that this was the hand that had pulled her out of the water in her dream. It had always been like this. No matter what happened to her, Christopher¡¯s hand would be the hand that reached out to her immediately. When he saw her expression, Christopher frowned slightly and drew his hand away. He said in a low voice, ¡°The doctor gave you an injection just now. You should be fine after a rest.¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Neither Dol Annabelle still didn¡¯t respond. She closed her eyes. No one could tell her thoughts. Christopher walked toward the window and turned his back to the bed. He looked out of the window. Annabelle opened her eyes and looked at Christopher. Then, after a while, she suddenly shouted, ¡°Chris.¡± When Christopher heard her voice, he tilted his head and raised his eyebrows slightly. Annabelle smiled and said, ¡°If I regret it now, will it be toote?¡± ¡°What do you regret?¡± Christopher asked lightly. It was a question, but he did not look at her inquisitively. Instead, his gray eyes seemed to have seen through her. Annabelle curled her lips into a smile andughed at herself. She looked into his eyes and replied, ¡°I regret running away from the wedding. If we got married, Christopher, you wouldn¡¯t have the chance to marry Yuliana, and I¡¯ll be your wife. I won¡¯t be in this embarrassing situation today too.¡± Christopher stared at her for a moment. His expression was unreadable. Finally, he said, ¡°Annabelle, when can you stop being so willful? Not everything is about you.¡± He paused and added, ¡°Nor is it about me.¡± His voice was a little cold, and Annabelle couldn¡¯t help but grab the quilt tightly. ¡°Willful?¡± She covered her eyes and smiled. Then she said bitterly, ¡°No matter what I did in the past, you wouldn¡¯t say I was willful. Do you n to stop caring for me now that you have a wife?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t care about you, do you think you¡¯ll have the chance to lie here and tell me this?¡± Christopher said. He walked to the chair by the bed and sat down, his long legs spread. Then, he leaned forward and gave Annabelle a serious look. ¡°Annabelle, I will still help you without hesitation if you are in trouble. But don¡¯t joke about your body. I¡¯m not always there to save you.¡± Annabelle responded, ¡°You could, previously.¡± If she had any trouble in the past, Christopher woulde to her and deal with it as soon as possible. Christopher remained silent for two seconds before he replied, ¡°As you said, it was in the past. It¡¯s different now. I have a wife and a child. I have to be responsible for them. Annabelle, you¡¯re not young anymore. Don¡¯t be as childish as before. Don¡¯t make a fool of yourself.¡± Annabelle¡¯s face darkened after she heard this. She sneered, ¡°What? Do you think I¡¯m troublesome? Do you think I¡¯m dragging you down? You can leave me alone. It¡¯s okay if I die. After all, I died because I had an allergy after eating the wrong food. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t answer and shrugged. They looked at each other for a few seconds. He lowered his eyes and leaned back. Then, he took out his phone and looked at it without raising his head. ¡°You lie down for a while. I¡¯ll drive you hometer.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Meanwhile, at the Sce residence, Zavier and Zaiden also left consecutively after Christopher took Annabelle to the hospital. The house, which was initially merry, suddenly became quiet. ording to the original n, Yuliana and Christopher would stay in the Sce Residence today and spend the New Year with Zachary and Winnie. Therefore, after Christopher took Annabelle to the hospital, Yuliana didn¡¯t leave. But she was unsure when Christopher would return or if he would evene home. ¡°Aunt Yuliana, I won!¡± When she heard Zofia¡¯s cheers, Yuliana returned to her senses. She found that Zofia had won again. Shortly after Christopher left, Zofia found chess game and pestered Yuliana to y with her. Yuliana didn¡¯t know how many rounds they had yed, but Yuliana could concentrate on the first two rounds and let Zofia win. However, she did not pay attention to the game afterward, so Zofia could easily beat her. Yuliana smiled gently and praised, ¡°Zofia is so smart!¡± When she heard Yuliana praise her, Zofia was so happy. She felt a sense of aplishment, and she jumped back and forth. La saw her daughter behaving like a little madman when she finished her work. ¡°What are you doing?¡± When Zofia saw her mother, she ran toward and hugged La¡¯s waist. ¡°Mom, I beat Aunt Yuliana again just now.¡± La pinched her face and said, ¡°You¡¯re awesome.¡± Zofia was brilliant, and she could sense the perfunctoriness in her mother¡¯s tone. She pouted and snorted. Then she ran to Yuliana and said, ¡°Aunt Yuliana, let¡¯s continue to y.¡± Yuliana called out La¡¯s name to greet her. Then she ced the chess pieces and adjusted the chessboard before ying another chess game with Zofia again. La sat down and nced at Yuliana. She said, ¡°Christopher called me just now. Annabelle is fine. She should be back soon.¡± Yuliana nodded lightly. She seemed focused on ying chess with the little girl. After Christopher left with Annabelle in his arms, she didn¡¯t react much or say anything about it. Instead, she stayed calm. It was as if the man was not her husband. ¡°Yuliana,¡± La spoke again. ¡°Yes?¡± Yuliana answered and nced at La. Then, when she saw La hesitating, Yuliana asked, ¡°La, is there something you want to talk to me about?¡± La turned around and remained silent for a bit. Finally, she said, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re smart, so I¡¯ll be straightforward. Christopher didn¡¯t do the right thing today, but he and Annabelle are not what you think.¡¯ Yuliana¡¯s hand, which was still holding the chess piece, froze. When she heard Zofia¡¯s urging, she gathered her thoughts and moved the chess piece forward. She looked at La. ¡°La, can you tell me what happened between Christopher and Annabelle?¡± La pursed her lips and met Yuliana¡¯s eyes. She said, ¡°Annabelle¡¯s biological father died to save Christopher.¡± Yuliana was stunned for a long time when she heard this. Zofia had to call her several times before she came back to her senses. La didn¡¯t continue. She looked at her daughter, who was still focused on ying chess and said, ¡°Go and y with Daddy first. I have something to talk about with your Aunt Yuliana.¡± When she heard this, Zofia was unhappy. ¡°No, I just want to y with Aunt Yuliana.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Zofia, y with your father for a while. I¡¯lle to you after talking to your mother, okay?¡± Zofia looked at Yuliana and hesitated for a while. Then she nodded and left with the chessboard in her arms. After Zofia left, La continued, ¡°Yuliana, although the Sce family seemed glorious, we have a lot of enemies. Christopher and I were kidnapped when we were little. I was lucky and didn¡¯t let the kidnappers seed. Christopher was kidnapped twice. Someone once hired ouws to hurt Christopher. They hoped to take revenge on the Sce family.¡± She paused and said coldly, ¡°At that time, Christopher was still in kindergarten. He was only about six years. old.¡± Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Are You Divorcing Me? Yuliana looked up like he said. ¡°Look toward the left.¡± She then shifted her eyes toward the left. Only then did Christopher see what was in her eye. He got closer and tried to take out that thing, but before his fingers could even touch her eye, Yuliana closed her eyes reflexively, so he couldn¡¯t get close to her eye at all. Holding her face in ce, he said in an immensely gentle voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move. Your eysh fell into your eye. I¡¯ll help you get them out.¡± They were so close to each other that Christopher¡¯s warm breath brushed against Yuliana¡¯s face, making her itch and feel slightly ufortable. She wanted to dodge it, but he was holding her chin, so she couldn¡¯t even if she wanted. Looking at her fluttering eyshes, Christopher curled his lips slightly before blowing on her eyes a few times. Then, he gently brushed away the eysh with his fingertips, and finally, the eysh was out. ¡°Is it all right now?¡± Yuliana blinked. The foreign body sensation had disappeared. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied with a nod. Christopher hummed lightly in response, but he didn¡¯t withdraw his hand that was holding her chin. Now that Yuliana¡¯s eyes had returned to normal, her field of vision was filled with him. With no way to hide, she could only meet his eyes. Unlike how he usually looked at her, there was a hint of curiosity in his gaze this time, as if he wanted to see through her. She parted her lips to say something, but after a long moment, she still couldn¡¯t. Lowering her eyes, she concealed the emotions in her eyes. Although her expression was still calm, there was a trace of coldness. Immediately, tension hung in the air. ¡°Ana.¡± After pausing momentarily, Christopher continued hesitantly, ¡°About what happened today¡­¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes were still lowered, but she pulled away Christopher¡¯s hand that was gripping her chin and stared at it. ¡°These are the hands that carried Annabelle away in front of everyone in the Sce family today. At that time, he didn¡¯t even bother to say a word to her and left hurriedly carrying Annabelle.¡± she thought. Yuliana stared at his hand for a long time before suddenly letting go of it. Then, she looked up at Christopher with her dark and bright eyes. Her ck pupils were a vivid contrast with the whites of her eyes. Curling up her lips, she smiled softly. ¡°Christopher, did you think of me when you left with Annabelle in your arms today?¡± Christopher was stunned for a moment. He met her intense gaze, pursed his lips, and said nothing. Yuliana¡¯s smile deepened with a hint of self-mockery. ¡°You never thought about me, didn¡¯t you?¡± she dered the truth softly. Although she already knew the answer, Yuliana still felt sad. Looking at her expression, Christopher denied in a solemn voice, ¡°Ana, it¡¯s not what you think-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin,¡± Yuliana interrupted. ¡°La told me about you and Annabelle. From a bystander¡¯s perspective, I can understand that, but¡­¡± She paused as tears gathered in her eyes, making her view of the man before her suddenly blurry. ¡°Christopher, I regret marrying you.¡± Yuliana looked away and uttered calmly. If it was simply emotional entanglement between Annabelle and Christopher, she might still have a chance of winning him back, but he owed Annabelle a father, a life. How could Christopher possibly pay her back? Maybe she didn¡¯t love Christopher that much as to tolerate him running around helping another woman, even if it was for the sake of responsibility. Yuliana felt like she had walked into a dead end with Christopher. There was no way ahead, and she didn¡¯t want to hurt herself for a man anymore, so the only way was to turn around and walk back. Christopher¡¯s face darkened when he heard this, but he didn¡¯t behave outrageously. He only stared at Yuliana for a long time, then squatted in front of her, took her hands, and said calmly, ¡°Ana, we are already married.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re already married,¡± Yuliana murmured as she slowly shifted her eyes onto his face. Her voice became softer and softer. ¡°But we can divorce, right?¡± Christopher¡¯s grip on her hands tightened, and his gaze was frosty. ¡°Are you going to divorce me?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips, and her gaze on him slowly became more decisive. ¡°I should cut my loss in time. Since nothing is going to change, I should end things between us as soon as possible,¡± she mused. ¡°Christopher¡­¡± As soon as she called out his name, Christopher immediately reached out and covered her mouth to stop her from continuing. Christopher¡¯s eyes gradually softened as he stared at her for a while. He let go of Yuliana¡¯s hand, smiled, and said, ¡°Ana, let¡¯s not talk about this on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± Yuliana looked at him calmly for a long time before answering, ¡°Okay.¡± In actual fact, she hadn¡¯t decided yet, and divorce was not as simple as just saying it. Moreover, as Christopher had said, the current time and ce weren¡¯t suitable for discussing this matter. Seeing that Yuliana relented, Christopher squeezed her hand again and suggested, ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner. Let¡¯s go downstairs.¡± Yuliana nodded, got up, and followed Christopher downstairs. Meanwhile, downstairs, Annabelle was apanying and chatting with Zachary and Winnie. As she hadn¡¯t fully recovered, her face was a little pale, and there was a delicate sense of beauty about her. Upon seeing Christopher and Yuliana walk down, Winnie hurriedly told thetter to sit with her and asked Yuliana a few questions gently. However, they had only been acquainted for a short while, so Winnie inevitably spoke more politely. Instead, she seemed to be more familiar with Annabelle. Yet, Yuliana didn¡¯t feel ufortable because of this. Rather, she smiled kindly at Annabelle and asked warmly, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Annabelle didn¡¯t expect Yuliana would take the initiative to talk to her. She was stunned for a moment before smiling and replying nonchntly, ¡°Thank you for your concern. I¡¯m much better now.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Allergies can be trivial or a serious matter. You should pay more attention in the future.¡± Annabelle answered casually, ¡°Okay.¡± ncing at Yuliana beside him, Christopher noticed she wore a faint smile on her face. Although she looked content and peaceful, her eyes were wandering about. Evidently, she was a little distracted. Stretching out his arm, he wrapped it around her waist and gripped it lightly. Yuliana looked at him silently, and their gazes met before she shifted her eyes away. Soon, Sofia came to inform them to have dinner, and they walked toward the dining room. All the food was ready, and the help was serving the dishes one after another. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. There were only a few of them eating dinner, so they used the dining room where they usually ate. The dining room was quite spacious, and a rectangr table stood inside. Zachary and Winnie sat at both ends of the table, and then Kendrick and Joyce sat on one side with their son, while Christopher, Yuliana, and Annabelle sat on the other side. Winnie asked Annabelle to sit on her right-hand side, followed by Yuliana, then Christopher. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Where Are You Going? Before the meal, Zachary made a token speech. On the one hand, it was about the New Year, on the other hand, as an elder, he weed the new family member, Yuliana; finally, he mentioned Annabelle. ¡°Annabelle, I hope you can recover soon and your career will go smoothly. Of all the siblings, you¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t gotten married. I also hope you can find your happiness too.¡± Annabelle replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡± Alexzander hurriedly answered, ¡°Annabelle, when I grow up, I¡¯ll marry you!¡± Everyone burst intoughter. Afterughing, Annabelle wrinkled her nose and deliberately teased him, ¡°How long do I have to wait then? You¡¯re only eight years old this year. There are still fourteen years to go before you can marry me. Fourteen yearster, I will be old.¡± ¡°Does it take that long?¡± Alexzander tilted his head and thought for a while. Then he smiled innocently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if you¡¯re old, you¡¯re still beautiful. I won¡¯t dislike you!¡± Joyce rubbed her son¡¯s head and joked, ¡°You won¡¯t dislike Annabelle, but Annabelle will. All you know is ying games on the iPad all day. No girl will like you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. You only give me an hour to y games on iPad on weekends!¡± Alexzander puffed out his cheeks and looked at Joyce with dissatisfaction. Then he suddenly remembered something. He looked at Christopher sitting across from him and snorted, ¡°Uncle Chris also ys games on his mobile phone all day long, but Annabelle and Aunt Yuliana like him still.¡± Alexzander¡¯s words turned the atmosphere in the restaurant tense. Christopher looked over at Alexzander. He said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m tall and handsome. What about you? You¡¯re short and fat like a ball. Do you think any girl that¡¯s not blind will like you?¡± Short and fat were Alexzander¡¯s sore points. Hearing this, he flew into a rage. ¡°Christopher!¡± Alexzander was so angry that he called his name directly. He red at him for a moment and said in a loud voice, ¡°I¡¯m only eight years old. In a few years, I will definitely be taller and more handsome than you!¡± Christopher clicked his tongue. His response made Alexzander so angry that he wanted to jump off the stool to go and hit him immediately. Joyce patted Alexzander on the shoulder and said, ¡°If you want to be more handsome and taller than Uncle Chris, just eat well. Don¡¯t be picky about food, especially vegetables and fruits, which you must eat more.¡± Then she took some vegetables and ced them into Alexzander¡¯s bowl. Looking at the broli and carrots in the bowl, Alexzander¡¯s chubby face also changed color. He looked at Christopher opposite him and finally picked up his fork to eat them with a serious expression. This New Year¡¯s Eve dinner was quite rxing and pleasant with this interlude. Because of her pregnancy, Yuliana¡¯s appetite was much better and bigger than before. But she ate slowly. Every time before she finished eating, Christopher took food for her. Finally, there was a pile of food on the te in front of her. Annabelle was quieter than before. She didn¡¯t take much initiative to talk the entire time. She only responded when others mentioned her or spoke to her. It was rare for the father and sons of the Sce family to sit at a table quietly for dinner. As it was New Year¡¯s Eve, they took several bottles of good wine from the cer. The trio was drinking while chatting about some things that men were concerned about. After nearly two hours of eating, Zachary and Winnie wanted to watch New Year¡¯s G. They went to the home theatre first. Alexzander wanted to y with fireworks in the yard, so he dragged Annabelle with him. Kendrick and Christopher were still sitting in the dining hall, drinking and chatting. The rest of the conversation was about thepany. Most of the time, Kendrick did the talking. Christopher leaned against the chair and listened unmindfully. Yuliana had already finished her meal, but her stomach was still a little bloated. She felt a little ufortable sitting there. Seeing that it would take some time before Christopher and Kendrick ended their conversation, she decided to go out for a walk by herself. Seeing her get up. Christopher grabbed her hand and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Because of the wine, his face was very red, and even his eyes were red. When he looked at her, the look in his eyes looked particrly deep and bright. His voice is deep and hoarse. Hearing Christopher¡¯s words, Kendrick and Joyce looked at Yuliana as well. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Yuliana said, ¡°I want to take a walk.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t let go of her. Instead he tightened his grip and stared at her with a clenched jaw without saying anything. Joyce looked back and forth between the two and noticed something. She hurriedly got up and said, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re not familiar with the Sce residence, and I happen to need some aid in digestion. Why don¡¯t I show you around?¡± Yuliana nodded and smiled, ¡°Okay, thank you, Joyce.¡± Then she looked at Christopher again. Seeing that he still didn¡¯t let go of her, she struggled a little and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ll walk around with Joyce ande back soon.¡± Hearing this, Christopher suddenly came back to his senses and let go of her hand. Then he wiped his face with his palms and watched Yuliana leave with Joyce. Joyce took Yuliana outside for a while, and then they found a ce to sit down and rest. Outside the window, the night sky stretched out endlessly. Joyce loosened up and ced her hands on the armrest of the chair. Staring at Yuliana for a while, she asked, ¡°Did you quarrel with Chris?¡± Yuliana was looking out of the window. When she suddenly heard Joyce¡¯s words, she was stunned for a moment, then fell silent for two seconds, and replied with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s not really a quarrel.¡± Joyce paused and said, ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± Yuliana looked at her and was silent for a while. Then she suddenly asked, ¡°Joyce, may I ask you a question?¡± Joyce said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yuliana looked at her again, ¡°Did you marry Ken because you are in love with him?¡± Joyce said with a faint smile, ¡°No.¡± Some memories poured into her mind. It had only been a few years, but it seemed like decades had passed. Joyce collected her thoughts and looked into Yuliana¡¯s eyes. ¡°In fact, when I married Kendrick, we were not familiar with each other. I was pregnant at that time, with Alex. Kendrick married me out of responsibility.¡± Yuliana wasn¡¯t surprised by this answer. During this period, she also felt that the way Kendrick and Joyce got along with each other was somewhat different from that of a normal couple. In addition, she had heard some rumors before. But after hearing it from Joyce, Yuliana was still in aplicated mood. Joyce observed Yuliana¡¯s reaction and smiled, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s too hasty?¡± Yuliana did think it was quite hasty. Likewise, her marriage with Christopher was also very hasty. But the difference was that Joyce¡¯s hastiness led to a good result, whereas she had thought about divorcing many times not long after getting married to Christopher. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Joyce called her earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s a rare thing to be able to marry a man you like. Since you¡¯re lucky enough to get it, don¡¯t let go easily.¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 I Will Pay Back With Him Thinking of Joyce¡¯s words, Yuliana suddenly remembered something and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you regret marrying Ken?¡± ¡°Of course, I did.¡± Joyce smiled calmly, ¡°As you can see, the Sce family is different from other families. When I first married Kendrick, I didn¡¯t get used to it Besides, he was busy at work and didn¡¯t have time to take care of me. I had to deal with everything myself. At that time, I opened my eyes every morning and thought, Why did I marry him?¡¯ Besides, after having been with Kendrick for a long time, you will find that this man is quite boring. All he has in life is work. Like a machine, he isn¡¯t fun. It¡¯s really boring!¡± Joyce put behind the identity of Mrs. Sce. At the moment, she was like an ordinary wife, who was comining to her friend about her husband. ¡°Anyway, there was a period of time when I couldn¡¯t stand it and often quarreled with him.¡± At that time, she was only in her twenties. In fact, she still had many romantic fantasies about marriage and love. Obviously, Kendrick couldn¡¯t do that, so all kinds of dissatisfaction naturally arose in her heart. ¡°Quarrel?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t imagine Kendrick quarreling with Joyce at all. Joyce exined, ¡°Strictly speaking, I unterally quarreled with him. Most of the time, he only thought I was making trouble out of nothing, so he simply let me be. You have no idea that every time I got angry alone, he acted as if nothing happened, which can really piss people off.¡± As she spoke, Joyce couldn¡¯t help butugh. She won the fight, but in the end, she got even angrier. Looking at the smile on Joyce¡¯s face, Yuliana was stunned. The fact that a woman couldugh and comin about her husband¡¯s problems meant that these problems were nothing to her and even became the spice of their married life. She suddenly felt a little envious. She thought, ¡°Will Christopher and I be the same as Joyce and Kendrick in a few years?¡± Joyce observed the emotions on Yuliana¡¯s face and said, ¡°Yuliana, although I¡¯ve regretted marrying Kendrick countless times, I¡¯m d I made the choice. Fortunately, Kendrick is my man.¡± Yuliana thought about Joyce¡¯s words seriously. Joyce didn¡¯t say anything else. She knew that Yuliana was a smart girl, so she could definitely have it figured out Her phone rang twice earlier. She picked it up and nced at the text message which was from Kendrick. After reading the message, Joyce didn¡¯t reply. She quit WhatsApp and looked at Yuliana again, saying. ¡°Yuliana, Christopher is drunk. Do you want to go and have a look?¡± Hearing this, a trace of anxiety shed across Yuliana¡¯s face. ¡°Where is he now? Is he still in the dining hall?¡± She stood up as she spoke. Joyce smiled and stood up, saying, ¡°No, Kendrick took him to the room.¡± Looking at the look in her eyes, Yuliana was a little embarrassed. She parted her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on him first.¡± Joyce replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go check on Alex and Annabelle.¡± After they got out of the side hall, Yuliana went upstairs, while Joyce went to the courtyard outside. Alexzander and Annabelle were ying with fireworks and firecrackers in the open space in the courtyard. These things would be prepared in advance every New Year. The Sce residence was located in the suburbs, so setting off fireworks and firecrackers was not regted. In the early years, fireworks and firecrackers were set off for about half an hour from New Year¡¯s Eve to the first day of New Year In recent years, it was advocated to protect the environment, so they were set off symbolically for a short time. Christopher¡¯s room was on the second floor, while the rooms of Kendrick, Joyce, and Alexzander, as well as Zachary and Winnie were also on the second floor, but they were in different areas. The internal architectural structure of the Sce residence was veryplex. Although Yuliana had been there several times, she still couldn¡¯t figure out the direction as the stairs to the second floor were different. After she got to the second floor and made a detour, she finally found Christopher¡¯s room. The door of the room was half-open, and there was lighting through from inside Yuliana opened the door and went in. A familiar figure was seen bending over and standing by the bed. She looked at his back and suddenly stopped in her tracks. Seemingly noticing the noise behind him, the man standing beside the bed turned around and happened to meet Yuliana¡¯s eyes They looked at each other for a few seconds, and Yuliana walked towards the bed. At this time, Christopher was lying on his stomach, with his face facing the side of the bed, eyes closed, and a frown. He was obviously feeling very ufortable. It could be seen that he did drink a lot. His face turned extremely red, and even his neck and ears turned red. Yuliana stared at him for a while, then turned to the person next to her, and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t recovered yet. You¡¯d better go back to your room and have a rest. I¡¯ll take care of Christopher.¡± Listening to Yuliana¡¯s words, Annabelle couldn¡¯t help but clench the towel in her hand. She looked at Yuliana coldly and said, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re such a hypocrite. You hate me so much that you want me dead. Why do you pretend to be kind?¡± Yuliana met her eyes and said, ¡°What else should I do then? Have a big fight with you here?¡± Annabelle pursed her lips and looked at Yuliana coldly without saying anything. Yuliana sat down on the edge of the bed, gently touched the red earring on Christopher¡¯s ear, and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t like you, but I don¡¯t hate you. I never wanted you to die. You are still a patient now. I mean what I said.¡± She didn¡¯t bother to tell lies. In fact, after learning about Annabelle¡¯s situation from La, she was sympathetic to Annabelle, who witnessed her father¡¯s death at such a young age and then experienced so many things at such a young age. But sympathy was one thing. It didn¡¯t mean Yuliana was going to give up her man to her. ¡°Annabelle, Christopher is my husband. Please stay away from him. I don¡¯t like him getting too close to other women.¡± Yuliana turned her head to look at her again and said, ¡°If you need help, you can tell me directly. I will do my best to help you.¡± Yuliana was sitting with her head slightly raised, while Annabelle was standing with downcast eyes. Even though thetter was physically superior, Yuliana exuded a more imposing air than Annabelle. Annabelleughed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed? Have you asked Christopher? Does he agree with you?¡± Yuliana took Christopher¡¯s hand that was hanging by the bed, held it in her palm, and said in a calm voice, ¡°He naturally agrees with what I said. I will pay back what Christopher owes you with him.¡± Hearing this, Annabelle¡¯s face clouded over. She asked, stressing each word, with reddened eyes, ¡°Did he tell you all about it?¡± Yuliana¡¯s expression changed slightly. She knew Annabelle had misunderstood her. She was about to exin. After thinking for a while, she decided not to. Annabelle looked at the man sleeping on the bed with a cold look. She chuckled self-depreciatingly, threw the towel on her hand, turned around, and strode away. Yuliana kept watching her walk out of the room before looking away. Then she looked back at Christopher again. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. She gently stroked his face with her fingers and smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s said that women are trouble, but I think men are no less than women.¡± Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Do Not Divorce Yuliana leaned over to rest her chin on Christopher¡¯s shoulder and stared at his side profile for a while. She used to think it was not a good thing that a man was too delicate and good-looking. But now she found that having a good look was not bad either. At least when she was in a bad mood, she could forget those unhappy things when she saw this face. Yuliana looked at him quietly for a while. Then she picked up the towel Annabelle had thrown away, went to the bathroom to get some warm water, and wiped Christopher¡¯s face and neck carefully. After a while, there was a knock on the door. Yuliana looked at the door in a daze, then put down the towel and opened the door. A housekeeper was standing at the door with a bowl of ck things in her hand, and a strong smell of ginger filled her nostrils. Instantly, she felt nauseous but forced herself to hold back so as not to vomit. The housekeeper smiled at Yuliana and said, ¡°This is the hangover remedy. Mrs. Sce asked me to make it for Mr. Christopher Sce.¡± Yuliana took it and said thank you. She went into the room with the hangover remedy, put it on the table by the bed, and then went to the window to open it. After the air circted for a while, the smell of ginger faded a little before she returned to the bed. Looking at the drunken man, she patted him on the face and said gently, ¡°Christopher, get up and drink the hangover remedy.¡± Christopher frowned, but he didn¡¯t wake up. Yuliana patiently called him again and again, and finally woke him up. Christopher opened his eyes and stared at the woman by the bed. He seemed to be looking at her, or somewhere else. The lights in the room were a little bright before this, and Yuliana was afraid that he couldn¡¯t sleep well, so she dimmed them. At this time, the dim light shrouded him. He looked half-drunk and half-awake, like a child who just woke up. Yuliana thought of her students. The students slept on the tables in the ssroom at noon. Every time during her lesson, they looked like him too as they just woke up after a nap. They looked at her on the podium nkly, and their minds were still empty. She held her breath and picked up the bowl of hangover remedy, saying, ¡°Joyce ordered someone to make hangover remedy. You¡¯ll feel better after drinking it.¡± Christopher still looked at her like that and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Christopher.¡± Yuliana called his name again. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Christopher¡¯s eyelids finally moved slightly. He propped himself up from the bed, took the bowl of hangover remedy from her hand, tilted his head backward slightly, and drank it slowly. Yuliana watched him finish drinking and saw him put the bowl on the table beside the bed. She smiled slightly. She looked into his eyes and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t eat ginger and parsley?¡± Christopher leaned against the bed and looked at her. He didn¡¯t answer her immediately. They looked at each other for a while before he parted his lips. ¡°Did I say that?¡± After drinking, his voice was very hoarse. With his slow speech tempo, his voice was unexpectedly melodious. Yuliana said, ¡°Yes.¡± She didn¡¯t dwell on this topic. She paused for a while and said, ¡°Annabelle came here just now.¡± When she said that, she looked at Christopher¡¯s expression which did not show any changes. It seemed that Annabelle was just an insignificant person to him. But that was not the case. Yuliana was a little frustrated. Although she seemed to be full of confidence when facing Annabelle, she was insecure when facing Christopher. Joyce¡¯s words inspired her to fight. She didn¡¯t want other women to stand next to Christopher in the future. She also hoped that yearster, she and Christopher would have some exclusive spice of their married life like Joyce and Kendrick. That kind of life made Yuliana yearn for it, so she still wanted to fight for it. Yuliana looked into Christopher¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Christopher, do you remember the agreement we signed before we got our marriage certificate? You chose to be a normal couple with me, so can I make some reasonable demands of you?¡± Christopher was a little distracted by her gentle voice. He did drink too much at night. Especially after Yuliana and Joyce left, he drank the rest of the wine. Although he was still awake, he was dizzy and couldn¡¯t stand properly. Kendrick had carried him back to his room. Under the influence of alcohol, he quickly fell asleep after lying down. He vaguely felt someoneing in, but he was dizzy and his head hurt. He couldn¡¯t open his eyes at all, and then he vaguely heard someone talking. But he couldn¡¯t hear what they said. He was still dizzy and tipsy after being woken up by Yuliana. So, while listening to Yuliana¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t really think through it at all. He only felt that her voice was particrly nice. He found her voicefortable. He opened his mouth and shouted, then leaned over slightly, held Yuliana¡¯s wrist, and pulled her over. Yuliana fell on his chest. His arms wrapped around her back with certain force and tightness, making her ufortable. However, she didn¡¯t struggle. She simply let him hold her quietly in his arms. Christopher pressed his lips against her head and said in a dull voice, ¡°Let¡¯s not get a divorce, okay?¡± Yuliana was silent for a moment. She sniffed the smell of Christopher. She used to smell a faint smell of sandalwood from Christopher. But today, the faint smell of sandalwood disappeared probably because of the alcohol and hangover remedy. She thought of what La told her this afternoon. At that time, Christopher was only six years old and was still in kindergarten. Since Winnie gave birth to Christopher, she had been in poor health and could not take care of Christopher at all as she was frequently hospitalized. Zachary and Kendrick were busy, and La was young. At that time, Christopher was picked up to and from school by drivers and was taken care of by the housekeeper when he was at home. It happened just after school. The driver waste to school to pick up Christopher because of an ident on the road. After all the children were picked up by their parents, Christopher was still waiting at the door. The criminal rushed to Christopher with a knife. Seeing the scene, the kindergarten¡¯s security guard and others didn¡¯t dare to step forward at all. When Annabelle¡¯s father picked up her from school, he happened to witness the incident and risked his life to save Christopher from the knife. In the end, Daryl sustained a fatal injury when he shielded Christopher from the knife and could not be saved. Christopher underwent psychological treatment for more than a year. Although he gradually recovered, he was still greatly traumatized. He had insomnia and nightmares for a long time. Later, Winnie took Christopher to the church to live for some time before his condition improved. For a child that was only a few years old, religion was still effective. Yuliana put her hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat. Her eyes suddenly became a little teary. She swallowed hard and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 You Stink They kept hugging each other in the same position, but Yuliana could not stand it anymore after a while. She struggled to get up. Christopher instinctively tightened his arms and held her tightly against his chest, holding her intimately. Yuliana was getting more and more ufortable. She felt like her belly was being squeezed, and her body was being twisted. She looked up to talk to Christopher and coincidentally met his gaze. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Christopher¡¯s eyes were bright and clear. There was only pureness being reflected on Yuliana¡¯s face. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She felt like she was being pulled into Christopher¡¯s gaze. After looking at each other for two seconds, Christopher suddenly lowered his head and leaned towards her. Yuliana panicked and instinctively covered his mouth when she realized what he would do. Both of them came to their senses and were taken aback. Yuliana wanted to pull her hand away from Christopher¡¯s mouth, but after hesitating for a while, she left it there. ¡°You can¡¯t kiss me tonight. I¡¯ll only let go of my hand if you agree. And if you don¡¯t agree¡­¡± Her tone was firm. Christopher¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly, and then his eyes glinted mischievously. Yuliana could feel his lips moving under her hand. ¡°And if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Yuliana felt a little embarrassed meeting his gaze. It was not like she could cover his mouth the whole night if he disagreed. ¡°I¡¯ll seal your mouth with duct tape if you don¡¯t agree,¡± said Yuliana in mock fierceness after a few seconds. After saying that, she made herselfugh when she imagined what Christopher would look like with his mouth duct-taped and some other random scenario. Christopher raised his hand and grabbed Yuliana¡¯s wrist. Her wrist was so small that his hand could easily encircle it with some space left. However, it was not bony, for he could feel the soft flesh when pressing it. He could not get enough of the feeling. He grabbed her wrist, pressed the back of her hand against his lips, and said, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t kiss your lips, but you didn¡¯t say anything about kissing your hand.¡± ¡°You stink,¡± said Yukana with a smile, acting as she minded. She actually did not mind the smell of alcohol. It was the taste of the red pepper kes from the hangover remedy that Christopher drank,bined with the smell of the alcohol, that made Yuliana feel ufortable. ¡°You really hate the smell of red pepper kes, huh?¡± Christopher parted his lips and bit her hand. Yuliana propped up his body, changed her position, and leaned against him on the bed. ¡°How do you know I hate the smell of red pepper kes? I¡¯ve never told you that, right?¡± she asked. Christopher looked at her and paused himself. He realized he had said something he should not have. He touched his nose and said, ¡°I heard it from Hailey.¡± Yuliana looked at his embarrassed expression and found his words suspicious, but she did not press further. She leaned against his chest and murmured, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten red pepper kes since childhood. I can¡¯t stand the taste. I remember one time when I was eating at school, I identally ate some red pepper kes, and I threw up on the spot.¡± In fact, she did not only throw up, but she also fainted. She had to go to the cafeteria with her ssmates because she identally spilled her packed lunch. She had forgotten what food she had ordered from the cafeteria. She thought the red pepper kes were some other dried herbs, su she ate them without giving them much thought. However, her gag reflex made her throw up after she had a bite. Yuliana¡¯s ssmates were frightened. They thought she was sick. Later, even the cafeteria staff rushed over because they thought something was wrong with the food. She fell into a daze after throwing up. There was still the taste of red pepper kes in her mouth, and her stomach kept cramping and twisting even though she threw up everything she could. She was embarrassed to be at the center of attention for the wrong reason and finally passed but from the stress. When she woke up, she was in the infirmary. Xandria heard the news and rushed over. Yuliana asked her to buy chewing gum. She chewed several pieces to cover up the taste of the red pepper kes. And because of this, Xandria made fun of her for years. It was the only time since her birth that Yuliana had publicly done something so embarrassing. Although she still could not stand the taste of red pepper kes now that she had grown, she did not find it as repulsive as before. She would just spit it out and gargle her mouth on the asional moments when she identally ate it. However, the smell of the red pepper kes emitting from Christopher¡¯s mouth was too much. She could not even stand the thought of kissing him on the lips. She was afraid she would throw up again. And this time, it would be on Christopher. Christopher¡¯s expression was a bit off. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal if you don¡¯t want to eat red pepper kes.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Yuliana lightly. She leaned against him and fell silent. Christopher did not say anything either. There was more than a trace of tenderness in the room. Yuliana liked their state, but some things just could not be ignored, even if she tried to run away from them. They still needed to be solved. Otherwise, she would never be able to get what she wanted. Although it was not the best timing, being New Year¡¯s Eve and all, she did not want to leave it until next year. ¡°Christopher.¡± Yuliana looked up at him and asked, ¡°Can we talk about Annabelle?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly to the point of being almost unnoticeable. Yuliana did not notice it because of how she was angled toward him. She stared at Christopher for a while, and seeing that he did not say anything, she continued, ¡°I never knew how you feel toward Annabelle. I used to think you loved her, but today La told me that Annabelle¡¯s father sacrificed himself to save you.¡± And because of that, Yuliana felt that the bond between Christopher and Annabelle was more than love. ¡°I would be so guilt-fidden if someone died to save me,¡± thought Yuliana. In fact, all the things Christopher had done for Annabelle were to alleviate his own guilt. Every time he did something for Annabelle, he would feel a little relieved. ¡°In the past, no matter what you did for Annabelle, it was for your own business. But it¡¯s different now. You¡¯re my husband and the father of my child. You have a duty to protect us. I hope you put my child and me first. before you do anything. Secondly, as a wife, I don¡¯t want my husband to be too enmeshed with other women, so if we want to continue our marriage, you have to promise me that you will keep a proper distance from Annabelle in the future.¡± Yuliana¡¯s expression was light, and her voice was very calm, but her tone was serious and left no room for negotiation. Annabelle¡¯s father lost his life to save Christopher, so it would be unrealistic for him to break off contact with Annabellepletely. What Yuliana wanted was assurance from Christopher that he would be willing to change his unhealthy rtionship with Annabelle for the sake of her and his child. ¡°This is the premise of me promising not to divorce you.¡± Yuliana got up from him and looked into his eyes. ¡°Christopher, we can stay married if you can do that, but if you can¡¯t, then it¡¯s better if we end things now.¡± Christopher kept his expression neutral throughout Yuliana¡¯s speech. His Adam¡¯s apple slowly bobbed up and down while he looked at Yuliana. After a long silence, he reached out his hand to hold Yuliana tightly in his arms and said in a deep voice, ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes teared up a little at his reply while the corners of her lips rose up on their own ord. She looked at him with bright, shiny eyes. Smiling, Christopher looked at her smiling red eyes. ¡°Hey?¡± A few loud bangs came from outside the room just when Yuliana was about to say something. The dark night sky was also suddenly illuminated. The two of them looked out the window simultaneously and saw at huge firework exploding in the night sky. The two of them stared dazedly at the fireworks for a long time until the night sky returned to normal. Christopher asked, ¡°What did you want to say?¡± Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 He Is Showering Christopher asked, ¡°What did you want to say?¡± Yuliana smiled. ¡°Since you¡¯re sober now, don¡¯t sleep. Joyce said we¡¯re celebrating the New Year togetherter. Let¡¯s go downstairs and watch the New Year¡¯s G with Dad and Mom.¡± As she spoke, she pulled Christopher up. However, Christopher just had the hangover remedy and had bad breath. Even he himself could not stand it, so he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Yuliana waited outside for a while. Seeing that he had note out yet, she could not help but push open the bathroom door. She saw him spraying a freshener into his mouth. ¡°Are you done?¡± she asked. Christopher saw here in and immediately walked up to her. Try sniffing. Can you still smell it?¡± Yuliana was dumbfounded by Christopher¡¯s silly act and wanted to dodge immediately, but Christopher pulled her over and carried her to the counter. He rubbed the tip of his nose against hers and asked, ¡°Can we kiss now?¡± His hoarse and deep voice made Yuliana feel nervous, and she felt a tingling sensation spread through her body. She did not respond and was caught in a dilemma between dodging it or not. Suddenly, their lips touched, and both of them were stunned. Before Yuliana could react, Christopher pinned her beneath his body. It was almost 11 p.m. when they got out of the bathroom. The duo then apanied Zachary and Winnie to watch the New Year¡¯s G downstairs. At almost midnight, the two elders prepared mary gifts for Christopher, Yuliana, Joyce, Kendrick, Alexzander, and Annabelle. However, Annabelle was not feeling well and returned to her room early to rest. At 12 a.m. sharp, Christopher and Kendrick went to the yard to light the fireworks. Since Alexzander had kept requesting to y with the aerial fireworks earlier, Kendrick apanied him to light them, which were the ones Christopher and Yuliana had seen in the room before. At midnight, the sky over the Sce residence was illuminated for nearly ten minutes. Although Yuliana had watched a lot of fireworks before, it was the only time she had seen such amazing fireworks. The fireworks were indeed beautiful but onlysted for a very short moment. After all the fireworks ended, Zachary and Winnie returned to their room to rest. Alex also could not hold his eyes for a while and fell asleep. Kendrick carried him upstairs, and Joyce followed him. Perhaps Yuliana¡¯s body was still in a state of excitement. She did not feel sleepy and returned to the home theatre with Christopher to watch a movie. However, Yuliana fell asleep before she could finish the movie. After switching off the equipment in the home theatre, Christopher carried Yuliana back to the room and put her on the bed. He stared at Yuliana¡¯s sleeping face for a while. Then he lowered his head and gently kissed her on the tip of her nose. Annabelle left the Sce residence early the next morning. Christopher and Yuliana stayed in the Sce residence until the second day of New Year and only returned to Oceanview Apartment at night. On the third day of the New Year, the duo stayed home all day, sleeping, cooking, and watching movies. In the evening, they made an appointment with Raymond and others for dinner. After dinner, they went to Prestige Club together. Raymond also invited Xandria over. Thest time Yuliana and Xandria met was before New Year. Xandria had been very busytely. She had to deal with her family¡¯s rtives and Raymond¡¯s, so she did not have time to contact Yuliana. After singing and ying games with others, Yuliana and Xandria moved to a corner and chatted. Xandria told Yuliana that she had visited Raymond¡¯s rtives. Since she and Raymond had been pretending to be in a rtionship for some time, Raymond¡¯s mother took the opportunity to take her to meet the rtives of the Quinn family during the New Year The rtives of the Quinn family were af significant figures and were generous. Xandria had received a lot of mary gifts from them in the past few days. Raymond¡¯s parents had also given her a big sum of mary gift. Xandria was a little embarrassed to take it. But since Raymond asked her to ept it, she took it at ease. Seeing her happy look, Yuliana could not help joking, ¡°Maybe you and Raymond should make the y act real.¡± After saying that, she thought about it carefully and said in a serious tone, ¡°In fact, I think Raymond is a good person after interacting with him recently.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Upon hearing this, Xandria looked at Yuna in disbelief and asked, ¡°What makes you think he is good?¡± With that, she pointed somewhere. Yuliana looked in the direction she pointed at. It was then she saw Raymond sitting among a group of women, peacocking with women on both sides. The women had so much fun with him and giggled. Yuliana pursed her lips at the sight. ¡°I take back my words.¡± Xandria stared at Raymond for a while and said, ¡°Yuliana, you know I¡¯m short-tempered. Even trivial matters can irritate me easily, and there¡¯s no way I can endure any humiliation. I can¡¯t ept a yful guy like Raymond.¡± She suddenly felt that the topic was a little serious and shook her head to throw away the thoughts in her mind. Then she changed the subject and asked Yuliana, ¡°By the way, I heard Annabelle had caused trouble again.¡± Staring at Yuliana, Xandria picked up her ss and took a sip before continuing, ¡°Christopher had sent Annabelle to the hospital on New Year¡¯s Eve, right?¡± Yuliana was momentarily stunned by her words. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Xandria smiled. ¡°How do I know that? It¡¯s spreading in the circle. Can I not know?¡± Yuliana gave Xandria¡¯s words a thought and felt that what she had just said was hrious and absurd. She thought, ¡°Indeed, so, many people watched it during New Year¡¯s Eve. It was difficult to keep it a secret.¡± She smiled slightly and asked, ¡°What else did you hear?¡± Xandria nced at Yuliana¡¯s belly. ¡°What else? It¡¯s not a good thing, of course. They said Mr. Sce still loves Annabelle, and you¡¯re discing her using the baby in your belly.¡± She only told Yuliana things that were less intrusive. In fact, there were harsher and more unpleasant comments about Yuliana. After all, Yuliana¡¯s identity was no longer a secret in the circle. Her father¡¯s affairs and the marriage between her and Harry had also spread. Yuliana smiled again. ¡°Just let them spread whatever they like.¡± The saying could not be clearer. The more you care, the more it hurts.¡± That was why Yuliana stopped caring about what others thought ormented about her. Xandria looked at her and hesitated for a while. Still, she could not help saying, ¡°Yuliana, you shouldn¡¯t be so kind to let others bully you like before. You must be fierce and show no mercy to a shameless woman like Annabelle.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana nodded with a smile. ¡°I will.¡± Considering Yuliana¡¯s condition, Christopher took her back to Oceanview Apartment at about ten o¡¯clock. After returning home, Yuliana took a shower first, followed by Christopher. Yuliana did not blow dry her hairpletely, and her scalp was still a little wet. She sat on the couch in her room and watched short videos of cute babies on her phone. Since she was pregnant, she loved to watch such videos. Suddenly, a phone ringtone rang. Yuliana looked toward the sound and found it was from Christopher¡¯s phone on the bedside cab. She picked up the phone and froze for a second when she saw the caller. Then she swiped to answer it. ¡°Chris¡­¡± Yuliana interrupted her and said, ¡°He¡¯s taking a shower, and it¡¯s inconvenient for him to answer the phone. You can talk to me if you need anything, and I¡¯ll ry the message to him.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Are You Jealous? There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Then, Annabelle giggled and said, ¡°All right, then. Please tell him not to forget what he had promised me.¡± With that, she hung up the phone. Listening to the disconnected tone over the phone, Yuliana was momentarily stunned before putting down the phone. She touched her hair. Since it was almost dry, she went to bed directly but couldn¡¯t sleep. Thus, she sat on the bed and picked up her phone to watch videos. Her mind wandered as she watched the lovely babies on the video. About ten minutester, Christopher came out of the bathroom. He was half naked and only wore a pair of dark gray wide-leg pants. There was a rope around his waist, which was not tied but hung loosely at his hips. Although Christopher did not like to wear clothes when he was sleeping at home, he did put on his clothes when he was outside. He subconsciously felt that the hotel was a bit unhygienic and felt a little disgusted if he did not wear clothes. Yuliana tantly fixated her gaze on Christopher. He then walked toward her and handed her the towel. ¡°Ana, please help to wipe my hair.¡± Since his hair was short, he did not bother to use the hairdryer. Every time he washed his hair, he only needed to dry it by wiping it with a towel. Christopher sat directly on the floor beside the bed. Yuliana took the towel, sat on the bed, wrapped it around his head and gently towel-dried his hair. Christopher picked up his phone and clicked on a game video to watch. Yuliana nced at it and found it was the game he used to y. When Christopher¡¯s hair was almost dry, Yuliana said, ¡°While you were showering. Annabelle called your phone, and I answered it.¡± Christopher focused on watching the video and said calmly, ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She asked me to tell you not to forget what you had promised her.¡± Christopher stopped watching the video and pondered for a moment. Then, he threw his phone aside, turned around, and looked at Yuliana. ¡°I promised to apany her back to visit Mr. Johnson.¡± After staring at Christopher for a while, Yuliana asked, ¡°When?¡± Christopher frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve not decided yet. I guess she called me for this.¡± There was nothing unusual with Yuliana¡¯s expression. She only went silent for a while and did not utter a word. Christopher wrapped his arm around her waist and said calmly, ¡°If you don¡¯t wish for me to go, I won¡¯t go then.¡± Yuliana looked at him and pursed her lips. ¡°What am I then? Annabelle¡¯s father is your life savior, after all. You should go and see him.¡± She paused before asking, ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± ¡°Two or three days.¡± Daryl did note from Juxshire but from a township on the southwest border. Even if Christopher took a ne to the airport and traveled by car afterward, it would still take him more than half a day to reach the destination. Yuliana did not expect it to take so long. ¡°Did you guys also go together in previous years?¡± Christopher hesitated before he nodded in response. In fact, every year, he would look for a time to visit Daryl with Annabelle. He thought if he did not return with Annabelle, no one would remember him anymore. Yuliana lowered her gaze, frowning slightly. After pondering for a moment, she raised her gaze and asked Christopher, ¡°Can I go with you?¡± She couldn¡¯t stop Christopher from apanying Annabelle to visit Daryl, and Christopher should also keep his promise to Annabelle. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t let Christopher spend two or three days with Annabelle alone, so the only way she could think of was to go with him.¡± ¡°Annabelle¡¯s father was the one who saved my husband, the father to my child. I should visit him too,¡± she thought. However, Christopher did not agree with her. Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, Yuliana asked, ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Ana, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± Christopher frowned and tightened his embrace on Yuliana¡¯s waist. ¡°It¡¯s just that that ce is in poor condition, and we still have to take a six to seven hours car ride after getting off the ne. You are pregnant now.¡± ¡°Our baby is fine,¡± answered Yuliana. Yuliana was still aware of her physical condition. Since pregnancy, she had been in good health except for the first few months, and the child in her womb was also developing well. It would be fine for her to take a few hours of a car ride. In fact, she could tell Christopher was indeed reluctant to bring her along besides worrying about her physical condition. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Yuliana bent down and kissed him. ¡°I¡¯ll be worried if you go with Annabelle.¡± Christopher was stunned. Looking at the honesty in her eyes, he suddenly had a different feeling and couldn¡¯t help but smile. He kissed her lips and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Christopher got up from the floor and pinned Yuliana underneath his body. ying her ears with his fingers, he whispered, ¡°Of course, you can.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m going with you.¡± Yuliana looked into his eyes.. The couple stared at each other. Christopher then lowered his gaze and stared at Yuliana¡¯s lips. After a while, he rolled over andy on the bed, looking at her obliquely. ¡°Whether or not you can go will depend on your performance.¡± Yuliana sat up from the bed, tidied up her hair, and asked confusedly, ¡°What kind of performance?¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± The next day, Christopher called Annabelle back. Annabelle originally nned to set off on the fourth day of the New Year. But since Christopher had decided to bring Yuliana along, he had to make some preparations and change the date to one day later. Annabelle did not care about postponing it for a day, but she did not know Christopher was doing that for Yuliana either. On the morning of the fifth day of the New Year, Annabelle¡¯s face darkened when she saw Yuliana show up at the airport with Christopher. Saying nothing to Christopher, she turned around and went to the security check with her flight ticket. After getting on the ne, Christopher and Yuliana sat side by side while Annabelle sat in the same row but across the aisle. Once Annabelle had taken her seat, she immediately wore the sleep mask and napped. She even ignored the cabin crew who brought her the meal. Yuliana had brought her tablet along and downloaded several movies. Christopher apanied her to watch the movies for a while and fell asleep after eating something. Yuliana was still energetic and finished all the movies. The ne was still traveling at a high altitude, and it would take another half an hour before itnded. She put away the tablet, opened the window shade, stared out the window for a while, and then turned to look at the man beside her. With a U-shaped pillow around his neck, Ch ristopher rested his head against the chair¡¯s backrest, tilting his head slightly to her side. He did not wear a sleep mask. As the dazzling light outside the window shone on the lower half of his face, it formed a stark contrast of color with the upper half of his face. His skin was white and his eyshes were long. Once again, Yuliana stared at his face intently. She was dazed by the sight of the man until a sneer brought. her back to her senses. She looked in the direction of the voice and found that, without her knowledge, Annabelle had already awake, taken off the sleeping eye mask, and was staring at her. Yuliana shifted her gaze away once their eyes met Then, she adjusted her posture to rest her head against. Christopher¡¯s shoulder and closed the window shade, preparing to nap. Unexpectedly, the ne shook violently as soon as she closed her eyes. Her heart raced, and she heard the screams of other passengers. Once she opened her eyes, she heard the announcement from the cabin crew, Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 It Is Mediocre The ne got caught up in disrupted airflow Hence, there was turbulence. Yuliana was slightly relieved. It wasmon for such a situation to ur during a ne ride. Previously, she was afraid because there was an aviation ident in the first half ofst year. The ne was destroyed, leaving no survivors. Christopher woke up due to the jolt. He opened his eyes and glimpsed at Annabelle before turning over to look at Yuliana. Thetter also raised her head toward him. The couple exchanged nces for a second silently. Following that, the ne experienced severe turbulence again. The bottles of water on the front shelf fell off. The overheadpartment also got utched due to the continuous jolts, and the luggage started tumbling down. ¡°Ah!¡± Screams of terror erupted on the ne.. Yuliana, who had just managed to calm herself down, felt nervous again. While panicking, she gripped the chair armrest with one hand and wanted to grasp Christopher¡¯s arm with the other. However, she grabbed onto nothing. The man beside her had unfastened his seat belt and got up. Yuliana¡¯s gaze followed wherever Christopher went. It was only then she realized Annabelle had fallen on the aisle. Christopher intended to help her up. Unfortunately, the ne shook violently, causing them to bump themselves into everything. Seized with terror by what she saw, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher didn¡¯t respond to her. He held onto the armrest and finally pulled Annabelle back to her seat. After tugging the seat belt and buckling it up for her, he returned to his seat and fastened his seat belt. An indescribablyplicated emotion swelled in Yuliana¡¯s heart as she stared at the man who had returned to her side. Yuliana nced at Annabelle again. Seeing the other party¡¯s terror-stricken face, she figured she was probably scared. Her knuckles even turned pale due to how tightly she gripped the armrest. Christopher only proceeded to look at Yuliana after settling down. Realization finally dawned upon him when he noticed her expression. Yuliana red at him before shifting her gaze toward the window. After four to five minutes of continuous turbulence, everything eventually returned to normal. The broadcast got ryed again throughout the aircraft cabin. Afterward, the flight attendants appeared and helped to arrange the fallen luggage back in their original position. Subsequently, they reassured the passengers again. The nendedter than its scheduled time due to turbulence. It was precisely lunchtime when the nended. The trio found a ce to eat at the airport before directly departing from the location. Even before arriving, Christopher already got in touch with a driver to drive them in a car. Annabelle sat in the front passenger seat while Christopher and Yuliana sat in the back. Nheless, because of the incident on the ne, Yuliana wasn¡¯t in a good mood and ignored Christopher. After boarding the car, she huddled in the corner and looked at her phone for a while. Callie had sent Yuliana a message regarding thetter going to Jeahron with Christopher. Yuliana originally nned to go to Jeahronst year. However, there was a turn of events at the Romdale branch, and Christopher couldn¡¯t take time off. Hence, she thought about going there before the year ended. Nheless, they were currently going to pay respect to Annabelle¡¯s father. Therefore, she had to dy the trip. Thinking of this, she turned around to look at Christopher and wanted to ask him about his schedule after returning to Juxshire. However, she was stunned when she saw Christopher¡¯s appearance. Christopher was looking out of the window, his face void of emotions. He waspletely different from usual. Although they were sitting so close that they could touch the other person if they stretched out their hands, Yuliana felt Christopher was so distant that he was beyond her reach. Yuliana pursed her lips and reached out to hold the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Christopher.¡± Hearing her voice, Christopher nced at her. He didn¡¯t have time to stow away the emotions in his eyes. Those sentiments were like bubbles that young children blew and could easily burst even with a gentle touch. Nevertheless, he managed to conceal his feelingspletely right after that. Christopher¡¯s lips quirked up ¡°Do you Want to rest for a while? There are still more than five hours left.¡± Yuliana opened her mouth and wanted to say something. However, she retracted what she wanted to say. Instead, she smiled gently and nodded. ¡°Okay, I want to sleep while leaning on you.¡± Christopher stretched out his arm, and Yuliana scooted closer to him and leaned her head on his chest. As she shut her eyes, the image of how Christopher looked from before surfaced in her mind repeatedly. To outsiders, Annabelle¡¯s father was a hero who sacrificed himself to save a young life. However, it might not be the same for Christopher. Some people might feel fortunate to be alive, even if others had traded their life for them. Yet, some might not think the same way. Instead, it was a heavy burden that shackled them. Yuliana didn¡¯t know what the scene of Annabelle¡¯s father saving Christopher was like, but from La¡¯s simple description, she could imagine how startling the sight was to Christopher, who was only a six- year-old child at that time. It must be the same for Annabelle too. Therefore, it was something outsiders could never understand. However, both of them could empathize with each other. Yuliana felt she might have regarded the matter too lightly. It was already past eight o¡¯clock in Yarwood. The altitude here was high, and the weather was chilly. Throughout the journey, snow or ice scattered on the road, causing it to be very slippery. Hence, the driver drove slowly, resulting in them arriving at their destination more than an hourter than expected. Upon arrival, the three people stopped over at a hotel first. Annabelle took her keycard and returned to her room. She still had not interacted with Christopher. Yuliana watched her tow her in-looking luggage before looking at Christopher. The man had also gotten a keycard and was walking straight to her. He held the luggage¡¯s extendable handle as he spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the third floor.¡± Yuliana hummed in response and followed beside him to the elevator. After arriving at the county, Yuliana observed that the houses there were not tall. The hotel they had checked into had only six to seven floors. It was considered quite a tall building here. She had been to many cities since she was a child. However, visiting a ce like Yarwood was a first. After going upstairs, Christopher boiled some water using a kettle. He then poured it into a basin before adding some cold water. ¡°You should soak your feet first.¡± On the road, Yuliana mentioned that her legs and feet were slightly swollen, which felt ufortable. Yuliana sat on the chair, took off her shoes, and put her feet in the basin. The water was a little hot, but that was just the perfect temperature. She felt rxed and satisfied once soaking her feet in it. ¡°Is it hot?¡± Christopher squatted next to her and scooped up some water, pouring it on her calves. Yuliana propped both hands on the chair. She lowered her eyes to look at him. After a few seconds of silence, she shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Her answer made Christopher think that the water was rather cold. ¡°Should I add more hot water?¡± Yuliana shook her head again. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thank you.¡± Everything felt just right to her. If he added lesser hot water, she would feel cold On the other hand, if he poured more, she would feel it was overly hot. Christopher couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her dazed appearance Then, he submerged his hands in hot water, massaging her soles and calves. He asked again. ¡°Is the strength eptable?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Yuliana looked at him while grinning, and her eyes curved like crescent moons. ¡°You¡¯re like a masseur today.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. A smile graced Christopher¡¯s face. ¡°How is my skill?¡± When Yuliana was about to praise him, she suddenly recalled something and corrected herself, ¡°It¡¯s mediocre.¡± ¡°Mediocre? What do you mean by that?¡± Christopher demanded. Yuliana smiled and said nothing. She stared at the crown of Christopher¡¯s head for a while before saying, ¡°Do you want to visit Annabelle? Something seems off about her.¡± Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 You Have Quite A Temper Yuliana stared at Christopher¡¯s hair whorl for a while, then reached out and touched it. She said, ¡°Do you want to go and see Annabelle? She seems something off today.¡± After getting off the ne, Yuliana noticed that not only Christopher was something off, but also Annabelle. Christopher stopped and looked up at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to keep a distance from her?¡± Yuliana lowered her eyes to hide her emotions and smiled faintly. ¡°I hope you can keep a distance from her. But now are particr situations, so I allow you to visit her, but it can¡¯t be too long.¡± As Yuliana spoke, she raised her eye and looked into Christopher¡¯s eyes. She smiled innocently and said, ¡°Ten minutes? Is that enough?¡± Christopher was slightly agitated in his heart as if there was a wave in a calmke. He said, ¡°Ten minutes is not enough.¡± Yuliana frowned and thought for a while. She said hesitantly, ¡°Then¡­ Fifteen minutes? Is that enough?¡± ¡°Not enough,¡± Christopher replied as he shook his head. Christopher held back his smile as he lowered his head and focused on massaging her feet. Upon hearing that, Yuliana was a little unhappy. She subconsciously stamped her feet softly. The water sshed out from the foot basin, and some were on Christopher¡¯s face. Both of them were stunned. After Yuliana returned to her senses, she quickly bent down and reached out to wipe Christopher. She exined anxiously, ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Christopher grabbed her hand and kissed it. He said, ¡°Ana, you have quite a temper.¡± ¡°Why are you so unhygienic?¡± Yuliana withdrew her hand vigorously. Her hand had just wiped the dirty water on Christopher¡¯s face. ¡°Why is it unhygienic? Am not I kissed your feet before?¡± Christopher lowered his head again and looked at Yuliana¡¯s feet. He said, ¡°Ana, you¡¯re considered tall among girls. But why are your feet so small?¡± Hearing what Christopher said, Yuliana looked down at her feet and asked, ¡°Are my feet small?¡± Yuliana¡¯s shoe size was five and a half, which was not small, but she had a small frame. Even if flesh were on her feet, they were visually narrow and delicate. However, her toes were round, adding some naivety inexplicably to them. Yuliana always thought her toes were ugly, so she didn¡¯t wear shoes with exposed toes on non- essential asions in summer. ¡°I can grab them with one hand. Aren¡¯t they small?¡± After Christopher finished speaking, he tried to grab Yuliana¡¯s feet and held them easily. Yuliana stopped arguing with Christopher and said seriously, ¡°You can go now.¡± Christopher said casually, ¡°Where should I go?¡± Yuliana looked at him and paused. ¡°Go to Annabelle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Christopher picked up the towel from a side and wiped her feet. He continued, ¡°I was teasing you just now. She doesn¡¯t want to see me right now. So there¡¯s no need for me to go there.¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment and blurted out, ¡°Why?¡± Christopher lowered his head and his eyes. So Yuliana couldn¡¯t see the emotions in Christopher¡¯s eyes. His expression was very calm. He didn¡¯t answer Yuliana¡¯s questions for a long time. Just when Yuliana thought he was not nning to answer, Christopher suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Johnson¡¯s death. is because he was trying to save me.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana was slightly stunned. Then, Yuliana pursed her lips softly. After staring at Christopher for a while, she changed the topic, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. What do we eat tonight?¡± It was already over eight o¡¯clock in the evening in Yarwood. They only had some snacks on the way to the hotel. As the baby in Yuliana grew, she got hungry more frequently. In addition, it¡¯s too cold here. She still felt cold even if the room¡¯s heater had turned on. All she wanted was to eat something warm. Christopher helped Yuliana put on clean socks and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat in the room or go outside?¡± Yuliana had been in the car for a whole day, and she wanted to take a walk. So, she said, ¡°How about we go out to eat?¡± So they were all dressed up and went out of the hotel. Yarwood was not a big county. A river separated the county. On one side was the new town, and on the other was the old town. The hotel they stayed in was located in the new town. The new town was still a little deserted. Therefore, there were not many choices of food. They found a pasta restaurant. Each of them ordered a te of meatball pasta for dinner. After that, they walked around the neighborhood. They returned to the pasta restaurant and ordered some food for takeaway. Only then did they return to the hotel. Christopher took Yuliana to Annabelle¡¯s room with the pasta in his hand. He knocked on the door a few times, but no one answered Christopher took out his phone and called Annabelle, but no one answered the phone as well Yuliana nced at Christopher and saw his eyebrows slightly frown. She suggested, ¡°Do you want to ask the hotel staff to open the door and check it out?¡± Christopher put away his phone and was silent for a while. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. Let¡¯s go back.¡± After Christopher finished speaking, he held Yuliana¡¯s hand and returned to the room. During the night, Yuliana didn¡¯t know whether it was due to coldness or the unfamiliar environment. She didn¡¯t get to sleep well. She woke up in a trance several times. The next morning, Christopher got up. Yuliana didn¡¯t sleep well, so she was still sleepy. But when Christopher got up, she also sat up from the bed, but she was in a daze and didn¡¯t want to move. It was raining outside. Yuliana felt cold when the wind blew into the room from nowhere. After Christopher finished washing up, only then did Yuliana get out of bed to wash up. After Yuliana was out of the bathroom, she saw Christopher dressed in a ck coat, pants, and even ck shoes and socks. He gave an unprecedentedly solemn aura. Yuliana went over and straightened Christopher¡¯s clothes. They looked at each other for two seconds. Christopher said gently, ¡°Mr. Johnson¡¯s graveyard is in the countryside. It¡¯s raining today. It must be hard to walk on the road. Be careful when you get there.¡± Yuliana replied with, a faint smile, ¡°Okay.¡± It was the same car as yesterday. They arrived at the hotel gate, and the car had already stopped there. Annabelle was also in the car. Her clothes were almost the same as Christopher¡¯s. She was basically all ck, but she was wearing a hat, a mask, and even a pair of sunsses. Her whole face was covered, and nothing could be seen. Christopher showed the driver the way, and their first stop was a store that sold funeral products. He got out of the car with Annabelle while Yuliana was waiting in the car. Through the car window, Yuliana saw Christopher and Annabelle tacitly buy a few things. A few minutester, they came from the store and put the items into the trunk. Finally, they got in the car. The car drove for nearly an hour on a countryside road. There were many cliffs and steep walls. It looked scary. Finally, the car stopped in front of a vige. Instead of a vige, there were only a few houses. It looked dpidated. Some of which were already copsed and covered with weeds. The three of them got out of the car, and Yuliana looked around. She thought that this ce was undoubtedly an unimaginable sight for her. Usually, there were few outsiders in the vige. So, when a car suddenly came in, everyone couldn¡¯t help but be curious about who had arrived. They went out of their house. Most were elders, some were children, and a few were middle-aged men and women. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s Annabelle! Chris is here, too!¡± A middle-aged woman walked toward them and weed them with a warm smile. Other elders and children also followed the woman The middle-aged woman smiled as she looked at Christopher and Annabelle, taking something from the trunk. She asked, ¡°Are you back to see Daryl again?¡± Annabelle looked at her coldly and ignored her.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Are You Done Yet? The middle-aged woman didn¡¯t take offense to that. She giggled and looked at Christopher. ¡°Chris, you and Annabelle are so filial. Despite living so far away, you stille back every year to visit Daryl. If Daryl knew this, he¡¯d be very touched. By the way, your uncle and I just went to clear the weeds around Daryl¡¯s grave before the New Year. Don¡¯t worry while you¡¯re outside. Your uncle and I will take care of everything at home.¡± The woman went on and on, but Christopher only nodded politely and thanked her. After some chattering, the woman looked at Yuliana who stood beside Christopher. Her gaze swept over Yuliana from head to toe, and then she asked with a smile, ¡°Who is this youngdy?¡± Christopher held Yuliana¡¯s hand and answered. ¡°This is my wife, Yuliana.¡± Hearing that, the people around was stunned. They took a few nces at Yuliana and then looked back and forth between her, Christopher, and Annabelle with different expressions on their faces. Juliet Johnson grabbed Yuliana¡¯s hand as she smiled and said, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re so good-looking. You and Chris would make a good couple.¡± Christopher led Yuliana around to introduce her to the people at the scene, including Annabelle¡¯s grandparents, uncle, aunt, and a few kids who were all cousins of Annabelle. During the whole process, Annabelle was like an outsider. On the contrary, Yuliana and Christopher seemed more like rtives of the Johnson family. Annabelle looked at them for a while. She then sneered and interrupted them. ¡°Are you done yet?¡± Everyone present turned to look at her, but she didn¡¯t even look at them. She turned to Christopher and said, ¡°Are you going or not? If not, I¡¯ll go alone then.¡± With that said, she grabbed her stuff and turned to leave. ¡°Her temper hasn¡¯t changed a bit.¡± Seeing that, Juliet looked at Yuliana and said with a smile, but her words somehow made thetter feel ufortable. Yuliana responded with a faint smile and didn¡¯t say a word. Christopher was still holding Yuliana¡¯s hand, and he was about to chase after Annabelle. However, Yuliana stopped him by grabbing his hand. Christopher looked at her with suspicions in his eyes. Yuliana paused for a moment before she pulled Christopher aside and whispered, ¡°Go with Annabelle. I won¡¯t go. I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Christopher¡¯s apple bobbed slightly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only said, ¡°Okay. Stay here with the driver. Call me if there¡¯s anything. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Yuliana nodded. Christopher led Yuliana toward the car. After exchanging a few words with the driver, he followed in the direction that Annabelle had left. Yuliana stared at their backs for a while. Juliet who was beside her came over and pulled her toward the direction of the house. Yuliana didn¡¯t know how to refuse her warm hospitality and could only be led into the house. Seeing that, the driver got out of the car and followed behind them. Juliet invited Yuliana to take a seat, and then she served various beverages, snacks, and fruits to Yuliana. Meanwhile, the two children who were sitting nearby watched Yuliana with great interest. Annabelle¡¯s grandparents were also sitting not far away. They were not as warm as Juliet, and they didn¡¯t like to smile. Annabelle¡¯s uncle was the same. ¡°Help yourself to whatever you like, Yuliana. We don¡¯t have anything special here, so I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Juliet sat down next to Yuliana. Yuliana took a sip of water and said, ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind. Thank you, Mrs. Johnson.¡± Juliet sighed. There¡¯s no need to thank me. Don¡¯t be so polite to me. You and Chris are so thoughtful, unlike that brat Annabelle. As you saw earlier, she didn¡¯t even greet us. It¡¯s fine if she didn¡¯t want to greet me and her uncle, but she should at least have greeted her grandparents, right? Now that she¡¯s a city person, we poor rtives are naturally beneath her notice.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t know how to continue the conversation. After that, Juliet continued to talk to herself, saying a lot of things about how ungrateful and materialistic Annabelle was. Other than that, she also offered somepliments to Yuliana and Christopher. Meanwhile, Daryl¡¯s grave was on the mountainside, which was quite a good location. Christopher and Annabelle walked in silence for more than ten minutes before they arrived at the graveyard. As Juliet said, the weeds around the grave had been cleared, but it was also evident that they had been cleared recently. Moreover, there were hardly any people who came here normally, so even the road from the foot of the mountain to the graveyard was overgrown with weeds. After they arrived, both of them were busy with their things. Christopher took out two red candles and three incense sticks. He then lit them before inserting them in front of the gravestone. Annabelle took out paper money and lit them on the candles, burning them one by one. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here to see you. Do you miss me?¡± Annabelle looked at the gravestone which only had Daryl¡¯s name carved on it without a photo. She tried hard to imagine what he looked like, but she couldn¡¯t outline Daryl¡¯s appearance in her mind. All of a sudden, tears rolled down her cheeks. Taking a nce at Annabelle, Christopher once again saw the image of her when she was little. He walked toward Annabelle, took out another pile of paper money from the bag, and burned them silently. Christopher and Annabelle took nearly an hour toe back. During that hour, Yuliana learned quite a bit of information from Juliet. It turned out that Annabelle¡¯s biological mother eloped with her lover when Annabelle was two or three years old. At that time, Daryl worked in another city and couldn¡¯t take care of his daughter, so he had no choice but to leave Annabelle at home with her grandparents. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ording to Juliet, Darylter found another partner. When Annabelle was five years old, she was taken to a big city by Daryl. After that, the little girl became arrogant and looked down on her rtives for being poor. She only wanted to climb higher social circles. She also said that Daryl saved Christopher¡¯s life, and the Sce family paid him a lot of money. However, he wasn¡¯t willing to give a single cent to his parents, leaving them to raise Annabelle for several years for nothing. Just as they were getting into the story, they heard a few barks in the yard. Juliet peeked out and saw that Christopher and Annabelle had returned. Her expression immediately changed and greeted them with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s join us for lunchter. You rarelye back, and it happens to be the New Year.¡± Juliet invited Christopher into the house, but Annabelle stood by the car and didn¡¯t move an inch. Christopher said, ¡°Mrs. Johnson, we have to catch a flight back tonight, so we won¡¯t bother you any longer. It turned out he came into the house to pick up Yuliana. Yuliana immediately walked toward him when she saw hime in. Christopher looked at the two elderly people in the house and the two kids who were looking at him eagerly. He took out all the cash from his wallet and handed it to Juliet. ¡°We didn¡¯t buy anything for you. Take this money and buy something for Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson, and the two kids.¡± Juliet pretended to refuse for a few moments before epting it with a beaming smile. She figured there were at least a few hundred dors, and possibly more than a thousand dors. Yuliana looked at her quietly and said nothing. When they were leaving, Juliet took some marinated meat from the house and put it in the car. Then she carried a box of milk from the house before sending them off with great joy. As soon as Annabelle closed the car door, she snorted coldly. ¡°Do you have so much money that you don¡¯t know where to spend it? People like them can shamelessly ept whatever you give them no matter how much.¡± Christopher pursed his lips. ¡°After all, they¡¯re your grandparents.¡± ¡°They are not!¡± Annabelle turned around and stared at Christopher with her reddened eyes. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Admit Your Selfish Motives The atmosphere in the car tensed up instantly. Christopher and Annabelle looked at each other for two seconds. They were about to say something, but Yuliana, sitting next to him, immediately tugged his hand. He subconsciously nced at Yuliana and saw her shaking her head subtly. Christopher pursed his thin lips and remained silent for a moment. Then, he nced at Annabelle again but said nothing. After Yuliana stopped Christopher fromshing out, she shifted her gaze to the front and saw Annabelle staring at her. Annabelle was yet to conceal her emotions, and her beautiful face turned a little colder. Their gazes met. Annabelle curled her lips mockingly and turned back around. The driver took a quick nce at the passenger seat and started the car engine, slowly driving on the narrow country roads. On their way back, light rain started pouring again, and the roads became slippery. The car drove slowly ahead. Due to the curves and slopes along the way, Yuliana felt a little dizzy and nauseatic. She leaned against Christopher¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes, enduring the ufortable feeling within her. Then, a loud bang was heard. The driver let out a curse and drove the car forward. A short whileter, he pulled over at a tter ground. Yuliana opened her eyes and looked out of the window. She saw a rock wall on one side and a cliff on the other. Then, she wondered why the driver stopped the car there. Amidst her confusion, the driver pushed open the car door and got out. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Christopher put his arm around her shoulder and patted her, saying, ¡°I think the tire burst. You girls stay here. I¡¯ll go down and take a look.¡± Yuliana nodded and watched Christopher get out of the car. The driver checked the car and confirmed that a tire on the inner side of the rear had burst. Christopher got off the car and saw the driver crouching near the rear while pressing his fingers on the tire covered in mud. He nced in that direction and saw the tire pressed on the ground. There was an obvious dent in it. He asked, ¡°Did the tire burst?¡± The driver nodded. ¡°I think we will have to ask thedies to get out of the car for a while so I can change the tire.¡± The country roads were in terrible condition, full of potholes and crushed stones. It was hard to determine what had pierced through the tire. However, the tire must be reced, or it would be dangerous if something unexpected happened to the car while on the road. Christopher nodded and told Yuliana and Annabelle about that. Thedies got out of the car. The driver took an umbre from the trunk and handed it to them, saying, ¡°I only have one umbre in the car. Please bear with this for a moment. I¡¯ll get the tire reced soon.¡± Yuliana took the umbre and thanked the driver. She opened the umbre and looked at Annabelle. After a brief hesitation, she walked over to Annabelle and held the umbre over their heads so that neither of them would be drenched in the rain. However, Annabelle did not appreciate the gesture. She moved several steps to the side and stood in the rain. Yuliana nced at her but did not move over. Then, she looked at Christopher who was helping the driver rece the tire. Although Christopher always looked like a nobleman, he was not bothered about getting his hands dirty at that moment as he took off his coat. He rolled up his sleeves and skillfully helped the driver with the tools ordingly. Yuliana was absent-minded while staring at Christopher, and she suddenly heard a cold voice next to her asking. ¡°What did Juliet tell you?¡± She was startled and turned to look at Annabelle, asking. ¡°Are you talking about Mrs. Johnson?¡± Annabelle nced at her indifferently and said sarcastically, ¡°It sounds like you already know her quite well.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana frowned a little and said indifferently. ¡°She told me nothing.¡± Annabelle sneered. ¡°I know better than you what kind of a person Juliet is. Do you think you can make me believe that she didn¡¯t tell you anything?¡± Yuliana was silent for a moment. ¡°Well, what do you think she told me then?¡± Annabelle nced at her again. Her jaw clenched, but she said nothing and fixed her gaze ahead. They stood on the inner side of the country road, with the outer side being a cliff. Although Yuliana was not afraid of heights, her legs were still weak when she looked down from where she stood. ¡°See it for yourself. I was born in this ce.¡± Annabelle curled her lips. I¡¯m very different from a noble lady like you who was born and bred in the city and living such afortable life.¡± Yuliana did not respond to that and only looked at Annabelle. She felt that Annabelle wanted to say more, but Annabelle stopped talking after saying that. Some momentster, Annabelle suddenly looked at her again. Their eyes met, and the sneer on Annabelle¡¯s face froze. Her expression visibly turned colder. ¡°Are you taking pity on me?¡± Yuliana looked away and said faintly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want people to pity you, then you shouldn¡¯t appear so vulnerable and make others sympathize with you. You¡¯re acting like the whole world owes you everything.¡± She paused and continued, ¡°Annabelle, you are no longer the little girl who lost your father. You¡¯re now an adult. If you can¡¯t move on from your past, even if the whole world pities you, we won¡¯t be able to do anything. to help you. Not even Christopher Life is long. Do you expect to live like this even after 20 years from today? You are only torturing yourself and Christopher. I believe when your father saved someone back then, he did that because of his courage and kindness. He was a hero, and he was certainly a great father. He would not want to see you like this.¡± Upon hearing that, Annabelle fell silent for a long time, and she sneered. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a teacher. You¡¯re so good with your words. But then, despite the words you said, shouldn¡¯t you admit you¡¯re doing this for your selfish motives? Yuliana, you are such a hypocrite¡± Yuliana smiled faintly. ¡°I am selfish. I do admit that I hope Christopher can set boundaries with you, and I hope you will stay away from us. I even hope that you don¡¯t exist. But then, those things are impossible. Speaking of selfish motives, what about you? Do you have the courage to admit your selfish motives?¡± The look in her eyes was clear, honest, and confident. Facing that, Annabelle felt as if Yuliana had seen right through her, and she could no longer hide all the dark secrets in her heart. She frantically dodged Yuliana¡¯s gaze. Then, they stopped talking. All the previous whispered conversations seemed to be submerged in the light rain and wind. Around 20 minutester, the tire was reced. They got inside the car and were ready to set off again. After getting in the car, Yuliana took out a packet of wet wipes and handed some to the driver in the front seat. Then, she took another and wiped Christopher¡¯s hands. He rinsed his hands with mineral water before getting inside the car, but some dark stains could not be washed and were still sticking to his hands. Staring at her wiping his hands, Christopher felt like his heart had melted. He said in a low voice, ¡°I can wash them again when we arrive back at the hotel.¡± Yuliana raised her eyelids and looked at him. She said nothing and still insisted on wiping his hands clean. Christopher could not help lowering his head to kiss her on the cheek. Yuliana pulled backward and raised her eyes, giving him a cold re. Then, she looked at the front seat from the corner of her eyes. The driver was focused on driving, whereas Annabelle sat quietly in the passenger¡¯s seat and faced forward. No one saw their intimate moment Seeing that, she looked at Christopher again and clutched his cor, pulling him down. Christopher thought she wanted to say something, so he bent over slightly. To his surprise, Yuliana raised her head and quickly kissed him softly on the lips. Then, without saying anything, she adjusted her posture and leaned in his embrace, closing her eyes. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Christopher was startled by that. He lowered his gaze and stared at Yuliana for a while. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 We Still Have A Chance Annabelle sat in front. She was wide awake and looking ahead with an empty expression. She heard the noises behind her, but Yuliana¡¯s words rang in her ears repeatedly. Yuliana is right. I¡¯m also selfish but dare not admit it,¡± she thought. Ever since Daryl died, she became a burden no one wanted to bear. Her biological mother, Xenia, was unwilling to care for her, and Annabelle¡¯s stepmother, Francesca, was even more so. The Johnson family would never take care of her as it was strenuous and unrewarding. For a while, she was passed around like a hot potato. She moved from home to home. Finally, for the sake of Annabelle¡¯s money, Francesca agreed to take her in. The Sce family had given her the money as thanks for Daryl rescuing Christopher. At the time, the members of the Sce family could tell that no one cared about her. Hence, they divided the money into three portions. One for her grandparents, one for her stepmother, Francesca, and one for Annabelle herself. Of course, Annabelle¡¯s portion was thergest. After she received the money, her grandparents, uncles, aunts, and even Francesca fought with each other over who should raise her. Of course, Francesca won in the end, but the Johnson family was unhappy. After all, the amount of money given to her was enormous, or at least it was an amount the Johnson family would have difficulty making even if they spent their entire lives doing so. Hence, they had a long-term dispute with Francesca. Everyone was fighting over money, and no one cared about thete Daryl, much less Annabelle. Later on, Christopher took her back to the Sce residence. While she enjoyed the warmth of a home, she was always haunted by bloody nightmares. The tragic image of when the gangsters killed Daryl was constantly on her mind. All of this was because of Christopher. If it weren¡¯t for him, her father wouldn¡¯t have died so tragically. She was very conflicted and unable to make peace with her negative emotions. Hence, she dumped it all on Christopher She created all kinds of troubles and messes to torture him, all so she could soothe the pain in her heart. But no matter what she did, Christopher always tolerated and indulged her unconditionally, just like her father did. However, it was not the same. Daryl loved her unconditionally because he was her father. On the other hand, Christopher only felt guilt, responsibility, gratefulness, and even pity toward her. She hated Christopher but was also addicted and couldn¡¯t separate herself from him. Since she was wallowing in despair, Christopher could only apany her. Even though she knew Christopher¡¯s feelings, she still struck him where it hurt the most. She wanted to make him feel guiltier and never leave her. How could she tell him the shameless, cowardly, and selfish wish she had? But then again, what did Christopher do wrong? It was noon when she returned to Yarwood. Annabelle went straight back to the hotel. Christopher, Yuliana, and the driver found a restaurant to have dinner. They had initially nned to fly back to Juxshire at night, but the driver received a message from other drivers saying that the road to the provincial capital was blocked due to andslide caused by the recent heavy rain. Arge amount of gravel had fallen from the mountain, obstructing the road. Although people had been dispatched to repair the road quickly, it couldn¡¯t be used for a while. Moreover, gravel was stilling down from the mountain, making it unsafe. Christopher considered their safety and decided to leave tomorrow. in the afternoon, they walked around Yarwood with an umbre. The new town was not that different from ordinary cities. It had modern buildings, but the old town was quite unique, which was full of mountains, so all the buildings were built on different ground levels. The unique architectural style created a mysterious and tranquil beauty. ¡°Are you cold?¡± Christopher put his arm around her waist and looked at her red nose. Yuliana nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Christopher was worried she would catch a cold, so he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to the hotel?¡± Yuliana shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s walk around for a while longer. I like it here. Unlike other cities, this ce is very tranquil and makes me feelfortable.¡± Christopher paused and replied, ¡°We¡¯ll have another chance toe here again.¡± Yuliana looked up at him with a smile. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll go with you to visit Mr. Johnson.¡± Christopher smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± When it was getting dark, the rain stopped. They set off for the airport early the next day and arrived in Juxshire in the evening. Annabelle parted ways with Christopher and Yuliana at the airport. Yesterday, Yuliana brought up the topic of visiting Callie in Jeahron to Christopher. Work in Romdale was about to begin, and there were still many things that Christopher needed to handle, so there was little time. Hence, they rested for the night in Juxshire and immediately flew back to Jeahron the next day. After Callie divorced Damian, she remarried Isaac Xanthos, who was from the Xanthos family in Jeahron. The following year, they gave birth to their son, Aaron. Isaac also had a daughter with his ex- wife. Her name was Sarah, and she was slightly older than Yuliana. Several years ago, Yuliana would go to Jeahron every year during her vacation and stay with Callie for a while. Later, after she had married Harry, she got estranged from Callie. There was a conflict between them, and Yuliana never went there again. It had been about four years since then. The Xanthos family was a family of writers. In fact, many of the current members were still so. On the other hand, Isaac was a businessman, and his business was veryrge. In recent years, his business was developing well both at home and abroad. Today, the Xanthos family happened to be holding a banquet. As Callie was unable to excuse herself, she arranged for the driver to pick Yuliana up at the airport. When Yuliana arrived at the Xanthos residence, Sarah came out to greet her. When Yuliana came to the Xanthos family before, her rtionship with Sarah was not very good. Sarah disliked Callie, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t be cordial toward Yuliana either. But this time, Sarah greeted her rather enthusiastically, or at least that was what it seemed like on the surface. N?velDrama.Org content rights. After they got out of the car, Sarah stepped forward and hugged her. ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s been years since I last saw you. You¡¯re getting more and more beautiful. You look just like Mrs. Xanthos,¡± she said. Yuliana thanked her with a smile. She still remembered once when she came to the Xanthos family, she heard Sarah tell the housekeeper that Callie was a hussy. Sarah then noticed the man beside Yuliana. She stared at him for a while, and an ambiguous smile appeared on her face. ¡°Yuliana, is this Harry, my brother-inw?¡± she asked. Her eyes darted back and forth between Yuliana and the man next to Yuliana. However, both of them maintained their calm expressions. Yuliana smiled faintly and said, ¡°No. I¡¯ve divorced Harry His name is Christopher¡± ¡°Oh Realization dawned on Sarah. ¡°I remember now. Mrs. Xanthos has mentioned it before. I have such a bad memory So, is this my new brother-inw?¡± She blinked and smiled yfully at Christopher. The corners of Christopher¡¯s lips curled up as he said, ¡°Hello. Since you are Yuliana¡¯s older sister, you will also be my older sister.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but nce at Christopher. He was still quite shameless. Sarah was only a few months older than her and more than a year younger than Christopher. Before they arrived, Yuliana had already told Christopher about the Xanthos family¡¯s situation. He knew that Sarah was younger than him, yet he said that to her. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 So What? Sensing Yuliana¡¯s gaze on him, Christopher looked at her. Immediately, his eyes glinted mischievously. Sarah saw the interaction between the two and interrupted them with a smile. ¡°Yuliana, Christopher, let¡¯s go in and talk instead of standing here. My father and Mrs. Xanthos are waiting for you!¡± Yuliana nodded, and she and Christopher followed Sarah inside. When they arrived at the door, they saw Callie walking out with Isaac beside her. At the sight of Yuliana, Callie paused. The next moment, she smiled and opened her arms from a distance while quickly walking toward Yuliana. Upon approaching Yuliana, Callie hugged her. ¡°Ana, I missed you so much.¡± Callie¡¯s voice sounded bitter. The emotions her voice revealed touched Yuliana slightly. Yuliana and Callie hadn¡¯t seen each other for several years, but the former did not miss Callie a lot. Yet now that Yuliana was being hugged by Callie, Yuliana remembered her childhood days. Callie was an ambitious and career-oriented person. After giving birth to Yuliana, she only took half a month¡¯s rest before devoting herself to work again. Callie wasn¡¯t home most of the time, which made Yuliana unhappy. The young Yuliana couldn¡¯t understand why other children¡¯s mothers could apany them, but her mother couldn¡¯t Therefore, every time Callie came home, Yuliana would deliberately throw a tantrum. However, Callie never coaxed Yuliana and allowed thetter to lose her temper. After Yuliana calmed down, Callie would then hold Yuliana in her arms and exin why she couldn¡¯t apany Yuliana. Callie liked perfume. Yuliana remembered that there were always various perfumes on Callie¡¯s vanity table, and all of them smelled great. Whenever Callie wasn¡¯t home and the young Yuliana missed her, Yuliana would spray Callie¡¯s perfume on the nket so that it would feel like Callie was by her side when she slept. It made Yuliana feel at ease. Back in the present, Yuliana patted Callie¡¯s back tofort her. ¡°I missed you too.¡± Seeing this scene, Sarah smiled a bit sarcastically. After hugging for a while, Yuliana and Callie let go of each other. Then Yuliana looked at Isaac and nodded at him with a smile. ¡°Mr. Xanthos.¡± Isaac looked at Yuliana sentimentally. He rubbed her head like how he did when she was a child and said, ¡°1 haven¡¯t seen you for a few years. You¡¯re such a grown-up now.¡± Thest time Yuliana met Isaac was during the summer vacation of her junior year at university. Next, Callie and Isaac looked at Christopher, who was behind Yuliana. Unexpectedly, Yuliana felt a little nervous. It was the first time she was taking Christopher to see her elders. Not only that, they had already gotten their marriage certificate, and she was now pregnant. Yuliana¡¯s attitude now was totally differentpared to when she faced Sarah calmly earlier. Just as Yuliana was about to introduce Christopher to Callie and Isaac, Christopher stepped forward and took Yuliana¡¯s hand. Looking at Christopher, Yuliana saw him smiling politely as he said, ¡°Mrs. Xanthos, Mr. Xanthos. My name is Christopher Sce. I apologize for onlying to meet you with Ana today.¡± Before they came here, they had discussed how to address the elders. Callie nced at Yuliana¡¯s and Christopher¡¯s intertwined hands and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as you are nice to my daughter, it doesn¡¯t matter if you meet us or not.¡± Isaac chimed in, ¡°Come on in. You must be tired after several hours of flight. The room has been arranged. You can rest there first ande downter at lunchtime.¡± With that, he shot Sarah a look. Sarah hurriedly stepped forward and said, ¡°Yuliana, let me take you to your room.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana nced at Callie. Callie exined, ¡°We have a lot of guests today, and I may not be able to take care of you all the time. It¡¯s inconvenient for you to move around now, so go to your room and rest first I will go upstairs to check on youter.¡± Yuliana nodded and went to the guest room on the third floor with Sarah. Sarah didn¡¯t stay for a long time. After exchanging some pleasantries, she went downstairs. Yuliana had been running around these days, and she was indeed a little tired. In fact, she didn¡¯t have a good restst night because she had to pack her things while preparing the gifts she would be giving to Callie and Isaac here at Jeahron. Now, she could finally sit down and rest for a while. As soon as Sarah went downstairs, she saw Queenie Hoffman walking over ¡°Your stepmother¡¯s daughter and son-inw are here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see them? Sarah nced upstairs and said, ¡°I just walked them upstairs. They¡¯re resting in the room.¡± Queenie and Sarah had known each other since they were young. They had been best friends since childhood, and it could be said they were closer than sisters. Now that Sarah was engaged to Kaiden Hoffman, the elder brother of Queenie, the two women were even more closely rted. Therefore, Queenie was well aware of everything about the Xanthos family. Having met Yuliana before, Queenie clicked her tongue and remarked, ¡°Are they hiding in the room right aftering here because her husband is too average to be shown to others?¡± Hearing those words, Sarahughed. ¡°You¡¯re wrong! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so charming about Yuliana that she can still marry a rich man after getting divorced before. I have to admit her husband is quite good-looking.¡± Queenie raised her eyebrows and asked curiously, ¡°Really?¡± Sarah was not very particr with looks. She judged men by their identity and status. If a man did not have a high social status, it was useless to Sarah no matter how handsome he was. Since Sarah mentioned that Christopher was good-looking, it must mean he was quite attractive. Sarah shrugged and said, ¡°You¡¯ll find out if it¡¯s true or not when you see himter.¡± Christopher and Yuliana rested in the room for a while, and then Callie came and led them downstairs. The Xanthos family had invited their rtives and the Hoffman family to the banquet. Sarah and Kaiden would be getting married in the first half of the year. In addition, the two families had always had a good rtionship, so the Xanthos family invited the Hoffman family. Most of the Xanthos family members had seen Yuliana, but it was Christopher¡¯s first time here. Callie took the couple to meet the elders of the Xanthos family one by one, and then Sarah led the couple to meet their peersPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org. When Sarah brought Christopher and Yuliana to the game room, Kaiden, Queenie, and two other peers from the Xanthos family were ying cards. Sarah briefly introduced them to each other. Kaiden asked, ¡°Mr. Sce, do you y cards? Care to join us?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Christopher grinned and led Yuliana over by the hand. ¡°Perfect. I¡¯m not good at ying anyway.¡± Queenie immediately stood up from her seat and smiled at Christopher. ¡°You sit on my spot. I¡¯ll just watch from the side for a while.¡± Christopher thanked Queenie and sat down on the chair. Just then, a housekeeper moved a chair over and ced it next to Christopher before motioning for Yuliana to sit down. After thanking the housekeeper, Yuliana sat down next to Christopher. Meanwhile, Queenie approached Sarah and stared at the man beside Yuliana from a distance for a moment. Then she smiled andmented, ¡°He is indeed good-looking. He¡¯s my type.¡± Shooting Queenie a nce, Sarah said, ¡°So what if he¡¯s your type? He and Yuliana have already gotten their marriage certificate. They¡¯ll probably be having their wedding this year as well.¡± Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Can I Add You On Whatsapp? Queenie smiled and said nothing, but her eyes still fell on Christopher. The best way for men to get closer to each other was by interacting at either a wine table or a poker table. Christopher was very good at these two aspects, so he soon became familiar with the two members of the Xanthos family and Kaiden. Yuliana stayed beside them and looked around for a while. She felt bored with the ce, and someone was smoking at the poker table. Inhaling the smell, she felt even more ufortable, so she informed Christopher and left the game room. Yuliana went out for some fresh air outside the courtyard, and she walked in the direction of the restroom. She saw Sarah and Queeniee over, chatting happily. The smile on their faces suddenly froze when they saw Yuliana. Soon, Sarah¡¯s expression returned to normal, and she asked with a smile, ¡°Yuliana, why did youe out here?¡± Yuliana answered, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡° Sarah replied, ¡°Do you know the way? Do you need me to lead you the way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know the way,¡± Yuliana replied briefly. ¡°Okay. Let me know if you need anything.¡± Sarah said. Yuliana nodded, and both sides walked in the opposite direction. When Yuliana went away, Sarah snorted, ¡°She indeed came from a small ce, acting so petty. She has the same attitude as her mother!¡± Queenie came back to her senses and looked in the direction where Yuliana left with a meaningful smile. ¡°That¡¯s why. How can she deserve a man like Christopher?¡± Sarah nced at her and said, ¡°It would be another story whether she deserves him. I think that man cares about her very much.¡± Queenie was unfazed by it and replied with augh, ¡°If a man cares for a woman, he¡¯s trying to put a show to her so that she can feel that the man is falling head over heels for her. Who knows the real motive behind the act?¡± Sarah sneered upon hearing it. Queenie was right. Sarah¡¯s fianc¨¦, Kaiden took good care of Sarah when others were around. Yet, he would still be swarmed over and surrounded by many women. Another example was Sarah¡¯s father, Isaac. Callie thought the man treated her well. In fact, aside from her, he had many women outside of their rtionships. Even if those women were not as beautiful and not as talented as Callie, that was what men¡¯s behavior would be. They desired to get more than they owned, thinking the grass was greener on the other side. Noticing that Yuliana had note back in a while, Christopher gave an excuse to answer his phone call and went out to look for her. Yuliana said earlier that she wanted some fresh air in the courtyard, so Christopher went there to search for her. However, he did not find Yuliana in the courtyard. Instead, he saw Queenie, who had given him her seat just now. Queenie had just finished answering her phone call and was about to go back in when she saw Christophere out to the yard. Their gaze met. Christopher smiled and nodded slightly as a greeting. He then turned around and was about. to enter the room back. Queenie stopped him by calling at him. Christopher paused and subconsciously turned to look at her. When he was about to ask her what she wanted, he stopped when he saw her smiling eyes full of passion. Christopher was familiar with that kind of look. He then asked in a more distant and polite tone, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Queenie walked slowly to Christopher with her arms folding across her chest. Her body looked petite, and her height only reached Christopher¡¯s shoulder. When she looked into Christopher¡¯s eyes, she had to raise her head. The corner of her lips curved upwards, and she stared at him shamelessly and boldly. ¡°Did youe out to find Yuliana?¡± Christopher looked at her indifferently. ¡°Have you seen her?¡± Queenie raised her chin in a specific direction and answered, ¡°I just saw her go to the restroom. But now, I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s still there.¡± Hearing that, Christopher turned around and was about to leave. Queenie quickly stood before Christopher and stretched out her hand, saying, ¡°Hello, my name is Queenie Hoffman.¡± Christopher nced at her hand and ignored it. ¡°Sarah introduced you to me just now.¡± Queenie raised her head arrogantly. ¡°That was her introducing me to you. Now, I want to introduce myself to you personally. It¡¯s different.¡± The corner of Christopher¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no difference for me.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Queenie withdrew her hand. Not only did she not feel annoyed, but the smile on her face turned wider. She got closer to Christopher and stood on tiptoe. She whispered, ¡°Christopher, can I add you on WhatsApp?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Christopher pushed Queenie away with his finger poking her shoulder. He looked at her coldly, then bypassed her and strode away. Staring at the man¡¯s departing tall figure, Queenie felt a tingling sensation in her heart. With her status, she could get any men she wanted. All the men would approach her obediently. It was rare for a man to treat her coldly Queenie found it amusing. Christopher called Yuliana with his phone, which was answered after a few rings. He asked, ¡°Ana, where are you?¡± Yuliana saw the scene in the courtyard downstairs from the upstairs window. When he heard Christopher¡¯s voice from the call, she was in a trance. After a few seconds, she replied, ¡°I had gone upstairs.¡± Initially, she was going to the restroom downstairs, but it was upied by someone else. She happened to want to charge her phone too, so she went back to her room. Christopher said, ¡°Shall Ie up to you?¡± A few minutester, Christopher entered the room. Yuliana was sitting on a single couch and reading a book in her hand. Christopher went straight to her. He sat down on the armrest of the couch and took the book from her hand. It was a book about psychology, mainly aimed at middle and elementary school students. He nced at the book and put it back in Yuliana¡¯s hand. He asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go to the courtyard for some fresh air? Why are you here upstairs?¡± Yuliana did not give him a response. She put down the book and knelt on the sofa to make herself the same height as Christopher. She sniffed at him. ¡°You have a smell on you.¡± Christopher held his shoulder and smiled with raised eyebrows. ¡°What smell?¡± Yuliana looked into his eyes and said, ¡°The smell of another woman.¡± Christopher was stunned and stayed silent for a while. He looked at the window and said when he remembered something. ¡°You saw it.¡± Yuliana did not reply. She looked at Christopher¡¯s face and wrinkled her nose. ¡°Your face is such a scourge. Why do men need to be these good-looking?¡± Seeing her muttering, Christopher lowered his head and kissed her. Yuliana hurriedly dodged and looked at him furiously. She pointed at his clothes and said, ¡°The clothes are dirty with the smell. Go change them out. One more thing, you need to clean the ces she touched you just now with disinfectant hand sanitizer. Otherwise, stay far away from me.¡± After saying that, Yuliana immediately got off the couch and moved to another single couch. She picked up her book and started reading again. Christopher stared at her expressionless face for a while and could feel that Yuliana was really upset. At lunchtime, a housekeeper came to inform them to have lunch downstairs. Yuliana and Christopher went downstairs together. Queenie stared at Christopher tantly, especially when she saw his changed clothes. She just felt that the man was really good-looking. No matter what he was wearing, he looked like a model. When she was looking at Christopher and lost in thoughts, she suddenly noticed another beam of gaze at her. Queenie looked over and saw Yuliana staring at her. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Can I Have A Bowl? Queenie was stunned when she saw Yuliana¡¯s gaze. She felt that Yuliana¡¯s gaze was familiar, which reminded her of an afternoon many years ago. It was Aaron¡¯s third birthday. Isaac valued Aaron a lot. That day, Isaac held a grand birthday party for Aaron to tell the world how important Aaron was to him. Moreover, he gave part of thepany to Aaron. Sarah got angry over this. In order to help Sarah vent her anger, Queenie figured out a way to teach Aaron a lesson. Queenie and Sarah took Aaron aside. They teased him with ice cream. It was natural for children to crave foods that they enjoyed eating However, Queenie did not give him the ice cream and instead let it fall to the ground on purpose. They wanted him to lick the ice cream off the ground. Queenie pressed on Aaron¡¯s neck, which got him into the position of a dog, and smudged his face with ice cream when he refused Later, Callie came over and saw what happened. Callie went forward, grabbed Queenie¡¯s hair, and pushed her to the ground. Then, Callie carried Aaron up from the ground and looked down at her with a condescending gaze that she still remembered. It was cold and indifferent as if she was looking at something insignificant. Callie said, ¡°If you dare do anything to my son again, I will make sure you regreting to this world.¡± Queenie admitted that Callie did have some things up her sleeve. After that incident, she had been afraid to see Callie for quite some time. However, Yuliana gave Queenie the impression that the former was like a weak little rabbit. Queenie didn¡¯t even want to look at her. ording to Sarah, Yuliana was currently a teacher at an elementary school in Juxshire. Queenie thought to herself, ¡°With her identity, does she deserve to look at me with that kind of gaze?¡± Queenie curled her lips sneeringly, then withdrew her gaze. She went to her mother, Tanya Hoffman¡¯s side, leaned over, and said something in her ears. As she spoke, she took a nce at Yuliana and Christopher. After two seconds, Tanya also looked over. Tanya withdrew her gaze and gave Queenie a sharp re. She warned, ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± Queenie shook her mother¡¯s arm like a baby. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Tanya didn¡¯t respond, but her expression darkened. Only then did Queenie keep quiet. Tanya and Sarah¡¯s mother, Samantha Lumley, were best friends. The friendship between their families could be traced back to thest century. On the other hand, the rtionship between the Hoffman and the Xanthos families was extremely close too. As a result, even after Isaac and Samantha divorced and remarried, Tanya remained silent about the anger she felt for Samantha. Even in the eyes of outsiders, Tanya and Callie were on good terms. Yuliana and Christopher sat with Sarah, Queenie, Kaiden, and a few peers of the Xanthos family, ording to the seating arrangement. Aaron was also around. He sat quietly beside Sarah. Aaron was ten this year. When Yuliana and Aaron metst time, Aaron was less than six years old. Yuliana was not close to him, but he had addressed her when he was little. However, this time, both of them didn¡¯t even say a word. Queenie came and sat on the other side of Christopher. The others didn¡¯t take it seriously, but Sarah nced at her. Queenie looked back at her and then fixed her gaze squarely on Christopher. Yuliana nced at Queenie out of the corner of her eye. Queenie looked over, curled her lips, and gave her a provocative look. Christopher turned around and separated their gazes. He picked up Yuliana¡¯s bowl, filled it with soup, and set it in front of her. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s a little hot. Drink itter.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Hailey came to take care of Yuliana that Christopher realized she was used to having soup before dinner. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana responded, picked up the spoon, and stirred it gently. However, Queenie¡¯s previous nce shed through her mind. Her gaze became cold as she lowered her eyes. Queenie thought Christopher¡¯s gentle voice was pleasant. She finally understood what theizens meant when they talked about voices that caused eargasm. However, she thought that it would be even better if the voice was targeted at her. As she thought of that, Queenie looked at the soup on the table and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Christopher, can you please fill a bowl for me?¡± Hearing the voice, everyone at the table turned to look at Queenie. Kaiden could tell what Queenie was thinking. She had been willful since she was a child, and she never thought about the consequences of her actions. Besides that, she also did not care about others. Everything she did was based on her mood. However, no matter how capricious she was, that was not the right time. Before Christopher could say anything, he looked at Queenie with a dark gaze and asked, ¡°Which soup do you want? I¡¯ll help you fill it.¡± Queenie nced at him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want your help.¡± After saying that, she looked at Christopher with an intense gaze and asked again, ¡°Christopher, I can¡¯t reach it. Could you please help me?¡± Christopher nced at Queenie and moved the soup to her front. ¡°Ms. Hoffman, now you can fill it yourself.¡± The smile on Queenie¡¯s face stiffened for a split second before she smiled normally and said, ¡°Thank you, Christopher.¡± After saying that, she picked up thedle, filled a small bowl for herself, and then drank it slowly. For the rest of the time, Queenie ate quietly and didn¡¯t cause any scene whatsoever. After lunch, Yuliana and Christopher went back to their room to have a rest before going out to walk around. Yuliana was going to sleep for a while, but she couldn¡¯t sleep when shey on the bed. Hence, she took out the book on teenage psychology and read it. Christopher was reading a game exnation on his mobile phone From time to time, she looked up and saw that he was about to fall asleep. He might be feeling bored too. However, they would just be bored for a day. They would be going back to Juxshire the next day. Not longter, there were two knocks on the door. Yuliana went to open the door, and Callie was standing at the door. Callie had just sent away the guests at home. She had some free time and wanted to go upstairs to talk to Yuliana. She looked into the room and asked, ¡°Is Christopher resting?¡± Yuliana shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Hearing the noise at the door, Christopher put down his phone and came over. When he saw Callie, he smiled and greeted her as Mrs. Xanthos. Callie looked at him and joked, ¡°You and Ana have been married. Shouldn¡¯t you call me Mom?¡± Christopher smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re too young, Mrs. Xanthos. I¡¯m afraid that calling you Mom will make you sound old You¡¯re actually like my sister.¡± His words made Callie burst intoughter. In fact, except for her two own children, she wouldn¡¯t feelfortable with other people addressing her as Mom. Especially for such a grown man like Christopher, she would feel better if he called her Mrs. Xanthos After talking with Yuliana and Christopher for a while, Callie called Yuliana aside and wanted to talk to her alone. They went to a quiet ce downstairs and asked Sofia to make a pot of Earl Grey and bring it to them. There were also some desserts that Yuliana liked. Callie poured Yuliana a cup of Earl Grey and said, ¡°These are all your favorites. I told the cooks to prepare them earlier. Try it.¡± Yuliana picked up a spoon, scooped a small piece, and put it into her mouth. It was still the same taste, but when she ate it again, the feeling she had when she was a child no longer existed. For her, it was just a delicious, ordinary dessert. However, she didn¡¯t want to let Callie down. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Abandon After Sleeping Together Callie picked up the coffee cup and took a sip. She leaned against the chair and looked at her daughter. Despite their appearance resembling each other, her daughter¡¯s temperament was totally different. Yuliana was also different from Damian. She had no idea how her daughter got that kind of temperament. She parted her lips, and asked, ¡°How is Christopher treating you?¡± Yuliana felt the dessert was a little too sweet after taking two bites. She put the spoon down and replied, ¡°Not bad.¡± *Not bad means not good enough.¡± Callie knew her daughter well. If Yuliana were 100% satisfied with the marriage, she would not say it was not bad. Of course, she would not lie. So, it seemed like Christopher was nice to her. In Callie¡¯s opinion, it was rare to find someone who would treat her well in a marriage, since Yuliana was already previously married. Besides, as long as she held on to a standard in her heart, ¡°not bad¡± could be the best state ¡°Ana, this is your second marriage. No matter how deep your feelings for Christopher are, I still want to remind you not to trust or rely too much on a man, even if you love him so much.¡± Yuliana always felt that her mother seemed to be a little different from a few years ago. In the past, Callie was very courageous in love and was carefree. She married Isaac because she really loved him. She gazed at Callie for a while and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you and Mr. Xanthos?¡± Callie tugged the corner of her mouth and said indifferently, ¡°Nothing. I just want to remind you and hope that you can stay awake. Marriage is like a gamble. No one knows what will happen before we come to an end.¡± Even if Callie refused to say anything, Yuliana still noticed something was wrong with the marriage between Callie and Isaac. Nheless, she did not notice anything unusual when they were together earlier. She was not sure if she was too slow in observing or if Callie and Isaac were too good at acting. Yuliana wanted to say something, but Callie obviously did not want to say anything. Moreover, if she had chosen to live with Isaac, she must have weighed all the advantages and disadvantages. She did not have to worry about Callie. Yuliana replied, ¡°I got it.¡± Although she might not be as decisive and rational as Callie, she thought she should be able to deal with it if it really happened one day. Later, Callie asked about the Sce family and how they treated her. Yuliana told her candidly. Before she married Christopher, the Sce family seemed to give her the same feeling as the Ziegler family. After she married Christopher, she realized that even rich families could be different from one another. At least in her opinion, the people of the Sce family were quite kind. Callie listened to her words, pondered for a while, and asked again, ¡°If the Sce family goes bankrupt one day, will you still be with Christopher?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°I¡¯m with him not because I covet the wealth of the Sce family.¡± Callie smiled faintly and said nothing else when she heard that. Most of the guests at the Xanthos residence had left, but Queenie stayed back and followed Sarah to her room. Sarah sat on the thick carpet and polished her toenails with nail polish. She asked, ¡°Are you really interested in the man with the surname Sce?¡± Queenie was lying on the sofa while she answered her text messages. She hummed faintly. Once she finished replying, she threw her phone aside, moved her body from the couch to the ground, took the nail polish from Sarah¡¯s hand, dipped it in the bottle, and said, ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in him, I wish I could sleep with him immediately.¡± Sarahughed. ¡°Then leave right after sleeping with him?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Queenie smiled. She added, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the only thing men could provide?¡± That was Queenie¡¯s style. If she liked a man, she would definitely sleep with him, and then she would lose interest right after that. However, Christopher was different from the men Queenie used to sleep with. Queenie only needed to nce at those men, and they were eager to throw themselves at her. They thought that by sleeping with her, they had taken advantage of her. However, it was Queenie who treated them like a toy and a tool that could be thrown away after use. As for Christopher, Queenie threw him bait, but he obviously was not interested. Sarah teased, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of hurting yourself in the end? What if you end up really liking him?¡± ¡°What?¡± Queenie asked. She asked confidently, ¡°Do you think I will fall in love with him?¡± Sarah looked at her polished toenails and shrugged. ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Among the men Queenie slept with, there were many handsome ones. But in the end, they were still dumped by her like garbage. Sometimes, she envied Queenie. Thetter could do whatever she pleased. She did not care about others¡± opinions at all. ¡°Besides, even if I end up really liking him¡­¡± Queenie thought of Christopher¡¯s face, paused, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll snatch him over and tie him up as my possession!¡± Sarah imagined the scene. ¡°If that happens, Yuliana will cry herself to death.¡± Queenie smiled wickedly. ¡°I can avenge your mom this way, then. Callie took her husband away, so I¡¯ll take her daughter¡¯s husband.¡± Just then, someone knocked on the door. Sarah nced at it and said, ¡°Come in.¡± The housekeeper brought in some refreshments. Sarah looked at her and asked, ¡°Where is Mrs. Xanthos?¡± The housekeeper replied, ¡°Mrs. Xanthos is having coffee with Ms. Livingstone downstairs.¡± When she heard that, Queenie¡¯s eyes lit up. She asked, ¡°Is Mr. Sce still around?¡± The housekeeper replied, ¡°No.¡± Queenie waved her hand and said, ¡°You may leave.¡± As soon as the housekeeper left, Sarah saw that Queenie seemed to have something on her mind, so she asked, ¡°What do you want to do again?¡± Queenie smiled slyly and put the nail polish back into Sarah¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you think it would be more exciting if it happens on the bed they sleep in?¡± Sarah was stunned. She eximed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? What kind of fetish do you have?¡± Queenie stood up and went straight to Sarah¡¯s wardrobe. She picked up a wine-red silk nightgown with spaghetti straps. In front of Sarah, she quickly put it on without wearing anything underneath. She turned around before Sarah and asked, ¡°What do you think? Do you think a man can turn me down if he sees me?¡± Although Queenie was petite, she had a curvy figure. Even though Sarah was a woman, she felt her body warm when she saw the former in that state. Queenie also had a youthful face, which made her look innocent and seductive. There was no way a man could refuse her Sarah could not help but grab her chest. She said enviously, ¡°What did you eat growing up?¡± Queenie replied, ¡°I¡¯m born like this. It¡¯s useless for you to feel jealous!¡± With that said, she left Sarah in the room. Sarah sighed, but she still cleaned up and went downstairs. It would be bad if Yuliana went upstairs later and sabotaged Queenie¡¯s n.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She was actually looking forward to seeing Queenie snatch Christopher away from Yuliana. After Yuliana and Callie left, Christopher watched some gaming videos for a while. He also received a message from Cameron. It was mainly about the work to be done after New Year. Christopher briefly replied to him. He then felt a little sleepy, so he went to bed. As he slept, he heard some noise at the door. He thought Yuliana hade back, so he did not open his eyes. When a wisp of hair touched his face and the smell of unfamiliar perfume entered his nose, he opened his eyes abruptly Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Where Is Queenie? A face was magnified in front of him. At the same time, Queenie¡¯s hand touched Christopher¡¯s face. The two looked at each other. When she saw that Christopher did not intend to refuse, she smiled and became braver. As she expected, the men in the world were all the same. They had no reason to refuse such a beautiful woman who threw herself at them. Queenie felt a little smug. She leaned over and was about to kiss him, but a strong force suddenly grabbed her wrist. The pain stopped her, and she got pushed away the next second. Christopher got up from the bed and looked at her coldly. ¡°Ms. Hoffman, has no one taught you that you should knock on the door before entering someone else¡¯s room?¡± Queenie flipped her hair, smiled, and moved closer to Christopher. ¡°I deliberately wanted to surprise you. Christopher, do you like this dress on me?¡± She grabbed the long curly hair that fell loosely on her shoulders with one hand. The action revealed her fair shoulders, neck, and well-endowed upper body. Her womanly figure was fully exposed. When she looked at Christopher¡¯s indifferent eyes, Queenie became even more excited. The urge to take him down intensified within her. She flirted with Christopher by gliding her fingers on his arm. ¡°Christopher, am I pretty?¡± Christopher avoided her movements, chuckled, and waved the wedding ring on his finger. ¡°Ms. Hoffman, please have some self-respect. I¡¯m a married man.¡± Queenie grabbed his hand. She smiled and then pouted her lips. ¡°So what? I don¡¯t mind you being married.¡± Christopher frowned and pulled out his hand. ¡°But I mind.¡± He nced at Queenie coldly and said, ¡°Get out!¡± Queenie was stunned. When she saw his angry face, she became obsessed with him momentarily. Although she had slept with many handsome men, there was no doubt that Christopher was the most charming one. He was even more charming than those male stars on the screen. She knew about men so well. Despite showing no interest in women, they were actually just pretending so that they could keep a woman in suspense. When the woman takes the initiative, the men would devour her With a soft and charming smile, she got up and moved closer to Christopher. She put her arm on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, ¡°Christopher, I know you¡¯re afraid that Yuliana will make trouble for you if she finds out. Don¡¯t worry. Yuliana won¡¯te up at this moment. No matter what we do, she won¡¯t know anything as long as we don¡¯t tell.¡± She then looked at Christopher innocently and bit her lips gently. Before she came up, she wiped off her lipstick and applied a natural shade. Moreover, her youthful and pitiful look could arouse a man¡¯s desire even more intensely. Christopher pinched her chin and stared at her face for a while. Queenie looked at him, closed her eyes, and leaned over. ¡°Christopher, kiss me, Downstairs, Callie and Yuliana were chatting happilyContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. She and Callie had not talked like that for a long time, ever since Yuliana decided to marry Harry. Yuliana asked, ¡°Why did you object to me marrying Harry at that time?¡± Callie put down the coffee cup, leaned against the back of the chair, stared at her for a while, and said, ¡°Ana, do you think my objection was wrong? It turned out that he was not suitable for you.¡± ¡°What about Christopher? Why do you think he suits me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s hard for a woman when she gets pregnant, and it¡¯s even harder to raise a child. I don¡¯t want to see you living a hard life.¡± Callie paused for a few seconds and said, ¡°Moreover, an ambitious illegitimate child can marry a woman he doesn¡¯t love in order to return to the Ziegler family in the future, he will also abandon you without hesitation for his benefit. Christopher, on the other hand, is from a prestigious family Even if it¡¯s not for love, and he married you because of the child, it simply means he¡¯s a responsible man.¡± She added, ¡°How bad can such a man be?¡± Yuliana thought of Callie¡¯s words. Indeed, Christopher was a responsible man, but sometimes being too responsible might not be a good thing. Just then, the butler came over and greeted, ¡°Mrs. Xanthos, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana smiled and nodded at the butler. Callie looked at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The butler nced at Yuliana, then he walked to Callie¡¯s side and whispered a few words in her ear. Callie listened, sneered, and then looked at Yuliana. ¡°Ana, I¡¯ll teach you one more thing today. Don¡¯t show mercy to those bitches who act all high and mighty.¡± Callie then got up and walked away. Yuliana realized something was wrong and immediately got up to follow behind her. At that moment, Sarah came over in their direction. She was startled when she saw Callie, whose expression was cold, walking forward with Yuliana. She hurriedly stepped forward to stop them. With a stiff smile, she asked, ¡°Mrs. Xanthos, Yuliana, where are you two going?¡± Callie nced at Sarah. She had no issues with her stepdaughter. The grievance among the previous generation had nothing to do with the children. As long as Sarah behaved well and did not provoke her, she was willing to treat thetter kindly. Over the years, Sarah¡¯s little tricks were not unknown to her, but they were harmless. So, she chose to ignore them. However, if Sarah really crossed the line, she did not mind being a vicious stepmother. Callie asked, ¡°Where is Queenie?¡± Sarah¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. She looked at Callie¡¯s cold eyes and then hesitated for a while. ¡°S- She¡¯s in my room.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Callie smiled faintly, and the way she looked at Sarah became even colder. Then, she strode past the latter. Yuliana and the butler did not stop. They followed closely. If Yuliana had to guess, based on the conversation she had heard between Callie and Sarah, she instantly figured out what was happening. She always thought that no one was born good or evil. However, Queenie was the kind of person who was born evil. When she met Queenie for the first time, she was still in the eighth grade of junior high school. At that time, Callie had just married Isaac, and it was also her first time visiting the Xanthos residence. At that time, she witnessed Queenie abusing a newborn cat. When thetter saw the miserable situation of the kitten, she did not feel scared andughed like a madman. Yuliana seldom disagreed with a personpletely Queenie was the first and the only one so far. Sarah was sure that Callie and Yuliana knew that Queenie had gone to find Christopher. She hurriedly picked up her phone and was about to message Queenie. Then, she suddenly remembered that the latter did not bring her phone when she left the room just now. After some hesitation, she followed them quickly. Although Sarah hated Callie very much, she must admit she was also afraid of thetter. Most of the time, although Callie would not embarrass her, she would also not let things pass easily if anything involved Aaron. Now, Queenie was flirting with Yuliana¡¯s husband. Given Callie¡¯s personality, that matter would not be over easily. After all, someone dared to make trouble under her nose. Sarah had no idea how Callie would deal with Queenie and her. After all, she was considered an aplice on that matter. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Pushover Yuliana followed Callie directly to the third floor. As soon as they reached the stairway, a door opened, and a wine-red figure was thrown out like garbage and mmed on the ground. Queenie screamed out of reflex. She felt as if her body was falling apart. It hurt so much that it took her a while to return to her senses. She subconsciously looked at the man at the door. At the same time, the man was looking at her coldly, his face full of disgust. It was as if he was looking at something dirty. Christopher looked at the woman on the ground and said, ¡°Ms. Hoffman, it¡¯s important to know how to respect yourself. If it happens again, I¡¯ll throw you out of the window instead of the door.¡± He frowned and flicked his hand as he continued, ¡°You may not fall to death from the third floor, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be paralyzed.¡± After he said that, Christopher suddenly realized something. He raised his eyes and saw Callie and Yuliana standing not far away, followed by two people behind them.. He looked at Yuliana subconsciously. Yuliana also looked at him. Their eyes met briefly before he lifted his legs to walk toward her. She lowered her gaze to look at Queenie on the ground and noticed what she was wearing. Yuliana could imagine what had happened before she arrived. When he saw Yuliana¡¯s cold expression, Christopher gulped and called out to her in a low voice, ¡°Ana.¡± Yuliana nced at him in silence and then shifted her gaze to Queenie, who was still on the ground. At that moment, Queenie had already calmed down and understood the surrounding situation. She was no longer the little girl who was terrified and anxious when Callie caught her bullying Aaron. Callie couldn¡¯t do anything to her. Queenie slowly got up from the ground, tidied up the shoulder straps of her dress, flipped her hair, and then looked at Yuliana with a smile. ¡°Yuliana, I have a crush on your husband. Please give him to me,¡± she said fearlessly. As soon as she was done, Yuliana raised her hand and pped Queenie. Queenie¡¯s face was pped to the side, and she seemed slightly stunned. After two seconds, she slowly turned her head and looked at Yuliana. The smile on her face earlier disappeared. Queenie stared at Yuliana with a cold glint in her eyes. She looked as if she was going to tear Yuliana apart. Queenie was in disbelief, and her voice was extraordinarily gloomy, ¡°How dare you p me?¡± Yuliana felt a burning pain in her palm. She didn¡¯t like to solve problems with violence. She hadn¡¯t even known how she should deal with it when she saw Queenie thrown out of the room by Christopher. However, when Yuliana heard Queenie¡¯s words, she raised her hand and pped Queenie out of reflex. The burning pain in Yuliana¡¯s palm showed how much force she used. ¡°Yes, I pped you. What can you do about it?¡± Yuliana looked at her coldly. ¡°You¡¯re tantly trying to steal my husband. Why can¡¯t I p you?¡± Queenie didn¡¯t say anything and only stared at Yuliana for a while. There was a height difference between them. Yuliana was slightly taller than Queenie. Even though Yuliana was dressed inly and Queenie wore an eye-catching wine-red color dress, Yuliana emitted a strong and intimidating aura. When Queenie raised her hand and was about to p Yuliana, Christopher grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Ms. Hoffman, if you dare touch her, I¡¯ll make you pay for it.¡± With that, he shoved Queenie¡¯s hand away. Queenie had never been humiliated like this since she was a child. Her emotions began to warp. She stared at Christopher and Yuliana for a long time andughed chillingly as she said, ¡°Great! I¡¯ll remember the p today. Yuliana, Christopher, I¡¯ll make the both of you pay sooner orter!¡± Then, she gently stroked her face. With that, she turned around and got ready to leave. However, she saw Callie blocking the stairway and ¡± looking at her coldly. Although Callie didn¡¯t do anything, a wave of fear instantly swept over Queenie. Queenie stopped and pursed her lips subconsciously. Callie looked at her for a while, turned to Yuliana and Christopher, and said, ¡°Christopher, you can rest in your room. Ana,e with me.¡± Callie shot a look at the butler beside her. The butler immediately understood what she meant. He nodded, walked to Queenie, and said, ¡°Ms. Hoffman, Mrs. Xanthos would like to invite you to the parlor downstairs.¡± Queenie red at the butler coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going. What can you do to me?¡± The butler smiled indifferently and replied, ¡°Ms. Hoffman, it¡¯s better for you to go down yourself. It may not look good if I have toy my hands on you.¡± Sarah had seen the butler¡¯s capability before. Although Callie was seldom at home, the butler would watch over the family on her behalf and only listened to Callie¡¯smands. Sarah feared the butler would carry Queenie down if Queenie didn¡¯t obey Callie¡¯s instruction. After all, the butler was a man, and Queenie was only wearing a strap dress. If the housekeepers saw the scene, Queenie and Tanya would be embarrassed. Sarah held back her fear for Callie, walked to Queenie, and advised, ¡°Queenie, let¡¯s go.¡± Queenie nced at her. Since Callie had given her a chance, Queenie could only listen to her. The butler led Queenie and Sarah to the parlor. Callie looked at Yuliana, who was still standing at the door, and said, ¡°Come down with me.¡± Her tone left no room for arguments. Uliana hesitated and followed Callie downstairs. When they arrived at the parlor, Queenie sat on a chair with her legs crossed, while Sarah nervously stood at the side. The butler stood by the parlor door. After a few minutes, Callie led Yuliana in, followed by two young housekeepers. Callie nced at Queenie, went straight to the chair, sat down, and said to the butler, ¡°You can go out first.¡± The butler nodded, turned around, headed out of the parlor, and closed the door. When she saw this, Queenie was alerted. She looked at Callie and sneered. She asked, ¡°Mrs. Xanthos, what do you want to do? Are you going to hurt me?¡± Callie said with a faint smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that cruel. Besides, if I hurt you, I can¡¯t exin it to Tanya.¡± Then she looked at Sarah and said, ¡°Sarah, you¡¯ve been very close to Queenie since both of you were young. so I¡¯ll let you do it. Take off Queenie¡¯s clothes!¡± Before Sarah could react, Queenie stood up and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Callie smiled gently at Queenie again. Callie rested her chin on her palm and said gently, ¡°Queenie, I told you many years ago not to mess with me. Or else I¡¯ll make you regret being born into this world. Don¡¯t you remember? Now, you went to my son-inw¡¯s room under my nose. Do you think I¡¯m a pushover?¡± Queenie¡¯s face immediately fell. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Callie then added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just going to give you a little punishment today. As long as you cooperate, I promise you can leave the parlor unharmed.¡± Queenie looked at Callie and was left speechless. Sarah was stunned. When she returned to her senses, she looked at Queenie and then at expressionless Callie. Sarah gulped and asked cautiously, ¡°Mrs. Xanthos, w-what are you going to do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know soon,¡± Callie replied. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Should Not Have Done That Naturally, Sarah didn¡¯t want to follow Callie¡¯s orders. There was no way Queenie would stay there obediently as well, so it was difficult for things to proceed. In the end, two housekeepers went ahead and did Sarah¡¯s job for her. Sarah could only stand aside and watch the chaos with a shocked expression on her face. She had always known that Callie was someone not to be trifled with, but Sarah had never witnessed thetter¡¯s methods with her own eyes after all those years. Whenever Callie was home, her temperament was considered mild. During the process, Queenie struggled wildly and did her best to fight back like a madman while shrieking at the top of her lungs. Callie¡¯s housekeepers possessed extraordinary strength as well. Queenie¡¯s petite figure was nothing in front of them. At first, Queenie refused to bow her head, but after a short while, she was intimidated by everything that was happening to her. When she finally realized Callie meant business, she decided to follow her orders obediently and filmed a short video. Queenie had done things like this in the past to her own ssmate. In fact, her way of doing things was crueler. Back then, that ssmate went crazy right after Queenie uploaded the video to the inte. In the end, the poor ssmate was forced to withdraw from school as she could no longer stay there. Her parents dide to school with the intention to make demands, but they were forced to sweep everything under the rug as they couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Hoffman family. All Callie did was replicate the same method that Queenie had used to deal with others on her. While gazing down at Queenie, whoy curling on the floor with tears streaming down her cheeks, Callie spoke up in a casual manner. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to save this video. It¡¯ll forever remain in the camera¡¯s storage space as long as you don¡¯t provoke those who are close to me. However, if you dare pull any tricks on them, I¡¯ll have someone upload this video to all major social media tforms. I promise you that the entire world will definitely watch it.¡± Queenie red at Callie as if she wanted to swallow her alive. ¡°I¡¯m definitely telling my parents and Mr. Xanthos! When that timees, I want you to pay the price!¡± Callie just shot her a pitiful look. ¡°If I have the guts to do this from the start, that means I¡¯m not afraid of whoever you¡¯re lodging yourint to! In fact, please tell your dear mother to stop scheming behind my back. If she insists on sowing discord between me and my family, I assure you that I¡¯m more than capable of returning the favor!¡± Then, Callie ordered, ¡°Sarah, give Queenie some clothes. Make arrangements for a car to send her home.¡± Poor Sarah was so shocked that she had already crumbled to the floor earlier. She was unable to regain her senses no matter what. Her tear-streaked cheeks were still wet. The moment she heard Callie¡¯s order, she was finally able to snap out of her trance. With wobbly knees, Sarah got up slowly and went upstairs to grab some clothes for Queenie. After that, she led thetter out of the door as per the order given. Once Sarah and Queenie left the room, Callie ordered the housekeepers to leave as well. Soon, Callie and Yuliana were the only ones left in the parlor. Callie shot Yuliana a nce, quickly noting how pale thetter¡¯splexion was as she pursed her lips tightly and bowed her head. Callie paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Ana, you must be thinking about how brutal my method is, right?¡± Yuliana raised her head to look at Callie, not knowing what to say at that moment. Even though she knew about Callie¡¯s actual personality and wasn¡¯t surprised by the fact that thetter would resort to such methods, she still couldn¡¯t help but reject Callie right after witnessing her in action. Yuliana even felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. A whileter, she finally spoke up with a frown. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that, you know.¡± A light chuckle escaped from Callie¡¯s lips. ¡°People like Queenie are cruel in nature. If I don¡¯t threaten her, she¡¯ll continue to be cruel to you in the future. Did you seriously think you won the fight just by pping her once? Judging from Queenie¡¯s personality, I know that she¡¯ll definitelye up with different ways just to cause trouble for you. Once that happens, you and Christopher won¡¯t be able to live peacefully ever again. However, N?velDrama.Org content rights. thanks to this video, Queenie will think twice before doing anything. At least, she won¡¯t dare to provoke you for a short period of time.¡± Yuliana knew that Callie¡¯s words made sense, but she was still unable to ept what thetter had done. thanks to her moralpass. One nce at Yuliana was all Callie needed to know what the former was thinking. ¡°Ana, you should devote your kindness to people who truly deserve it instead of showing it to people like Queenie. You may not agree with what I¡¯ve done today, but Queenie did the exact same thing to other girls many years ago. In fact, her methods were even more brutal than mine. Back then, she was only a teenager. To think that she was capable of showing her merciless and brutal side at such a young age¡­¡± Callie let out a soft sigh before continuing. ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t have to feel so guilty. You aren¡¯t the sole reason why I did those things today.¡± What she said weren¡¯t just empty words meant to console Yuliana. Callie had been longing for a chance to teach Tanya and Queenie a lesson. One of them kept introducing women to Isaac, while the other kept egging on Sarah to cause trouble in the Xanthos residence. Callie was lucky enough to use a good reason that day to drop Tanya a reminder of how cruel and decisive she actually was, lest thetter continue to think of her as a pushover. Meanwhile, Sarah watched as Queenie got into the car. Thetter¡¯s expression was so stormy that Sarah couldn¡¯t help but feel afraid. She called out awkwardly, ¡°Queenie¡­¡± Upon hearing Sarah¡¯s voice, Queenie looked in her direction. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help me out just now?¡± The sight of Queenie¡¯s twisted expression and warped gaze scared Sarah greatly, but at the same time, she felt slightly guilty. Thetter paused for a moment before finally exining, ¡°I¡­ I really wanted to help you out, but those housekeepers are the strongest people at home. I couldn¡¯t defeat them at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse!¡± Queenie had so much suppressed rage within her at that moment, so she could only vent everything on Sarah. ¡°I think you were just enjoying the drama! You definitely wanted me to¡­¡± She was unable to continue her sentence afterward. That particr memory made her face go pale. When had she ever experienced such humiliation? ¡°No!¡± Sarah had always been friends with Queenie since she was a little girl. Naturally, she viewed Queenie as her own sister. Her rtionship with Queenie was even closer than the one she shared with Kaiden, her own fianc¨¦. When Sarah heard Queenie¡¯s hurtful remarks, she could feel anger and grievance brewing within her. Sarah exined hurriedly, ¡°Queenie, how could you think of me like that?¡± Upon noticing Sarah¡¯s sad expression, Queenie felt slightly annoyed, so she just waved her hand while saying, ¡°Fine, whatever. I misspoke, all right? Then again, why are you so afraid of that bitch Callie? You¡¯re the young miss of the Xanthos family, aren¡¯t you? That means you¡¯ve stayed with the family far longer than Callie has! Why couldn¡¯t you fight back?¡± Sarah could only purse her lips tightly, unable to reply to Queenie. She had no idea when exactly did Callie take over the entire Xanthos family. Somehow, Callie was able to spot all signs of activity that happened within the family. Seeing Sarah acting in such a way, Queenie harrumphed coldly, clearly disappointed in her for not meeting her expectations. Afterward, the memory of what happened earlier prompted her to nce at Sarah as she said, ¡°You must inform Mr. Xanthos about what happened today. I¡¯ll go home and tell my mom as well. We mustn¡¯t allow Callie to get away with this!¡± Sarah hesitated, so she ended up not giving Queenie a proper response. Despite knowing that Callie had gone overboard while dealing with Queenie, Sarah still had a feeling that Isaac and the Hoffman family wouldn¡¯tment on the incident. After all, Callie was the type of woman who wouldn¡¯t act without having enough confidence in herself. Once Queenie left, Sarah wanted to return to her room and call Isaac. Just as she walked up the stairs, she bumped into the butler. ¡°Ms. Xanthos, Mrs. Xanthos has requested to see you.¡± All color fled from Sarah¡¯s face at that moment. She was rooted on the spot, staring at the butler with her lips pursed and balling her fists tightly out of instinct. The butler smiled gently in response. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid, Ms. Xanthos. Mrs. Xanthos merely wishes to speak to you.¡± Sarah nodded slightly, clearly panicking on the inside. ¡°Okay.¡± She followed the butler back to the parlor. However, Yuliana and the housekeepers from before were already gone. Callie was the only one sitting in the parlor while gazing out the window, an impassive expression resting on her face. Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 For My Nephew Sarah stood not far from Callie. Her lips twitched slightly before she finally greeted, ¡°Mrs. Xanthos.¡± In response, Callie looked at her gently as she raised her chin and said, ¡°Have a seat.¡± Then, Sarah sat down. Callie looked at her indifferently and said, ¡°Sarah, I know you¡¯re not fond of me because you think I caused your parents¡¯ divorce. I won¡¯t repeat myself, but when I was with your dad, he had already divorced your mom. Before they were divorced, I was not in a rtionship with your dad.¡± Listening to her quietly, Sarah didn¡¯t retort and was extremely disgusted. She thought, ¡°That¡¯s what all homewrecker says.¡± Callie didn¡¯t care whether Sarah believed her words and continued, ¡°I know you¡¯re involved in what happened today. I¡¯ve known you since you were young, so I used to ignore all the conflicts you caused. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I have no idea what you have done.¡± Hearing this, Sarah¡¯s face turned pale instantly. When Aaron was young, she used to bully him when Callie was not at home. At that time, the housekeepers working for them had worked for the Xanthos family for a long time. In addition, after her mother, Samantha, divorced her dad, she bribed all the housekeepers, so they sided with Sarah. No matter what Sarah did, those housekeepers turned a blind eye to it. It was only until recent years that Callie reced those housekeepers with newly hired ones. The butler also started working here a few years ago. Since then, Aaron has had a personal housekeeper. Moreover, he got a little older, so Sarah didn¡¯t dare to go over the line for fear that he wouldin to Callie and Isaac. However, she was surprised and could not understand why Callie didn¡¯t tell Isaac when she had found out everything. Given Isaac¡¯s love for Aaron, he would have punished her. ¡°In the past, I thought you were immature since you were young. But Sarah, you¡¯re over twenty years old now, and you¡¯re getting married. There are things you need to understand. Otherwise, as your stepmother, I will be med for not teaching you well in the future.¡± Callie shot her a sharp nce. ¡°Stay home for the next few days to reflect on yourself, and don¡¯t meet Queenie.¡± When Yuliana returned to the room, Christopher had changed his clothes again and stood there nervously. Yuliana nced at him. Then, she went around him and went straight to the bathroom. She stood quietly by the sink, staring at herself in the mirror for a while. After she frowned and made a face, she thought she looked ugly. Then, she turned on the tap, squeezed some hand scap, and washed her hands twice. Then, she rubbed her face to ease her facial muscles. When she calmed down, she walked out of the bathroom. Christopher was standing at the door, waiting for her. The two looked at each other for two seconds after Yuliana approached him. Then, she hugged him quietly without saying anything. What happened today was terrible. Christopher noticed something was wrong with Yuliana and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana merely shook her head in response. After giving it some thought, Christopher realized she was still unhappy because of Queenie, so he pondered before he said, ¡°Ana, there¡¯s nothing between Queenie and me. I wouldn¡¯t have touched her if I didn¡¯t need to get her out of the room.¡± Yuliana hummed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired and want to sleep.¡± Christopher paused. ¡°May I carry you to bed?¡± Yuliana buried her face in Christopher¡¯s chest and nodded lightly. With that, Yuliana fell into a deep sleep. It was almost dark when a servant woke her up for dinner. Sarah didn¡¯t go down, and Isaac was not there. Only Callie and Aaron were there. Yuliana and Christopher greeted them and took their seats. Then, Callie looked at Aaron, who sat beside her, and said, ¡°Ronnie, say hi.¡± Looking at Yuliana and Christopher, Aaron pursed his lips before he greeted, ¡°Hi, Yuliana and Christopher.¡± Aaron immediately turned away when Yuliana shed him a friendly smile. Yuliana didn¡¯t seem to mind. Unlike other boys his age, Aaron was rtively quieter since he was young. He treated everyone this way, but it seemed to have gotten worse than a few years ago. She turned her attention away from Aaron and asked Callie, ¡°Where is Mr. Xanthos?¡± Callie put a te before Yuliana and said, ¡°This is your favorite stewed pork ribs with potato. I made it for you. Eat up.¡± Then, she continued faintly. ¡°He has a business meeting at night, so he¡¯s noting back for dinner. You don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡± After dinner, Callie spoke to Christopher. When Yuliana saw Aaron sitting quietly on the ground with some Legos in his hand, she walked over. Aaron looked up at her and then lowered his head to y with the Lego in his hand. Not far away stood a servant who was taken to the parlor by Callie today. He was nearly six feet tall and looked strong. Standing upright, he looked more like a bodyguard than a housekeeper. Yuliana watched Aaron as he yed with the Lego for a while. Seeing that he was hesitant to put a piece, she reminded him, ¡°Put it here.¡± Aaron looked up at her again. Then, he stared at the Lego for a while before he put the piece he held in the position Yuliana pointed at. After that, the two of them sat face to face, one building Lego silently and the other watching silently. Yuliana didn¡¯t disturb Aaron. She only gave him a hint when he encountered a problem and couldn¡¯t figure it out for a long time. The next morning, Yuliana and Christopher got ready to leave for Juxshire. Last night, Isaac didn¡¯t return home. In the morning, Callie took Yuliana and Christopher to the airport, and Aaron followed. When they got to the airport, Callie hugged Yuliana again. When Yuliana was a child, she liked to receive hugs from Callie. However, since Callie and Damian divorced, Yuliana rarely asked for a hug from her. ¡°Ana, remember what I told you. I hope you can always be pure and kind, but I hope you can protect yourself too. After all, I¡¯m not by your side, so I can¡¯t solve your problems for you.¡± Yuliana took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take good care of myself. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Callie hummed lightly in response and let go of her. Then, Aaron walked up to Yuliana and handed her a box. ¡°This is for my little nephew.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Yuliana took it and opened it. It was the Lego car Aaron builtst night. As Callie touched Aaron¡¯s head, she said, ¡°He didn¡¯t finish it until midnightst night.¡± Yuliana was stunned and looked at Aaron again. Meanwhile, Aaron also looked at her quietly. His dark eyes looked bright. He didn¡¯t look away after ncing at her like yesterday. ¡°Thank you. I think the baby will love the gift from you.¡± Back in Juxshire, Christopher left for Romdale the next day. There was still some time left before school reopened. Yuliana initially wanted to leave with Christopher. However, she was busy going around recently, so she felt too tired and decided to rest for a while. Besides, Christopher wouldn¡¯t be in Romdale for long this time and would be back before Family Day. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Marrying Christopher Because Of Pregnancy Yuliana rested at home for a few days to adjust her daily routine. She got up early and went to bed early. In the morning, Yuliana would go to the supermarket with Hailey and then apany Hailey to cook and clean the room after returning home. A day of work made the time fly quickly. On that day, Xandria asked Yuliana and others to have dinner together. Kathryn, who hadn¡¯t seen her for a long time, was one of them, as well as several other friends who had a good rtionship with Xandria in the social circle. Larry was one of them as well. Yuliana was a little surprised after she noticed Larry. Larry and Xandria had been alienated ever since Larry was beaten by Christopher on Independence Dayst year. After meeting Ondo at dinnerst time, Yuliana asked Xandria privately, but Xandria didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it and simply changed the topic with some excuse. Xandria just said that Larry was a little displeased with her because of that incident. Therefore, Xandria and Larry didn¡¯t get in touch with each other for a long time. Xandria might be careless and frank, but it didn¡¯t mean she was heartless. She treated Larry as a good friend. Larry was beaten twice by Christopher, and she med herself for it. Xandria felt she had responsibility for the incident. During Larry¡¯s hospitalization, Xandria visited him almost every day. She was scared Larry would get bored. So, she invited several friends to apany her. However, Larry put on a sullen face. He was talking and smiling with others, but he deliberately ignored Xandria. Xandria also had a bad temper. She noticed Larry held back his words even though he had a problem with her. Therefore, Xandria directly quarreled with Larry, causing them to break their friendship ties. Since Larry didn¡¯t recognize Xandria as a friend, Xandria also wouldn¡¯t mind losing a friend. This time, Xandria asked Larry for dinner because Larry took the initiative to contact her and apologized for the previous incident. Larry felt aggrieved at that time and had nowhere to vent his emotions but on Xandria. Larry regretted it afterward, but he felt humiliated to apologize to her. After all, Xandria and Larry had been friends for many years. Moreover, she disliked making a fuss about it. Since Larry apologized, she thought she was also indeed responsible for the incident. She felt guilty about it. Therefore, Xandria would call Larry out when they went out to y recently. As time passed, Yuliana¡¯s belly was getting bigger and more obvious. Yuliana¡¯s pregnancy had been rumored in the social circle after Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet. It was not a secret anymore. Still, seeing Yuliana¡¯s bulging belly, Xandria and her friends were stunned. ¡°Yuliana, how many months have you been pregnant?¡± The one who asked this question was a youngdy with a good rtionship with Xandria. Herst name was Gardner. She was also from a well-reputed family in Juxshire. The Gardner family was also present on the day of Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet. Yuliana said frankly, ¡°It¡¯s been six months.¡± Yvonne eximed with a smile, ¡°Wow! You and Christopher were married because of pregnancy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re only getting it now!¡± said Kathryn. Xandria red at Kathryn. ¡°You¡¯re acting like you knew from the start!¡± Kathryn raised her eyebrows and said nothing. She thought, ¡°I did find out very early, and¡­¡± In the past, Yuliana couldn¡¯t fit into Xandria¡¯s social circle because she felt distant from the topics they discussed. So, Yuliana would sit aside and listen to them quietly most of the time. This time, Yuliana had be the center of the topic. Since Yuliana¡¯s rtionship with Christopher was made public at Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet, there had been much gossip about her, Christopher, and Annabelle in the social circle. In addition, on New Year¡¯s Eve, Christopher left her alone to send Annabelle to the hospital, which also spread to the circle and caused even more spection. Kathryn asked, ¡°Yuliana, why didn¡¯t you stop Christopher?¡± Kathryn was curious. She thought, ¡°In that situation, Christopher left in a hurry with Annabelle in his arms. Why didn¡¯t Yuliana do anything?¡± It was said that the Sce family and other people were present at the birthday banquet at that time. Yuliana smiled and didn¡¯t answer Kathryn¡¯s question. Kathryn looked at Yuliana¡¯s reserved expression and shook her head. Atst, she couldn¡¯t help sighing. saying, ¡°Anyway, Annabelle stole your husband. You took him back and got revenge for me. I feel great and relieved now.¡± Larry joked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad at Yuliana?¡± Hearing that, Yuliana nced at Larry. There were several seats between them. When she looked over, Larry also looked at her with deep eyes. This was the first time Larry mentioned Yuliana tonight. After their eyes met, Yuliana withdrew her gaze and heard Kathryn say, ¡°Why should I be angry with Yuliana? You have no idea how happy I am. It¡¯s my greatest pleasure to see Annabelle suffer!¡± Besides, Kathryn subconsciously thought that Yuliana was not someone like her. Yuliana outperformed Kathryn when she was a student. At that time, Kathryn always thought that Yuliana would go to some research institute or be a scientist. She always admired Yuliana in her heart. Although Yuliana was only an elementary school teacher, she worked in one of the top schools. When Kathryn graduated, her parents also wanted her to be a teacher, and it took a lot of effort for Kathryn to get a teaching certificate. Nevertheless, it got even more difficult for her to take the examination and interview that prepared her to be a teacher in thest step. Until now, Kathryn was taking money from her family for her daily life. Kathryn was not even jealous of Yuliana because she knew there was a big gap between them. As for Christopher, Kathryn thought that she was not someone who would like anyone easily. At most, Kathryn¡¯s heart fluttered slightly for Christopher due to the reputation of the Sce family and the aura he had during his school days. Butter, Kathryn saw Christopher¡¯s true colors, especially when he beat up Larry. It became a nightmare for Kathryn. When Kathryn was a student, she thought Christopher was handsome and gentle. But now, she thought he was just a violent man as if he was a candidate for domestic violence. Kathryn thought, ¡°If he hit me like he hit Larry after marriage, would I still be alive? Whoever marries him will be unlucky!¡± Thinking of this, Kathryn asked, ¡°Yuliana, did Christopher ever hit you?¡± Yuliana was stunned and replied, ¡°No, why?¡± Kathryn wanted to say something but stopped. After a while, she said solemnly, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t be afraid. You can tell us if Christopher dares to hurt you. I will definitely expose him online and humiliate him!¡± Xandria couldn¡¯t stand it and refuted, ¡°What are you talking about? Christopher loves Ana so much. It is impossible that he will hit her!¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Originally, Xandria was also a little worried about Yuliana. However, she saw Christopher¡¯s attitude toward Yuliana during the meal together, and she understood a bit about Christopher through some of his friends. Xandria felt that Christopher was different from what she thought before. Larry sneered, ¡°Xani, you didn¡¯t live with them. How do you know it¡¯s impossible? Don¡¯t forget that he beat me twice, and I was hospitalized every time he beat me!¡± Yuliana suddenly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for trouble yourself?¡± Yuliana looked at Larry coldly and said, ¡°The first time he hit you was because of your mindless words, and the second time he hit you, I think you know the reasons. The atmosphere in the private room instantly turned tense. Xandria was confused. She said, ¡°Yuliana, what are you talking about? Why can¡¯t I understand?¡± Xandria knew the reason why Christopher beat Larry up for the first time. It was because Larry and several men ndered Annabelle. She thought it was fair and square for Christopher to beat up Larry. However, Xandria thought the second time was Christopher beating Larry indiscriminately. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Go Away Larry¡¯s face darkened in an instant. Yuliana withdrew her gaze and didn¡¯t answer Xandria. Yuliana believed that Larry only acted impulsively but managed to restrain himself. Besides, Christopher beat him up, and Xandria seldom saw him again. Yuliana was afraid that Xandria would lose her temper and act rashly after finding out, so she didn¡¯t tell Xandria. Kathryn acted out of care for Yuliana and understood how she would feel. However, Larry deliberately sowed discord and ndered Christopher, so she couldn¡¯t help but bring up the matter. Seeing Yuliana remain quiet, the others shifted their gaze onto Larry again. As Larry saw everyone having their eyes on him, his expression darkened more. He smacked the table, did not say a word, got up, opened the door, and left the private room. Staring at the closed door, Kathryn snorted coldly. ¡°Did he lose his mind after Christopher beat him year? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± upst Xandria felt something was wrong as she recalled the incident in the ancient town. She was busy taking photos with Kathryn that day and asked Larry to apany Yuliana back to the homestay. After a while, Larry came back to meet Xandria and Kathryn. They ate and went to the bar for a drink. Then, Christopher rushed into the bar and hit Larry, Xandria wondered, ¡°Did something happen that I didn¡¯t know of?¡± Larry didn¡¯t leave immediately and smoked outside when his phone rang twice. He picked it up and saw a pink animated profile named ¡°M.¡± M texted: [Where are you?] Larry took the cigarette away from his mouth, pressed the voice message button, and replied, ¡°Having dinner.¡± M texted: [With Xandria again?] Larry just looked at his phone and didn¡¯t reply. After a few seconds, he received another text message. M replied: [You haven¡¯t forgotten our promise, have you?] Biting the cigarette, Larry texted: [No. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m having dinner, and Yuliana is here too.] After his reply, a silhouette passed by him. Larry looked up and saw Xandria walking over. She stopped in front of him and gazed at him solemnly. Staring at him for a while, Xandria asked, ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± Larry pursed his lips and avoided her eyes. Xandria said, ¡°Larry, if you still see me as your friend, you¡¯d better be honest with me and not make me find out the shameful things you¡¯ve done from someone else. You know I have a bad temper!¡± Frowning, Larry looked a little depressed and regretful. ¡°Xani, I didn¡¯t mean it. I regret doing it too!¡± Xandria was stunned, and her expression darkened more. ¡°What have you done?¡± Larry looked at Xandria and remained silent before telling her about himself kissing Yuliana forcefully. After hearing that, Xandria pped him and roared, ¡°Larry, you bastard!¡± Larry, whose face was in pain, exined, ¡°Xani, you know nothing. I have liked Yuliana since high school and can¡¯t let go of her over these years. Instead, my feelings for her grew deeper and deeper. You have no idea how happy I was when I found out she had divorced Harry. However, I didn¡¯t expect her to be with Christopher. He¡¯s such a jerk. How could I let her be?¡± Tears welled up in Larry¡¯s eyes. He took another deep puff of the cigarette, calmed himself down, and continued, ¡°So, I couldn¡¯t hold back and confessed to her and told her that I like her, but she turned me down because of Christopher. I lost control then and didn¡¯t know what I was doing. I¡¯m sorry, Xan.¡± Larry looked as if he wanted to kneel before Xandria. ¡°You can p me or scold me all you want. I won¡¯t say a word. As long as you and Yuliana calm down, you can do whatever you want!¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Hearing that, Xandria was furious and punched and kicked Larry regardless of what he said. Larry stood motionless. As he said, he would not say a word. After a while, they caught the restaurant staff¡¯s attention, who stepped forward to stop Xandria and thought they were a couple fighting. As the staff tried to persuade Xandria, Xandria red at Larry, her anger lingering. Then, she pped him in the face again. ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡± After saying that, Xandria shook off the staff holding her and entered the private room. With that, the dinner ended unhappily. Xandria did not say a word as she apanied Yuliana back home. Yuliana could guess that Larry had told Xandria about the incident. As she knew Xandria¡¯s personality well, she thought thetter had to feel worse. After all, they were friends. ¡°Xani.¡± Hearing Yuliana¡¯s voice, Xandria pouted and almost broke into tears. She held them back and asked in a choked voice, ¡°Yuliana, why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± Yuliana was silent for a while before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not as serious as you think. Besides, Christopher indeed beat Larry to a pulp. I feared you would feel bad when you found out, so I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± Xandria gritted her teeth and eximed, ¡°Larry, that bastard!¡± Aside from anger, Xandria was extremely heartbroken and disappointed. To her, aside from Yuliana, Larry was one of her best and closest friends. She would think about Larry before doing anything, but she didn¡¯t expect him to take advantage of her best friend. As Yuliana had said, it was not as serious as she thought, but she still felt disgusted. After sending Yuliana home, Xandria left. Yuliana wanted to ask Xandria to stay for a while, but the latter was not in the mood. It was only two days from Family Day. Yuliana video called Christopher at night. He should¡¯ve been back the day before Family Day but had to stay at least half a year in Romdale, as he could not settle the situation there quickly. However, things didn¡¯t always work out as they were nned. The next afternoon, Yuliana received a call from La, saying that Zachary fainted, identally fell into water, and almost drowned when fishing with his friends. Although he was rushed to the emergency room in time, he fell into aa. La had informed Christopher, so he booked a flight home today. Joyce and La were at the hospital. As Winnie was still unaware of the incident, they didn¡¯t dare to tell her for the time being. However, they knew they couldn¡¯t hide from her forever, as they didn¡¯t know what would happen to Zachary. So, La asked Yuliana to stay by Winnie¡¯s side at the Sce residence. After hearing the news, Yuliana was taken aback and wondered, ¡°I remember Dad doing just fine and looking fitter than a young man when I saw him not long ago. Howe he fainted and drowned?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t afford to waste more time and headed to the Sce residence with Hailey. As Zachary went out in the morning and hadn¡¯t returned until the afternoon, Winnie began to worry. She was slightly distracted by Yuliana and Hailey¡¯s arrival and asked, ¡°Why are the two of you back?¡± Yuliana exined, ¡°My mom prepared something for you when I went to Jeahron. I always wanted to give them to you.¡± Initially, Yuliana nned to send the gift with Christopher on Family Day, but she feared Winnie would overthink, so she used it as an excuse. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Including You And Me Although Winnie acknowledged Yuliana as her daughter-inw in front of everyone at Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet, she still felt slightly displeased with thetter. However, after several recent interactions, Winnie found Yuliana was impable in everything and gradually changed her attitude. Winnie said, ¡°Family Day is in two days. You can bring them over with Christopher when youe for dinner that day. Why do you have toe here personally at this time?¡± After saying that, she thought her words were inappropriate and added, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to come. It¡¯s just that you must take care of yourself at thest stage of your pregnancy. Besides, it¡¯s your firstborn child.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The baby and I are doing well.¡± ¡°Stay in the Sce residence for dinnerter. What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll have them prepared.¡± Winnie paused and smiled. ¡°Or if you¡¯refortable with it, you can stay here for two days. Someone cleans Christopher¡¯s room frequently. You can stay any time and don¡¯t have to travel back and forth.¡± Winnie also knew well that young people nowadays needed privacy and may be unwilling to live with their inws. Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to feel ufortable about? Christopher went to Romdale, and school hasn¡¯t started yet. I feel bored alone at home. It would be lively to stay here and spend time with you, Ken, Joyce, and Alex.¡± Her words made Winnie feel at ease. ¡°All right. You¡¯ll stay here with me for two days.¡± Yuliana nodded and followed Winnie, who asked Sofia to supervise the dinner preparations in the kitchen, making sure the food suited Yuliana¡¯s preference and was suitable for pregnancy. Yuliana apanied Winnie to take a stroll in the backyard for a while. As time passed, Yuliana still hadn¡¯t received any news from La, so she thought something terrible must have happened. Winnie had tried calling Zachary many times, but his phone was switched off, so she couldn¡¯t help but worry. ording to La, since Zachary stepped down from his position in Sce Corporation, he was by Winnie¡¯s side almost always, except when he went fishing for a few hours. Winnie was in poor health and couldn¡¯t tag. along. When they met their friends over meals, they would go together. They had never been apart for nearly ten hours, just like today. Winnie started to grow anxious. ¡°What is Zachary doing? Why is he not picking up the phone?¡± Yuliana comforted her, saying, ¡°Maybe his phone is out of battery. He¡¯ll pick up soon. Don¡¯t worry, Mom.¡± Winnie put her phone down and sighed. Yuliana¡¯s words didn¡¯t soothe her anxiety at all. She then said, ¡°How can I not worry? He usuallyes back in a few hours after fishing, yet he¡¯s now been out for most of the day. I called him several times, but he didn¡¯t answer. I don¡¯t know what has happened to him.¡± Winnie contacted Zachary¡¯s fishing buddies shortly before lunch, who said they would return after the meal. However, when she called again in the afternoon, no one answered. The more Winnie thought about it, the more certain she was that something terrible had happened. Ignoring Yuliana¡¯s words, she immediately picked up the phone and called La. La managed to fool Winnie with just a few words, promising she would let thetter know immediately after she contacted Zachary. A few minutester, La called Winnie again, saying that Zachary was having coffee with his friends, his phone was broken, and he would returnte so that Winnie wouldn¡¯t worry. After hearing La¡¯s words, Winnie felt more at ease. Yuliana listened at the side, thinking they couldn¡¯t hide from Winnie forever. Unless Zachary regained consciousness, Winnie would definitely notice something wrong, given her close rtionship with him over the years. Meanwhile, Kendrick, who was on a business trip in Jeahron, Immediately rushed back after hearing about Zachary¡¯s ident He arrived shortly at the hospital after Christopher. They went to see Zachary, who was rescued, and then met thetter¡¯s attending doctor. The doctor exined Zachary¡¯s test results to Kendrick and Christopher. Due to the drowning. Zachary suffered from pulmonary edema and asphyxia. The respiratory dysfunction had affected his brain nerves, causing a severe brain injury. That was why Zachary was in aa. After exining, the doctor was silent and said disappointedly, ¡°Mr. Sce¡¯s life is not in danger for the time being, but no one knows whether he can or when he will regain consciousness. You should prepare yourselves mentally.¡± Zachary might look healthy, but he had underlying diseases from overworking all these years. In recent years, he was on medication to control his condition and kept a healthy lifestyle, which made him look rtively fit. His sudden fainting had something to do with his underlying diseases. His condition became serious as he lost consciousness in the water. Kendrick and Christopher were silent when they exited the doctor¡¯s office. To Kendrick, Zachary was more like a teacher with higher expectations than a father. Therefore, they were nothing like a father and a son, as they rarely talked about other things except for business or some necessary matters. However, Christopher was different. Although Zachary seldom looked after him as a child, his attitude toward thetter was utterly different from that toward Kendrick. Zachary was a kind and gentle father to Christopher. No matter what Christopher did, Zachary always tolerated thetter. Even if Christopher did something wrong. Zachary gave only guidance and never reproached Christopher. When Christopher heard that Zachary might not be able to wake up, he was dumbfounded until now. His mind seemed full of thoughts and empty at the same time. After a while, he looked at Kendrick and said in a choked voice, ¡°What if Mr. Sce really can¡¯t wake up?¡± Kendrick stopped and looked at Christopher. ¡°Everyone would age, fall sick, and die one day. It¡¯s thew of nature no one can change.¡± When Christopher heard that, his gaze was seemingly frozen. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? He¡¯s your father.¡± Kendrick looked at Christopher quietly for a short while and added, ¡°Everyone will die one day, including you and me. Grow up, Christopher.¡± After saying that, Kendrick walked away. Christopher looked at his back and stood there for a while before catching up. There was no way Zachary¡¯s incident could be hidden forever, not even for a day. If Zachary didn¡¯t return home at night, Winnie would definitely sense something was wrong. So, her children decided to tell her about Zachary. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Kendrick and Joyce stayed at the hospital while Christopher and La returned to tell the news. After all, Winnie adored Christopher the most and was rtively close to La. They thought it would be best for them to tell Winnie the bad news. When they got home, it was already past dinner time. There was a table full of dishes, but no one ate them. After talking to La on the phone, Winnie waited for Zachary to return until the sky turned dark. However, he still didn¡¯t. Then, she finally gave up, stopped calling Zachary, and just sat quietly while looking at the door. Yuliana stayed by her side all the time. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Just Wanted To Exclude Other Possibilities Dinner time had arrived, and Sofia came to inform both of them to have dinner. However, even when Yuliana tried to ask Winnie to have dinner together, Winnie only urged Yuliana to have dinner without her. She still insisted on only having her meal when Zachary returned, as they had been having all meals together all these years. Since they did not have lunch together today, they should have dinner together. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. However, if Winnie did not want to eat, how would Yuliana be able to have her meal with peace of mind? Just then, Christopher and La came back. Staring at them momentarily, Winnie could tell that something had happened even though they had yet to spit out any words. She forced herself to stand strong and questioned with a trembling voice, ¡°Where is your father?¡± Feeling anxious, La pursed her lips as she sat down beside Winnie. She silently looked at Christopher for about two seconds before she said, ¡°Mom, no matter what you hear next, I really hope you can keep your calm, okay?¡± Winnie looked back and forth between La and Christopher, then uttered in a serious tone, ¡°Just say it. I can take it.¡± The silence continued for a while before La brought herself to break it. ¡°Dad is currently admitted to the hospital. When he was fishing earlier, he fell and drowned in the water. He¡¯s still in aa as of now. The doctor said¡­¡± Fear took over Winnie¡¯s face as she heard what La had said. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± La then continued her unfinished sentence, saying, ¡°The doctor said there¡¯s a very slim chance for Dad to wake up.¡± Winnie staggered when she learned the tragic news and almost fainted. Christopher immediately stepped forward and held her. Stroking her back gently to soothe her, he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you could take it? Are you going to fall apart just because of this?¡± Winnie recovered a little after being soothed for a short while. She quickly stood up and said in denial, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Your father only went fishing. How did he end up drowning and staying in aa now? It¡¯s not that he is not good in the water; he knows how to swim.¡± Just as La expected, Winnie became agitated and demanded to visit Zachary at the hospital immediately, so she arranged a car and took Winnie to the hospital right away. Christopher and Yuliana tagged along with them as well. At the current point in time, Zachary was still being observed in the ICU. If his physiological signs were stable by tomorrow morning, he could be transferred to the general ward. Winnie changed into a sterile gown and was led into the room by Christopher. When she saw Zachary, who was lying on the hospital bed with various monitoring instruments attached to his body, she broke down and cried, ¡°Zachary, you promised you wouldn¡¯t leave before me! I know you have lived a tiring life and that you wished to rest. Then, wake up after you have had enough rest, okay?¡± The Sce family fell into a chaotic state after the ident happened to Zachary. Winnie insisted on staying until Zachary regained consciousness, strongly refusing to leave the ICU. Knowing that it was impossible to convince their mother, the three siblings of the Sce family had to compromise temporarily. At nightfall, Kendrick and Joyce apanied her in the hospital. They also brought in two more maids from home to help out. Since Yuliana was pregnant, she needed to have a good rest at night. So, Kendrick asked Christopher to send her back after both of them had stayed in the hospital for quite some time. On the way back, Christopher only looked out the window without saying a word. When they arrived home, Christopher went to the bathroom to take a shower right away. Christopher and Yuliana did not have dinner for the entire night. While Hailey was yet to return from the Sce residence, Yuliana went ahead and cooked two beef wraps taught by Hailey two days ago. Compared to the beef wraps she made before, the beef wraps that Hailey taught had a better appearance and taste. Once the beef wraps were ready, she sat at the dining table and stared in a daze at the two servings of beef wraps. She only looked in the direction of the bedroom when the steam had entirely disappeared. After some hesitation, Yuliana made up her mind. She got up from her seat and walked toward the door. As she pushed the door open, she could smell the pungent smell of smoke from the room. Hearing the noise behind him, Christopher turned around and took a look. He came back to his senses when he realized it was Yuliana. Then, he put out the cigarettes and hurriedly opened the window for venttion. Yuliana walked up and looked up at him. With her lips pursed, she said with a faint smile, ¡°I made some beef wrap. Would you like to have a bite?¡± Christopher remained quiet for a little while and then responded, ¡°You can eat it. I am not hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made quite a lot and can¡¯t finish them. Can you finish them with me?¡± Yuliana said as she gave him a tender hug, attempting to persuade him to eat something. After looking at her for some time, Christopher nodded in agreement. Back in the kitchen, Yuliana reheated the beef wrap with a microwave. However, the beef wrap was not as tasty reheatedpared to when it was freshly made. Since Yuliana can be slightly picky about food, she did not continue eating the beef wraps after merely two bites. She put down her spoon and quietly watched Christopher as he ate. He was chewing and swallowing slowly. With his gentle eating manner and his face, the scene in front of Yuliana was eye-pleasing. Yuliana felt helpless, as she did not know how tofort Christopher. When Damian had an ident back then, some people wereforting her by her side, but at that point in time, she actually did not want to hear any of those words, because she knew it was justfort and would not be practical to help the situation. She would rather be alone in silence. That was why she did not say anyforting words to Christopher throughout the way back from the hospital and up to now. She did not do anything other than apany him in silence. As long as he turned back to look at her, and if he needed her, she would surely be there for him. In the morning, Christopher and Yuliana went back to the hospital. A while after their arrival, La and Jared also reached the hospital. Other rtives from the Sce residence also rushed over to pay a visit to Zachary when they heard the news. Thankfully, Zachary was already transferred from the ICU to the general ward at that time. It was crowded in the ward because there were many people in the room. Since Kendrick had to rush to thepany, he returned to the Sce residence after Christopher and La arrived. After a simple wash-up, he got ready to head out. While Kendrick was walking downstairs, the surveince cameras on the wall caught his attention, and he suddenly thought of something and phoned Joyce. When Joyce picked up the call, he mentioned, ¡°Can you go back hometer and check the recent surveince footage at home?¡± Hearing that, Joyce became puzzled. ¡°Are you suspecting that whatever happened to Dad was not an ident?¡± she said after she realized what Kendrick meant. ¡°I just want to rule out other possibilities,¡± Kendrick replied as he confirmed her question. Kendrick wondered, ¡®Maybe I should not say it was to the point of suspicion, but Dad did a health examination just before the new year. I have also looked through the examination report, and I remember all the indicators of his health were within the normal range. Moreover, Dad had always been paying close attention to his diet and physical condition. So, technically, this shouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± However, there was no definite answer. It was always possible that the body¡¯s functions became worse when a person grew old. Kendrick had always been cautious. Whenever he felt something was wrong, he would only feel at ease after figuring everything out clearly. A few days had passed, and Zachary was yet to show any sign of awakening. During these days, Winnie had been beside him without moving an inch away from the ward. She could not eat nor sleep well, her state of mind had worsened, and she had even lost weight. Her children were worried that their mother would not be able to withstand it any longer, so they tried every means to convince her to rest. After a lengthy attempt of persuasion, Winnie finallypromised. She promised to return to the Sce residence at night to get some rest and would only return to the hospital during the day to apany Zachary. Professional caretakers had also been arranged to take care of Zachary while she was away. However, the three siblings still took turns staying at the hospital every night. Since it was still a school holiday, and it would be inconvenient for Yuliana to visit at night, she would visit the hospital during the day. After nearly a week, there were still no changes to Zachary¡¯s condition. It started to seem impractical to continue this routine, as it was unclear when Zachary would wake up. Besides, they still had some important work to deal with. Realizing this, Kendrick hired a family doctor and a caretaker, bringing Zachary back to the Sce residence. This way, Winnie could save time from going back and forth between the Sce residence and the hospital. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Will You Leave Me? School was about to start, and Yuliana started to get busy again. She had a tight schedule since she needed to prepare for the semester after school started. Two days before school started, Hailey went over to clean up the house at Celestial Garden. Then, Christopher moved into the house with Yuliana. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At night, Yuliana couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She wondered if her insomnia was due to the anxiety for the new semester or because she was too used to the bed in Oceanview Apartment, as she had been sleeping there for more than a month. Or perhaps, it was because Christopher was going to Romdale tomorrow. Christopher had been pretending to be fine since Zachary¡¯s ident, but Yuliana could sense that he was always in a low mood. Most of the time, if he weren¡¯t worried that his silence would affect her mood, he wouldn¡¯t have opened his mouth to speak. He had been very silent. Yuliana moved, turned around, and looked at him. After getting pregnant, Yuliana had the habit of getting up at night. She would get up two or three times a night, so she turned on the lights in the toilet in case of bumping into something or falling over herself. The light on the bedside was too close and too bright. If she turned it on, they wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well. Christopher opened his eyes not long after she turned around and stared at him. Yuliana was stunned for a moment and whispered. ¡°Are you not asleep?¡± Christopher pushed away the hair on her face and hummed lightly. In fact, he couldn¡¯t sleep well at night for the past week. On the one hand, it was difficult for him to rest well in the hospital. On the other hand, he kept dreaming of Zachary¡¯s passing when he fell asleep. Hence, he subconsciously resisted falling asleep. Yuliana grabbed his hand, and they looked at each other silently for a while. Yuliana held his face and kissed him on his lips, then his chin, before trailing down to his Adam¡¯s apple. Christopher¡¯s breathing became heavier. He stopped Yuliana and said, ¡°Ana, stop it.¡± Yuliana was in theter stages of her pregnancy. Christopher dared not to touch her anymore. He was afraid that he would hurt her and the baby in her belly if his actions got too rough. Yuliana kissed his lips again. This time, it was no longer a light peck, but a long and passionate smooch. Christopher lost his cool and pressed himself on her to take the initiative. But after the kiss, Christopher stopped. Yuliana wrapped her arms around his neck and gasped for breath. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you continue?¡± Christopher was breathing heavily. He controlled the calling in his body and suppressed the rush of emotions that had been bottled up in his mind throughout this period. Meanwhile, Yuliana kept provoking him. He stopped her and warned in a deep voice, ¡°Ana, I¡¯ll hurt you.¡± Yuliana looked into his eyes. ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± She paused for two seconds, put her soft lips on his neck, and said, ¡°Christopher, I want you to be happy.¡± The muscles around Christopher¡¯s neck twitched twice. He inserted his fingers into her hair and caressed Yuliana¡¯s head. He nibbled Yuliana¡¯s ear and said, ¡°Do you really want me to be happy?¡± Hearing this, Yuliana was a little scared. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Christopher maneuvered her while whispering something in her ear. His tone was alluring. ¡°Ana, in this way, I¡¯ll be happy, and it won¡¯t hurt you too.¡± Yuliana¡¯s cheeks burned red as she listened to his words. Her blood boiled with embarrassment After a while, she refused him coyly, saying, ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± After saying that, she wanted to break off from Christopher¡¯s hug. Christopher pressed her down. ¡°You said you wanted me to be happy.¡± Their eyes met in the dark. His eyes were deep and pensive as if they had a magical power that could make everyone who met his gaze engrossed in his charm. He kissed her lips and backed away. They were so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breaths. He crooned, ¡°Ana, can you do it?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t say no. It was as if she had been enchanted by his charm. After everything was over, Christopher immediately got up and carried Yuliana to the bathroom. Yuliana¡¯s eyes were red from crying. Christopher brought her a ss of water, but Yuliana still felt ufortable. She stared at him with reddened eyes. ¡°Liar!¡± He kept saying that it wouldn¡¯t be hard and that it would be over soon. They were all lies. Christopher raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°What did I lie to you about? Wasn¡¯t it faster than before?¡± Yuliana stared at him without saying anything. Christopher¡¯s heart softened instantly at the sight of her pitiful look. He touched her lips and wanted to kiss her again. Yuliana noticed his actions and immediately covered her lips. Her eyes were wide and round, and she murmured through her palm, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christopher¡¯s lips curled up as he saw her movement, and his gray eyes instantly lit up. He pulled away Yuliana¡¯s hand that was covering her lips and held the back of her head. Then, he leaned over and kissed her deeply. ¡°Ana, thank you so much.¡± After a while, Christopher carried Yuliana back to bed. Both of them were sleepless, but none of them spoke for a moment. Yuliana was lying sideways with her back to him. Christopher was also lying sideways with his arms around her waist. He put his palm on her raised abdomen. Suddenly, he felt the baby kick twice on his palm. Christopher suddenly said, ¡°The baby kicked me.¡± His tone was natural and rxed. Yuliana put her hand on the back of his palm. ¡°Do you think the baby will look like you or me?¡± Christopher said, ¡°The baby is so active at night. I¡¯m sure it will look like me.¡± Yuliana smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good to be like you. Both Joyce and La said that it will be a boy. You at least aren¡¯t bad-looking, so it¡¯d be good if the boy looked like you. I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him not being able to find a wife in the future.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Is that supposed to be apliment or an insult?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s apliment.¡± Yuliana grabbed his fingers. ¡°I wasplimenting you on your looks.¡± ¡°So you married me because I¡¯m handsome?¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± The room stayed quiet for a while. Christopher asked, ¡°Ana.¡± Yuliana was about to doze off. Hearing his voice, she woke up immediately and responded faintly, half asleep. Christopher stayed silent for a while before he said, ¡°Mom and Dad were never young as long as I can remember. Mom has always been in poor health, while Dad has nothing serious but some minor health problems. They have made it through for so many years. So, I never considered they would leave me suddenly before Dad¡¯s ident. I know people will die, but I never thought it would happen so suddenly.¡± And it happened when he was unprepared. For more than a week, every time he saw Zachary lying on the hospital bed motionlessly with shallow breathing, he felt that he was still in a nightmare. He had the illusion that if he could wake up from the dream, Zachary would still be fine. He would stay with Winnie all day long and asionally ask his friends out to fish, drink coffee, and y chess or poker. Yuliana understood how he felt. She had been through a simr situation twice. The first time was when Damian and Callie got divorced. She never thought they would divorce before that, and it took her a long time to ept it. The second time was when Damian had an ident. Although her experience was different from Christopher¡¯s, they did experience the same feelings. She patted Christopher on the back of his hand and said gently, ¡°Dad will get better. He and Mom are so close. He won¡¯t have the heart to leave her. When he wakes up, you can spend more time with them.¡± ¡°Ana, will you leave me?¡± Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 You Are Wee Christopher needed to catch a ne in the early morning of the next day. Although Yuliana didn¡¯t sleep wellst night and could hardly open her eyes, she woke up as soon as the person beside her moved. Yuliana watched him lift the quilt to get out of bed and asked sleepily, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Her voice was muffled with grogginess. Hearing the sound, Christopher stopped and looked at her. In order not to wake Yuliana up, he didn¡¯t turn on the lights and tried to be as gentle as possible, but he didn¡¯t expect her to wake up anyway. Christopher leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and lips, saying, ¡°My ne is at half past eight.¡± Yuliana rubbed her eyes and asked, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Six-thirty,¡± replied Christopher. Yuliana counted the time. It was time for Christopher to get up and get ready for the flight. She thought for a while and moved to sit up from the bed, saying, ¡°I want to send you to the airport.¡± Christopher said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Go back to sleep.¡± They didn¡¯t sleep until one or two o¡¯clock in the morningst night. They had only slept for about five hours at most. Yuliana opened her eyes and looked at him silently. Her eyes filled with emotions, as she was reluctant to part with him. This time, it would take at least half a month for them to meet again after Christopher went to Romdale. Christopher had been busy with Zachary¡¯s affairs during this period and had no time to deal with other matters. There was a lot of stuff awaiting him at Romdale for him to settle with. Besides, everyone had just resumed work after the new year. He was going to be buried with piles of work. Yuliana was not an emotional and pretentious person, nor was she a clingy girl. She would be fine under Hailey¡¯s care. It was just that she had been used to having someone with her. She felt a little upset when that person suddenly left. The feeling got stronger when that person was Christopher. She was filled with a sense of loss, especially when she thought that they probably wouldn¡¯t spend too much time together until the baby was born. She still hoped that she could go through this big moment of her life together with Christopher. Seeing that Yuliana was silent, Christopher asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana came back to her senses and shook her head gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Be careful. Send me a message when you arrive at Romdale.¡± Christopher hummed a response and looked down at her lips. He pinched her chin with his fingers, lowered his head, and covered her lips with his, kissing her amorously. Two minutester, Christopher let go of her and said, ¡°When Romdale¡¯s business is over, I¡¯lle back to see you and the baby.¡± Yuliana lowered her eyes and felt that the disappointment had dissipated. She said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll visit Mom and Dad at the Sce residence on weekends. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Christopher smiled and rubbed her nose. ¡°Thank you, Ana.¡± Yuliana said with a sweet smile, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Christopher had packed his luggage when he moved here from Oceanview Apartment yesterday. He left soon after washing up. The room soon fell into silence. Although Yuliana was still drowsy, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The heating in the room was off. When Christopher was around, she didn¡¯t feel cold at all, but as soon as he left, the empty space next to her seemed to feel cold immediately. Yuliana curled up her feet and looked nkly into the air. For the first time, she felt that long-distance love was so unbearable. However, this emotion didn¡¯t persist for long. The chaos after the new semester started soon drowned everything. On the first day of school, Yuliana arrived at school at half past seven. The first ss started at 8:30 a.m. It was still early, and the students hadn¡¯t arrived yet. When Yuliana arrived at the office, only Ariel, her colleague from the same office, had arrived. The latter¡¯s eyes fell on her abdomen the moment she saw Yuliana. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the baby grew very fast. Besides, Yuliana had a good rest and sated her appetite during the New Year. Not only did she increase in weight by a few pounds, but her belly also bulged up to a noticeable bump. Everyone could tell that she was pregnant at first sight. Yuliana greeted Ariel, then went to get a basin of water and took a towel to wipe the table. After that, she helped Fiona wipe the table too. In the process, Ariel¡¯s eyes never left her belly. Not long after, Lexie arrived at the office too. She was chatting happily with Ariel. She had prepared New Year¡¯s gifts for her colleagues. One was for Ariel and the other one was on Fiona¡¯s table. Lexie nced at Yuliana from the corner of her eye and raised her voice as she said to Ariel, ¡°Ariel, I purposely asked someone to bring this box of choctes from abroad. It tastes totally different from those sold in the country. This box costs at least 150 dors. Go on and try it. If it tastes delicious, I¡¯ll ask someone to bring you more next time.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. In the past, Lexie merely acted sarcastically around Yuliana, but their rtionship didn¡¯t turn sour completely. However, ever since the incident with Wadest semester, Lexie hadpletely fallen out with Yuliana. Right then, Yuliana was sitting in her seat, sorting out the things on her desk and organizing the drawer. After packing up, she took the basin and was ready to get some water. When she got up, Lexie saw her belly and immediately stepped forward to block her. She smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, you¡¯re pregnant!¡± Ariel, who was packing up, stopped when she saw this. Yuliana looked at her and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Lexie looked at her belly and said, ¡°You look like you have been pregnant for five or six months. Does that mean you got pregnant when the first semester started? I sensed that something was off with your belly and wondered if you were pregnant at that time. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true.¡± Lexie met Yuliana¡¯s eyes. She folded her arms across her chest and chided, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, you¡¯re really good at hiding the news!¡± Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Anderson, my pregnancy is my own business. It has nothing to do with you. Do I have any obligation to tell you?¡± Lexie was struck mute by Yuliana¡¯s words. After a while, she snorted and said, ¡°I am merely concerned about you, Ms. Livingstone. Is the father the blond-haired man? Ms. Livingstone, I hope you don¡¯t mind me giving you a reminder. Based on my judgment, your boyfriend is not a good man and can¡¯t be relied on.¡± She paused as if she suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°By the way, did you register for the marriage license? I hope you are not pregnant out of wedlock.¡± Yuliana sometimes found Lexie hrious. Thetter was so concerned about other people¡¯s affairs. Yuliana smiled and disyed the wedding ring on her finger, saying, ¡°We¡¯ve gotten the marriage license, but we haven¡¯t had a wedding yet. Ms. Anderson, I¡¯ll definitely invite you to our wedding¡± As Lexie saw the ring on Yuliana¡¯s hand, her expression changed again. Yuliana ignored her, bypassed her, and left the office. When she came back, Fiona had already arrived. She kept winking and gesturing at her to look at Lexie and Ariel. They must have talked a lot behind her when she went to pour water. Yuliana smiled at Fiona, but she didn¡¯t take the matter to heart. The news of her pregnancy soon spread in the school, sending a shockwave through themunity. However, Yuliana didn¡¯t take it seriously. The storm was over in a few days. The first week of school ended in chaos. On Saturday. Yuliana rested at home. On Sunday, she went to the Sce residence with Hailey to visit Zachary and Winnie. Annabelle was also in the Sce residence when Yuliana arrived. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Having Her Apany Mom After Annabelle returned from Yarwood, she did not stay long in Juxshire and departed to Southeast Region with Yvette. She went to several countries within half a month and only learned about Zachary¡¯s ident when she returned to the country. She had been living in the Sce residence for several days. Initially, she only wanted to go over to visit Zachary, but when she saw Winnie was worried sick and couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well, she could not rest assured and nned to stay in the Sce residence to apany Winnie for a few days. Since Zachary returned from the hospital, Winnie talked to him every afternoon. Even if he could not respond, she still insisted on chatting with him. While apanying Winnie, Annabelle shared with Zachary the exciting things she encountered during her trips. What the senior needed was nothing more thanpanionship and confiding. It was understandable for Winnie to adore Annabelle since thetter could chat with the seniors patiently, teaching them what was trending for the youngsters nowadays, and she was very good at cheering them up. Naturally, she was likable. Winnie¡¯s mood improved significantly with Annabelle apanying her recently. When Yuliana arrived, Joyce picked her up and said, ¡°The atmosphere at home has been dull since Dad¡¯s ident. Even Alex has been much quieter now. The house only became a little livelier with Annabelle around.¡± Before going over, Yuliana had contacted Joyce, and thetter told her about Annabelle staying in the Sce residence. Although Joyce¡¯s job was not as busy as Kendrick¡¯s and La¡¯s, she still had routine work to deal with every day and couldn¡¯t stay with Winnie at all times. Besides, Joyce had a different temperament from Annabelle and was not good at making Winnie happy like Annabelle. Having Annabelle apany Winnie made Joyce feel at ease. Yuliana knew what Joyce meant. Joyce was afraid that Yuliana might feel ufortable when she saw Annabelle and thus specifically exined the situation to her. Yuliana was no saint and could not bring herself to not mind at all. However, she was not selfish to the extent she wanted everyone rted to Christopher to stay away from Annabelle as well. Moreover, the Sce family and Christopher did owe Annabelle great kindness, and Annabelle was considered to have grown up in the Sce residence. Naturally, her rtionship with the Sce family was unique. As such, Yuliana was rtively calm when she heard Annabelle had been in the Sce residence recently. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good to have her apanying Mom.¡± Upon hearing that, Joyce looked at Yuliana and said, ¡°Yuliana, I really don¡¯t know whether to say you¡¯re generous or stupid.¡± In truth, Joyce had also experienced simr things before. When she had just married Kendrick, there were always women who had affairs with Kendrick before marriage arriving in the Sce residence. At that time, Winnie was quite dissatisfied with her and felt she could barely hold up the position and the temperament as the matriarch of the Sce family. Winnie was particrly fond of the daughters of prestigious families. One of them had even been with Kendrick for some time. It was because of her experience that Joyce understood that feeling. She couldn¡¯t help but feel sorrier for Yuliana Not to mention, Annabelle was different from the daughters of prestigious families. Yuliana pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Joyce, I¡¯m neither generous nor stupid. Instead, I know there are things that I can¡¯t change. Unless I break things off with Christopher, I have to ept Annabelle¡¯s existence.¡± She looked at Joyce and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to break things off with Christopher.¡± Even so, she did not want to put up with it, making herself feel wronged. Therefore, the best way was to adjust her emotions and make herself not care too much about others. All she wanted was Christopher. She couldn¡¯t care less about anything else as long as Annabelle did not cross the boundary. Momentarily stunned, Joyce thought about Yuliana¡¯s words carefully. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said with a smile, ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s Christopher¡¯s blessing to have you as his wife.¡± Yuliana followed Joyce to visit Zachary, Right after the door opened, they heard Annabelle whispering to Winnie. Her light and amusing tone was very contagious. Even Winnie was smiling. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Annabelle heard the noise and nced at the door. Seeing Joyce and Yulianaing in, she swept her gaze across Joyce and met Yuliana¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mom, Yuliana is here,¡± Joyce said with a smile. Winnie only noticed someoneing into the room when she heard Joyce¡¯s voice. She turned around and smiled gently at Yuliana, reaching out her hand at her. ¡°You are here.¡± Yuliana stepped forward to hold Winnie¡¯s hand. She took a look at Zachary in the bed and asked, ¡°How¡¯s Dad these days?¡± ¡°As usual.¡± Winnie heaved a sigh. Yuliana said, ¡°Give it some time. I¡¯ve been searching online for some cases ofa after brain injury recently. In fact, there are still many cases of recovery. Dad is getting older, and his self-repair ability will be slower. It will take some time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Winnie¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. Yuliana nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s true.¡± She had read a lot of information and cases and had previously talked to the doctor in the hospital. There was still a possibility for Zachary to wake up. It was just that the probability was low, ording to Zachary¡¯s test result at that time. Doctors were very cautious in that regard. Without great confidence, they dared not give patients and their families too much hope. Winnie was overwhelmed by Yuliana¡¯s words and held Yuliana¡¯s hand tightly with an excited smile. She then looked at Zachary in the bed and said, ¡°Zachary, did you hear that? You do have a chance to wake up. Come on, don¡¯t leave me alone!¡± Annabelle had mixed feelings when she saw the disappointment on Winnie¡¯s face vanish and be reced by confidence. She had been trying every means to cheer Winnie up in the past few days. Although Winnie¡¯s mood had indeed improved, it was only temporary. She would fall into despair again whenever she saw Zachary lying quietly in bed. Yet, Yuliana had rekindled Winnie¡¯s confidence with just a few words. Annabelle sat for a while and went out Yuliana chatted with Winnie for a while in the room and then shared with thetter the cases she had found online and also some nursing knowledge. It took Yuliana a lot of time and effort to gather the information. Since some of them were foreign cases written in Uprian, Yuliana was worried that Winnie might not be able to understand them, so she tranted them into Clusian. She would check the information online and make a note if she did not understand the terminology. Winnie naturally paid attention and listened carefully since it was rted to Zachary. Yuliana was not sure if it would work. Seeing Kendrick hire a family doctor and a nurse while she herself was not contributing anything, she hoped the materials she found would be helpful. After Yuliana was done exining, Winnie was very grateful to her. She patted the back of Yuliana¡¯s hand. ¡°Yuliana, thank you!¡± Yuliana said with a smile, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help with anything besides looking up some information.¡± Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Go To Highfield Manor That evening, after Yuliana had her dinner at the Sce residence, Joyce arranged for a car to send her and Hailey back home. When Joyce saw Yuliana and Hailey out, Annabelle came over and asked with a smile, *Joyce, Yuliana, do you mind letting the driver give me a ride?¡± Joyce shifted her gaze at her. ¡°Are you leaving tonight too?¡± Annabelle replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been staying in the Sce residence for days. It¡¯s time for me to leave. What¡¯s more, after Yuliana came here, Mrs. Sce¡¯s emotions are much better now. I think she doesn¡¯t need me anymore.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°I don¡¯t live in the same direction as Yuliana. The driver just needs to drop me off somewhere so that I can take a taxi home.¡± Hearing that, there was nothing much Joyce could say. She shot a nce at Yuliana and saw thetter nod gently. Joyce then replied, ¡°Okay. Yuliana is pregnant. I¡¯ll ask the driver to send her home first, and then only he¡¯ll send you back.¡± Hailey sat in the front passenger seat, while Yuliana and Annabelle sat in the backseat. They didn¡¯t speak along the way. It was nearly an hour¡¯s drive from the Sce residence to Celestial Garden, and it was also nearly an hour¡¯s drive from Celestial Garden to Grand Ind Mansion as the two locations were in opposite directions. Halfway through the road, Annabelle suddenly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that. You¡¯re quite good at pleasing people.¡± There was a slight sarcasm in her voice. Yuliana nced at her and said nothing. Annabelle looked into her eyes and said, ¡°Even the doctors say that the chances of Mr. Sce waking up are slim. You¡¯re just a teacher. Are you more skilled than the doctors? You gave hope to Mrs. Sce, but what if Mr. Sce doesn¡¯t wake up?¡± Yuliana averted her gaze and ignored Annabelle. Indeed, she gave hope to Winnie, but she didn¡¯t think it was something bad. Winnie needed hope, and she didn¡¯t just say it casually. Instead, she arrived at the result after researching many case materials and consulting experts in this field. Moreover, Zachary is a man with strong willpower. She always felt that he shouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. In the end, neither of them talked anymore. The driver first sent Yuliana and Hailey back to Celestial Garden, and then only he sent Annabelle back to Grand Ind Mansion. Annabelle stared out of the window silently for a while. Suddenly, she asked the driver to park the car on the roadside. She opened the car door and got out of the car. She stood by the roadside as she watched the Sce family¡¯s car leave, and then she hailed a taxi. The taxi stopped in front of her. She opened the car door and got in the car. ¡°Go to Highfield Manor.¡± Highfield Manor was not far from here, and it only took about 20 minutes to get there. In the mansion, the first floor was pitch-ck, and the study on the second floor was brightly lit. Harry was at home. It wasn¡¯t even 10 p.m., and he was home at this hour. It was really rare. Annabelle wanted to ring the doorbell, but she hesitated for a moment and tried to open it with the password instead. Unexpectedly, the door opened all of a sudden. She took off her shoes and went upstairs quietly. Instead of looking for Harry in the study, she went directly to the bedroom. Without turning on the light, she took a bath in the bathroom by the light outside the window. After that, she wrapped herself in a bath towel andy down on the bed, waiting quietly for Harry to return to the room. A few hours passed. In the end, Annabelle couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and fell asleep. After some time, she could feel one side of the bed sink in. Annabelle groaned habitually and opened her eyes suddenly. Before she could figure out the situation, she felt suffocated. She was stunned for a few seconds. As she sniffed the familiar scent, she put her arms around the man¡¯s neck and responded enthusiastically. After a while, she grunted in agony. Harry bit her. She opened her eyes and red at the man above her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Harry tugged her hair and scalp, forcing her to look up at him. ¡°I should be the one asking you that question. Annabelle, don¡¯t you know that I already have a fianc¨¦e? Do you like to secretly seduce men who are already taken?¡± Feeling hurt by the man¡¯s contemptuous gaze, Annabelle didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she took the initiative to kiss him on the lips. However, the man was unmoved. Annabelle felt her heart aching. As she thought about everything that had happened recently, a sense of emptiness and destion overwhelmed her, and tears uncontrobly rolled down her cheeks. Harry sat up on the bed, turned on the light in the room, and ignored her. He caught a glimpse of the cigarette box on the bedside table. He took one out and smoked quietly. His gaze was distant and unfocused. He heard the sound of a woman¡¯s suppressed sobbing in his ears. Harry¡¯s eyebrows gradually frowned, and his face was full of impatience. He said coldly, ¡°Annabelle, this is not the ce for you to heal your wounds. Get out of here if you keep crying.¡± Upon hearing that, Annabelle¡¯s sobs instantly ceased. However, she had been crying so hard before that, so it was hard to control herself. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. She turned around and curled up into a ball. Harry nced at the small figure out of the corner of his eye, feeling extremely annoyed. After a while, he put out the cigarette, lifted the quilt, and pulled Annabelle up from the bed. He held her chin- and kissed her deeply. After a passionate session, Harry lit another cigarette and leaned back on the bed to smoke. Annabelley in bed for a while before she went to the bathroom to take a shower again. She then put on her clothes and left as soon as she opened the door. Harry sat on the bed motionlessly. He didn¡¯t even spare her a single nce when she left. After Annabelle left, he got up and took a shower, then he went to the study again. The next afternoon, Scarlett came to Highfield Manor. She promised Harry that she would cook tonight, and they would have dinner together. The ingredients were purchased online and delivered on time by the delivery person. Scarlett arrived at about 3 p.m. It was three or four hours before Harry got home from work. Since it was still early, she could prepare the dinner a bitter. She wandered around downstairs and saw the spiral staircase leading to the second floor. She stopped and looked up. She had been to Highfield Manor several times, but she had never been to the second floor. I wondered what Harry¡¯s bedroom looked like and what color his quilt was. Given her current rtionship with Harry, she assumed that he wouldn¡¯t mind if she went upstairs and took a look. With that thought in her mind, Scarlett went upstairs. There were several rooms on the second floor. The first room she opened should be the master bedroom. Apart from furniture, there was nothing else inside, and it didn¡¯t look like anyone had been living there. She stood at the door for some time. She then thought of something and decided to go in and take a look. She guessed Harry and Yuliana used to live in that room before their divorce. She couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about what might have happened between Harry and Yuliana in the room. Eventually, her gaze inevitably fell upon the huge bed. She was a little jealous at first, but then she thought of something else. Her face couldn¡¯t help but flush. The Lynch family had a very strict family tradition. Even though she had lived abroad for a long time, she was still very conservative. She was already 22 years old this year, and she had never had a boyfriend before meeting Harry. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Chapter 224 You Are Back She had been with Harry for months, but they had no other intimate behaviors except for hugging and kissing. In the past, Scarlett didn¡¯t have much curiosity about it and even felt a little disgusted. However, after getting together with Harry, she couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about his kiss from time to time. During New Year, both of their parents met each other. After that, they got engaged. As for getting married, her father thought that she was still too young and that it could be dyed. She had some scruples before. However, after getting engaged, she thought that it would be fine for her to do those things. She invited Harry to dinner that night at the instigation of her friend. She wanted to take that opportunity to get closer to him. In fact, she wasn¡¯t very good at cooking. She had never been to the kitchen because she had housekeepers cooking for her at home. However, for that night¡¯s meal, she had been spending time in the kitchen with the housekeepers for days. Upon thinking of that, Scarlett got a little excited. She came out of the master bedroom and opened the next room¡¯s door. At a nce, she was sure that Harry lived in that room. The decoration style and furnishings of the room were very in line with his style. It was in a ck-and-white style, like a show house.N?velDrama.Org content rights. She looked around curiously and went to the bathroom to pry into the man¡¯s privacy. Every time she found out a little more about him, she felt happy and satisfied. Her heart was pumping excitedly. When she came out of the bathroom, she walked to the bedside and gently stroked the quilt with her palm. The quilt was dark gray, and the fabric was soft. She couldn¡¯t help but think about the scene of her lying on that bed at night, and her heart seemed to pop out of her chest. She dared not think further. When she stood up and was about to leave, she suddenly caught a glimpse of something. Upon looking closely, she realized that it was strands of hair, part of which was on the pillow, and the rest was pressed under the quilt. Scarlett¡¯s heartbeat suddenly slowed down as if she had been frozen. She stared at the hair for a while before reaching out to pull it out of the quilt. It was a long strand of ck hair. Obviously, the hair didn¡¯t belong to Harry. Hence, it must be that there had been another woman who had slept on that bed recently. Scarlett¡¯s expression changed instantly. She stared at the hair with a cold face and gloomy eyes for a long time. She seemed to remember something. She went to the trash can by the bed, opened the lid, and found that the inside had been cleaned and covered with a new trash bag. Scarlett stared at the trash can for a while and thought about something. Then, she got up and put away the hair. After going downstairs, Scarlett sat down for a while and began to prepare the ingredients for the evening. She liked western food and nned to make steak and pasta. It was clear that Harry seldom ate at home; except for a few bottles of water, there were no other things in the refrigerator. He didn¡¯t even have any seasonings. The kitchen was basically empty. Fortunately, she had also bought the seasonings she needed along with the ingredients. Harry arrived home at seven o¡¯clock in the evening. Scarlett trotted to meet him when she heard the door being unlocked. Upon seeing him standing at the door, she immediately rushed up and threw herself into his arms. ¡°Harry, you¡¯re back.¡± She held the man¡¯s thin waist and spoke softly in his chest. Harry looked down and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Scarlett looked up at Harry¡¯s face without hiding the affection in her eyes. He had a handsome face with sculpted eyebrows and a defined jawline. Every part of his face seemed sharp, probably because he was always serious. It was scary, especially when he stared at people. However, people couldn¡¯t help but submit to him at the same time. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on his lips shyly. ¡°Nothing. I missed you.¡± Harry stroked her hair and said as if coaxing a child, ¡°Let go of me first. I¡¯ll change my shoes.¡± Scarlett let go of him obediently. She watched him change his shoes and then smiled and took his arm, saying, ¡°Go get changed upstairs. Come down for dinner after that.¡± She had already marinated the steak. All she needed to do then was pan-fry it. The timing would be perfect. Harry nced at the kitchen expressionlessly and went upstairs while loosening his tie. Back in the room, he went to the bathroom first. While he was washing his hands, he looked at the items on the storage rack for a few seconds. Then, he went into the walk-in wardrobe to change his clothes as if nothing had happened. After changing his clothes, he answered a phone call before going downstairs. As soon as he went downstairs, he heard a cry of paining from the kitchen. He strode over and sensed a pungent smell of burnt smoke. Holding a wooden spat in one hand, Scarlett stood at the side in a hurry. and didn¡¯t dare to approach the stove at all. The scene reminded Harry of something. That had happened when he first married Yuliana. Before getting married, Yuliana didn¡¯t know how to cook anything except instant noodles. She had tried to cook for him, but she failed. She knew she didn¡¯t have that talent, so she didn¡¯t try again. When he came to his senses, he walked over and pulled Scarlett aside. Turning off the fire, he said, ¡°Forget about it. Let¡¯s go out and eat.¡± He and Scarlett exchanged nces. She looked frustrated. She wanted to perform well in front of Harry, but everything had turned out to be a mess. Finally, they went out to eat. After eating, Harry sent Scarlett back to the Lynch residence. The car stopped at the door and didn¡¯t drive in. Scarlett sat quietly and didn¡¯t unfasten her seat belt after a long while. Frustrated, she lowered her eyes, bit her lips, and said, ¡°Harry, am I useless? I can¡¯t even cook a meal.¡± Harry didn¡¯t have the habit of coaxing people with patience. He nced at Scarlett and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go back to rest early.¡± Upon hearing that, Scarlett became more upset. She looked at Harry with reddened eyes and said, ¡°Harry, Ms. Livingstone knows how to do everything, right? She is certainly not as useless as me.¡± Harry¡¯s eyes darkened a little. His gaze was full of overwhelming pressure, which made Scarlett feel hurt. She hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harry. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Harry looked away from her face and said in an indifferent voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have topare yourself with her. Both of you are two different individuals. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you can cook or not. The housekeepers can do that kind of stuff for us After hearing that, Scarlett didn¡¯t feel happier, but it made her even more ufortable. She thought, ¡°In Harry¡¯s heart, I don¡¯t even deserve to bepared with Yuliana?¡± She thought of the strands of hair, which were longer than Yuliana¡¯s. However, it had been a while since she hadst seen Yuliana. Thetter¡¯s hair had been tied up at Zachary¡¯s birthday party at the Sce residence, and the length couldn¡¯t be seen. Yuliana¡¯s hair was also ck. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 I Am Here To Apologize ¡°I see.¡± She smiled, leaned in, and kissed Harry on the corner of his mouth. Then, she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll go back now. Drive carefully.¡± Harry answered faintly and watched her get off the car. Upon seeing her enter the mansion, he started the car and left. After hearing the sound of the car engine, Scarlett turned around and looked at the door. The softness on her face had disappeared. Her face was cold, and her eyes were full of ferocious hatred. She had never been humiliated like that before since she was young. She calmed her emotions down and went into the mansion. Scarlett¡¯s parents, Vincent and Melissa, were both inside. Upon seeing that her daughter had returned, Melissa immediately got up, walked toward her, and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you have an appointment with a friend tonight and won¡¯te back?¡± Scarlett smiled. ¡°She¡¯s busy tonight, so I came back. Dad, Mom, I¡¯m a little tired. I want to go back to my room. first.¡± Melissa noticed that her daughter was in a bad mood, but she didn¡¯t ask further questions. ¡°Go upstairs and have a rest. I¡¯ll ask the housekeeper to bring you a ss of warm milkter. Sleep after drinking it.¡± Scarlett agreed and went upstairs. After Melissa had watched Scarlett go upstairs, she walked toward Vincent Lynch, Scarlett¡¯s father, and sat down. She then said, ¡°Our daughter has grown up and has her own thoughts.¡± Vincent replied, ¡°Is she in a conflict with Harry?¡± Melissa smiled and said, ¡°Probably.¡± She knew her daughter well. She thought, ¡°It was obviously not an appointment with a friend. She was probably with Harry.¡± Her daughter had grown up and was engaged to Harry. Hence, she didn¡¯t object to the couple spending the night outside. However, looking at the situation, there must have been something wrong. Vincent¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°If that jerk dares to bully my daughter, I¡¯ll make him pay for it!¡± Melissa also sneered. ¡°You should teach him a lesson. Otherwise, he will not pay respect to the Lynch family,¡± After going upstairs, Scarlett walked back and forth several times in the room. There was no ce to vent her emotions from her heart, and she was on the edge of exploding. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Scarlett red at the door for two seconds and walked over to open it. The housekeeper stood at the door with a ss of warm milk in her hand. ¡°Ms. Lynch, Mrs. Lynch has asked me to bring milk to you.¡± Scarlett nced at the ss of milk, then took it and drank it. She frowned and spat it out immediately. This milk tastes bad. Did you put something in it?¡± The housekeeper was stunned. She shook her head immediately and said, ¡°No, the milk is the brand you often drink. I just warmed it up.¡± Scarlett frowned and said softly, ¡°It really tastes bad. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try it!¡± Upon hearing that, the housekeeper took a sip of the milk. She looked at Scarlett in confusion. ¡°Ms. Lynch, it doesn¡¯t taste bad.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Scarlett pped her in the face. ¡°How dare you drink my milk?¡± The housekeeper was confused. She couldn¡¯t even hold the ss properly and dropped it to the ground. She looked at Scarlett in disbelief. She had been working for the Lynch family for two months. Before that, Scarlett had always been a gentle girl. She had always been polite to her. She would definitely not hit or frame people. She was like apletely different person. After a while, Melissa heard the noise and went upstairs. She nced at the housekeeper and said, ¡°From tomorrow onward, you don¡¯t have to work for the Lynch family anymore. I¡¯ll give you three times the sry. If anything bad about Scarlett is spread, your whole family will have a tough time!¡± The housekeeper went downstairs with her back hunched and her eyes red. Melissa nced at the housekeeper¡¯s back and then back at her daughter. Looking at Scarlett¡¯s gloomy eyes, she brought her into the room. After closing the door, Melissa said, ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± Scarlett smiled and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine. I couldn¡¯t help but beat the housekeeper because she drank my milk. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have hit her.¡± She couldn¡¯t tell her mother about finding another woman¡¯s hair in Harry¡¯s bed. Otherwise, knowing how ruthless her parents were, Harry would have a difficult life ahead. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Melissa looked at her and asked, ¡°Really?¡± Scarlett nodded. ¡°Yes. Mom, go back to rest. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Melissa didn¡¯t say anything more and left the room. After Melissa had left, Scarlett calmed down. She looked at her palm which had pped the housekeeper. It had turned red and was hurting. She rubbed her palm while her brain was running fast. Suddenly, someone came to mind. She picked up her phone and sent Margaret a message. She texted: [Marge, are you free tomorrow? We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. Let¡¯s have afternoon tea together.] Ever since Zachary¡¯s birthday party at the Sce residence, she hadn¡¯t contacted Margaret. She heard that Margaret¡¯s life was quite difficult because of the incidentst time. Not only did the Ziegler family lose their reputation, but they had also be the circle¡¯sughingstock. More than ten minutester, Margaret finally replied. The text read: [Okay.] Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. After school, the member of the ss Six literaturemittee sent the collected homework to the office and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, all the students have handed their homework in.¡± Originally, themittee member would just collect the homework and put them on the table at the podium- Then, Yuliana would just carry them to the office by herself. However, after the students in the ss had known that she was pregnant, they volunteered to help her. Every time they collected homework, they would carry it to the office. They would also rush to do other things for her, for fear that she would get tired, Yuliana took out a piece of candy from her bag and gave it to the little girl. ¡°Thank you!¡± The little girl took the candy and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s not a big deal! Ms. Livingstone, I will go first!¡± Yuliana nodded. She didn¡¯t get up until she had watched the girl leave with her schoolbag on her back. As soon as she got downstairs, the phone in her bag rang. She took out her phone and found that the call was from Hailey. When she went out in the morning, she had made an appointment with Hailey to go to the supermarket to buy some daily necessities at night. Hailey had called to ask her to go straight to the gate of the supermarket, where she was waiting for her. After they had said a few words, Yuliana hung up the phone but didn¡¯t put it back into her bag immediately. Instead, she checked her messages. Christopher had sent her a message that afternoon. It was a funny picture of a baby. She had looked at it several times and still found it funny. She replied to Christopher¡¯s message without looking ahead and almost hit someone. Fortunately, she stopped in time. When she was about to apologize, she saw the man¡¯s face. ¡°Yuliana¡­¡± Larry looked at Yuliana and called her in a low voice. Yuliana looked at him for a moment. She subconsciously clenched her phone and took two steps back. She was still haunted by what had happenedst time. Fortunately, she was at the school gate, and a lot of people were passing by. Hence, Larry would not dare to do anything to her. She was silent for a moment. Then, she asked in a distant tone, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Larry pursed his lips and said with guilt, ¡°Yuliana, I came here to apologize to you.¡± Yuliana said indifferently, ¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯s over.¡± She was about to leave after saying that. However, Larry blocked her way. Yuliana had no choice but to step back. She looked at him with alert eyes. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Chapter 226 The Wedding Date Larry swallowed hard. After a while, he said, ¡°Yuliana, you won¡¯t forgive me, will you?¡± Yuliana said casually, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. It¡¯s in the past. In fact, you¡¯re Xandria¡¯s friend. We don¡¯t interact much, so you don¡¯t have to apologize to me.¡± Larry lowered his gaze andughed at himself. This may not matter to you, but I¡¯ve felt awful during this period. I¡¯ve thought about apologizing to you and asking for forgiveness countless times. Can you give me a chance, Yuliana?¡± Yuliana was silent for two seconds and uttered, ¡°I ept your apology, and I forgive you.¡± Larry was stunned and smiled happily, ¡°I don¡¯t wish for anything much, Yuliana. I just hope I can stay friends with you.¡± With that, he raised his wrist and checked the time. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? How about this? May I treat you to dinner tonight as an apology?¡± His words puzzled Yuliana. He spoke affectionately, but he made her feel sick to her stomach. Without showing much emotion, she simply responded, ¡°I have something else to do tonight. I¡¯ll pass on the dinner.¡± Larry immediately asked, ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll drive you there.¡± Yuliana frowned slightly. She was about to refuse when she heard someone calling her. ¡°Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana tilted her head and saw that Spencer had parked his car on the roadside. He lowered the window, poked his head out, and met her eyes. The two exchanged looks before Spencer¡¯s eyes swept over to Larry. Larry also noticed Spencer but quickly withdrew his sight after seeing thetter¡¯s car. ¡°Let me drive you there, Ms. Livingstone. Ms. rk must be nervous now,¡± Spencer said with a faint smile as he stared at the two. Yuliana froze for a moment and quickly understood what Spencer meant. She nodded and smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, she proceeded to get into Spencer¡¯s car. Upon seeing that, Larry immediately called her. ¡°Yuliana-¡± Yuliana nced at him and said, ¡°Sorry, I have an appointment with my colleague tonight.¡± After that, she got into Spencer¡¯s car without saying anything else. Larry stood there and watched quietly until Spencer had driven away, and his face instantly darkened. On the other side, Yuliana was silent for a while after she had gotten into the car. After they had gone on for a distance, she said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Carl. Oh, you can just let me down by the road.¡± Spencer did not do that. Instead, he said, ¡°Where are you going? Let me take you there.¡± Yuliana paused and told him that she was meeting with Hailey at a supermarket. It took over ten minutes to walk from the school to the supermarket, but it only took a few minutes by car. There was silence in the car for a while. Yuliana looked out of the window quietly. Spencer nced at her sideways and inevitably saw her bulging abdomen. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He asked, ¡°Was that your friend just now?¡± Upon hearing his question, Yuliana withdrew her gaze from the window and said, ¡°No.¡± She did not exin much, and Spencer did not continue to ask. When he happened to pass by just then, he saw Yuliana standing at the roadside with a man, and the atmosphere seemed unpleasant. Yuliana tried to leave, but the man clearly stopped her, so Spencer stopped his car to get Yuliana out of the situation. After a while, he asked again, ¡°When are you nning to have the wedding?¡± Yuliana smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. We¡¯ll think about it after the baby is born.¡± She did not want a grand wedding. Only inviting some close rtives, friends, and colleagues was enough. However, she did not know what the Sce family¡¯s opinions were. Now that something had happened to Zachary, everyone was not in the mood. Yuliana nned to wait for a while and discuss it with Christopherter. Spencer said, ¡°Remember to let me know after you¡¯ve decided on a date. I want to attend your wedding.¡± Yuliana grinned generously. ¡°Sure.¡± Soon, they arrived at the supermarket entrance. Yuliana thanked Spencer again, unfastened her seatbelt, and got off the car. After exiting the car, she immediately spotted Hailey waiting at the entrance. Hailey weed Yuliana right after thetter had gotten out of the car and looked at the car behind her. Without asking further questions, Hailey entered the supermarket with Yuliana. At night, after the high-energy music had ended, Margaret exited the dance floor and went straight to the booth in the bar. She sat down, picked up the wine on the table, and chugged on it. ¡°Are you in a bad mood again?¡± A young girl dressed in a white sling-short skirt looked toward her. Margaret nced at her and grumbled, ¡°Since when have I ever been in a bad mood?¡± The girl pouted and did not answer as she continued ying games with others. There were also two other men and women with Margaret, all of whom were her university ssmates. Two girls lived in the same dorm as Margaret, while another girl in the same dorm was not in a group with them. As for the two men, they were the two girls¡¯ boyfriends. All of them would hang out asionally. Recently, Margaret¡¯s mood had been unstable. Any random things would offend her. Hence, the group disliked hanging out with Margarettely. This time, Margaret had taken the initiative and invited them out. She had also offered to pay the bill for the night, so the two roommates called their boyfriends, and they met up. Upon seeing the four chat happily, Margaret felt like she was being isted and felt highly displeased. Back then, she mostly went out with her friends inside the circle. Upon thinking of that, she snorted, took her phone, and went to the bathroom. She walked while checking her messages. When she saw thetest message, she stopped to reply: (I¡¯m at the bar. Do you want toe over?] Soon, the other person typed back: [Address?] Margaret sent the location of the bar, put away her phone, and went to the restroom. After finishing her business, her phone rang while she was smoking a cigarette. ¡°I¡¯m here, but I don¡¯t see you.¡± Margaret said, ¡°You¡¯re fast.¡± ¡°I was nearby.¡± Margaret answered, ¡°I¡¯m in the restroom. Come here.¡± When Margaret had finished smoking, she saw the man standing in the corridor outside the restroom. Many people were in the bar, and they filled the narrow corridors. Margaret was about to approach the man when she saw someone flirting with him. She stopped in her tracks and spectated from afar. The flirting woman was voluptuous and looked like she was in her twenties, with heavy makeup on her face. The bar was too noisy, and Margaret could not hear what the woman was saying. Margaret only saw the man¡¯s face turn cold. The man said something, and the woman left with a nasty expression. Margaret scoffed as she approached the man. ¡°That woman doesn¡¯t look bad. She has a big chest and bottom. Don¡¯t men like women like her?¡± The man turned around and looked at Margaret. He pinned her against the wall and said wryly, ¡°I like women like you more.¡± Margaret rested her hand on his shoulder and leaned closer to him. When their lips were about to touch, she stopped and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like men like you, Holmes.¡± The man was none other than Larry. Deep down, Margaret was not attracted to Larry. After all, the Holmes family could notpare to the Ziegler family at all. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Maybe There Are Other Ways The Holmes family ventured into business for a living. However, whenpared with the Ziegler family, theirpany was tiny. A man with such a family background could not hold a candle to her. If Larry had note to try to strike up a conversation with her at a bar, she would not have even known who Larry was. When Larry heard her words, the emotions in his eyes changed. He put on a long face, pulled Margaret¡¯s hand, and said with an icy re, ¡°Shall we chat somewhere else?¡± Margaret smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± They went out of the bar together. There was a sky bridge outside the bar. As it waste at night, no people could be spotted on the bridge. However, drunk young men and women asionally walked past it. As the two of them stood on the sky bridge, they gazed out at the winding moat, nked on either side by lush greenery. At night, colorful lights illuminated the scene, casting a mesmerizing glow and transforming the view into a picturesque sight. Margaret lit another cigarette and looked at Larry. ¡°Do you want one?¡± Larry nced at the cigarette in her hand, took one, and took out a lighter to light it. After smoking for a while, he said, ¡°I went looking for Yuliana in the afternoon.¡± A trace of hatred immediately appeared on Margaret¡¯s face when she heard Yuliana¡¯s name. ¡°What about it?¡± Larry recalled Yuliana¡¯s expression at that time. ¡°Nothing much.¡± He looked at Margaret and said, ¡°The method you provided me previously doesn¡¯t work. She doesn¡¯t believe me at all.¡± Margaret did not say anything. Shey on the railing of the sky bridge and stared into the distance while smoking the cigarette in her hand. After a while, she said, ¡°Maybe there is some other way.¡± Larry did not expect such an answer from her. He raised his brow and asked, ¡°What way?¡± Margaret merely sneered and did not answer him. Christopher only went back to Juxshire for one day on the weekend. He arrived on Saturday night and went to Romdale the next night. Sce Corporation Romdale Branch¡¯s internal reorganization was almostplete. However, the still required someone who could handle any problems that would arise. Aside from that, thepany needed to reestablish connections with many previous contacts following the incident with Yorick. At this point, Christopher was the only person suitable to deal with these matters. Christopher recently had to attend numerous business meetings and social events in addition to dealing withpany matters. Most of the time, his assistant would drive him back to the hotel at 1 or 2 a.m. while he was still stinking of alcohol. He rarely contacted Yuliana. When he returned to the hotel, Yuliana was already asleep. He could only send her messages during the day when he was not very busy. However, he dared not call her as he was unsure if she was having sses with her students. asionally, when Yuliana found herself with free time, she would respond to Christopher¡¯s message if she happened to see it. As soon as he noticed her response, he would quickly call or initiate a chat with her on WhatsApp. Unfortunately, more often than not, their messages would not cross paths, leaving hours to pse between each response. On Sunday, Yuliana apanied Christopher to the Sce residence to visit Zachary and apany Winnie to lunch. Winnie would be happy whenever Christopher returned home. However, they did not stay long at the Sce residence. After lunch and sitting for a while, they would leave because Christopher would be heading to Romdale at night. The following day, he had two important meetings on his schedule. In the morning, he would meet with top management and another concerning a significant project in the afternoon. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After leaving the Sce residence, they did not return to Celestial Garden immediately. Instead, Christopher drove Yuliana around, and they went to the beach. Although it was still cold, the weather was better than most days. Because it was the weekend, there were many people at the beach. Due to her pregnancy and fear of catching a cold, Yuliana refrained from touching the seawater and chose to walk along the coastline for a brief period instead. As the sea breeze blew her hair, she could sense the salty and damp smell in the air. It was a little cold, but Yuliana had not felt so rxed for a long time. Hence, she was happy. Christopher saw the small but noticeable signs of happiness etched across her eyes and mouth while holding her in his arms. He could not help but tease, ¡°What are you secretlyughing about?¡± Yuliana wrapped his waist with one arm and straightened her hair that was messed up by the wind with the other hand. She retorted in a coquettish tone, ¡°No, I¡¯m notughing secretly. Everyone can see my smile.¡± When she said that, her eyes were arched, and so was her mouth. Her smile was infectious. It caused others to smile with her. Christopher stopped walking and stared at her for a while. Yuliana was caught off guard by his stare. She subconsciously touched her face and asked confusedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something on my face?¡± Christopher hummed in agreement. He suddenly pinched her chin, lowered his head, and kissed her. Yuliana was caught off guard by his actions once again. When she regained her senses, she pushed him twice. However, he tightened his hug. Their bodies were very close to each other. He would not let her go, even though they were surrounded by people. After a while, Christopher let go of her and wiped her lips. He then replied to her previous question, ¡°You¡¯re somewhat cute. It makes me want to kiss you.¡± The lust in Yuliana¡¯s eyes was still present. Yuliana looked up at him with bright eyes, cupped his face with both her hands, and kissed him on his lips. She then hugged him tightly. She could feel a lot of emotions in her heart. She had millions of words to say too. But in the end, she did not say anything. Joyous moments were always fleeting. After returning from the seaside, Christopher headed straight to the airport. Christopher still would not let Yuliana see him off. Yuliana resumed her normal routine of going back and forth between school and home as soon as Christopher left. Though others might deem such a life boring. Yuliana loved such a peaceful and stable life. Her only regret was that she could not see Christopher whenever she got home. However, Yuliana felt something was offtely. When she went to school or returned home every day, she could feel a pair of eyes staring at her, but she did not spot any suspicious people when she looked around. She could not help but think she imagined things. Such a feelingsted for a week. It was only a ten-minute walk from school to Celestial Garden. Besides, the road was not empty. There were a lot of passersby. Since there was an elementary school, the security in that area was superb. Yuliana felt she was being too sensitive, but she could not help being worried as well. She did not tell Christopher about it as she worried that he might fear for her. Hence, she could only ask Hailey to drive her home with the excuse that she had not been feeling well lately. Ever since Hailey started to drive her to school and back, Yuliana was not as worried as before. After a while, the feeling of being stared at disappeared. At that point, Yuliana was surer she had been too sensitive. After all, people said the changes in the hormone levels in women¡¯s bodies after getting pregnant would affect their emotions. Yuliana supposed that she was going through such a phase. As such, she did not request Halley¡¯s help to drive her to school or home. In the blink of an eye, it was mid-March, and the weather started to be warm. The expected date of birth was at the end of May, which was more than two months away. Yuliana nned to ask for maternity leave from the school in May to minimize the impact of her absence on students. At that time, the school would arrange for substitute teachers to take her sses. Before taking maternity leave, she nned to make proper arrangements for her work. Something happened at the school that day. When the school was about to end, the headmaster suddenly called the teacher for a meeting. It was past 7 p.m. when the meeting ended. Yuliana had not completed her work yet. She sent Hailey a message saying she wanted toplete her work before returning home. She asked Hailey not to wait for her. She finished her work and left school at nearly 8:30 p.m. There were not many people on the street at that time. When Yuliana walked to a corner, she suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps. When she turned around, someone covered her mouth and nose with a towel before she could see that person. She lost consciousness within two or three seconds. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Heard It Hailey was the first one who noticed Yuliana missing. When Yuliana came out of school, she called Hailey, told her she was on the way, and asked Hailey to cook spaghetti. Hailey had already cooked the spaghetti. When she noticed that Yuliana had note back yet, she called Yuliana again to ask where she was. Nheless, the first call was hung up after a while. When Hailey called again, Yuliana¡¯s phone was already turned off. Hailey got worried and nned to go to school. She suddenly stopped when she was about to go out with her phone and shoes on. The more Hailey thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. It had been 20 minutes since Yuliana called her. Yuliana was supposed to have reached home as the journey. only took ten minutes. Yuliana had a power bank, so it was impossible for her phone to be dead. If Yuliana did note back because she had something to do, she would tell Hailey instead of turning off her phone. Hailey panicked at the thought of this. Yuliana had been pregnant for more than seven months. Hailey did not dare to think about if something bad had happened to Yuliana. Hailey thought for a while and immediately called Christopher, but no one answered the phone even though she had called several times. Hailey was in a panic. Finally, she remembered she had saved Joyce¡¯s phone number and called Joyce. At that time, Joyce was checking Alex¡¯s homework, and her phone was on Alex¡¯s desk. When she heard her phone vibrate, Joyce nced at the caller ID. It was an unknown number. She gave some instructions to Alex, picked up her phone, and walked outside before she answered the call. Before Joyce could speak, Hailey, on the other side of the phone, said anxiously, ¡°Mrs. Sce, I¡¯m Hailey. Something bad seemed to happen to Yuliana.¡± Joyce was stunned momentarily and hurriedly asked, ¡°What do you mean by saying that something bad had happened to her?¡± Hailey took a deep breath to calm herself down, told Joyce what happened, and added, ¡°Yuliana is very punctual. If she¡¯sing homete, she will definitely send a message.¡± Joyce was silent for a while and said calmly, ¡°Hailey, go to Yuliana¡¯s school first. Call me if anything happens.¡± Hailey said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now,¡± Hailey hung up the phone and hurried out. On the other side, Joyce called Yuliana. As expected, Yuliana¡¯s phone was already turned off. Joyce did not waste her time waiting for Hailey¡¯s message. She called Kendrick first, then La, and asked them to find out where Yuliana was immediately. Then, Joyce waited for Hailey¡¯s message anxiously. Around ten minutester, Hailey called Joyce back. She followed Yuliana¡¯s way to the school but still could not find Yuliana. Basically, it was certain that something bad happened to Yuliana. In Romdale, At night, Christopher had dinner with some people from important departments involved in some follow- up matters of the previous project. ¡°Mr. Sce, you¡¯re so young and promising! I¡¯ll toast you to this wine!* said Charlie Dawson, the department chief. Christopher held the ss and clinked it with Charlie. He held his ss slightly lower than Charlie¡¯s ss. Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Dawson, you must be kidding. I should toast you. I¡¯ll drink this ss. Cheers.¡± With that, Christopher drank it all up. Another chief of the department, Julian Wright, came over and patted Christopher on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Sce, you¡¯re a good drinker. If you drink with Mr. Dawson, you have to drink with me, right?¡± Christopher picked up the wine bottle on the table and poured it into his ss. Heughed and said, ¡°Mr. Wright, I¡¯ll toast you to this ss. I look forward to working with you in the future.¡± They clicked the sses and drank the wine again. Just then, the door of the private room was opened. A man in a ck suit came in. He walked straight to Christopher and said in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Sce.¡± Christopher was talking to Charlie Dawson when he heard someone calling him. He tilted his head and found that the man was his driver. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. The driver said, ¡°Ms. Sce has something urgent to tell you. She called you, but you didn¡¯t answer, so she called me.¡± Christopher was stunned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The driver replied, ¡°Ms. Sce didn¡¯t say anything. She just asked you to call her back immediately.¡± ¡°All right. You can go now.¡± The driver nodded and left the private room. Christopher told Charlie Dawson he had a phone call to make and took out his phone from the coat pocket on the back of the chair. There were more than 20 missed calls, including those from La, Joyce, and Hailey. Within 20 minutes, Hailey called Christopher a dozen times. It was not surprising for La and Joyce to call him, but it was unusual for Hailey to call him so many times at this time. Christopher almost figured out what urgent thing La was talking about. It was too noisy in the private room. He just felt a buzzing sound in his ear, and he could not hear what the others were talking about. Christopher did not even greet anyone before he picked up his phone and went straight out of the private room. Then, he immediately called La. When Christopher dialed, La¡¯s phone was busy. He did not hang up but waited anxiously for La to answer the phone. Every second was extraordinarily long. Finally, La answered the phone. Before Christopher could ask, she went straight to the point and said, ¡°Christopher, Yuliana is missing. I¡¯ve asked someone to buy a flight ticket for you. The flight is 10:30 p.m., and you can go to the airport now. We can talk about other thingster when youe back.¡± Even though Christopher was mentally prepared, he was still in a daze when he heard Yuliana was missing. Christopher rubbed his face and quickly came back to his senses. His voice was tight. ¡°How long has she been missing?¡± La said, ¡°At 8:30 p.m., she called Hailey for about half an hour at most. Ten minutes ago, Kendrick contacted someone to confirm Yuliana¡¯s whereabouts. I think we¡¯ll hear from her soon.¡± After a pause, Laforted Christopher, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Yuliana will be fine.¡± It was not difficult for the Sce family to find someone in Juxshire with their ability. The most important thing now was to not waste time. Yuliana would be in more danger with every second that passed. Christopher was silent for a moment before he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Tell me if there¡¯s any news about Ana.¡± La replied. ¡°I¡¯ve got a phone call. I think it¡¯s about Yuliana. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Then, she hung up the phone. Christopher returned to the private room and told Cameron about what had happened. He greeted the chiefs, picked up the coat on the chair, and rushed to the airport. It was the police who called La. ording to the signal from Yuliana¡¯s phone, it can be determined that she was going south, but the signal. disappeared because her phone was turned offter. However, ording to her phone¡¯s signal, the sky eye, and the surveince camera, they could still determine where Yuliana was heading, but it would take some time to figure out her whereabouts. When she heard this, La was relieved. At least it proved that Yuliana was safe for now. ¡°La, any news about Yuliana?¡± Annabelle asked. La was in deep thought when the call finished. She did not even notice Annabelle showed up behind her. When she heard Annabelle¡¯s voice, La came back to her senses. She turned to look at Annabelle behind. her. She asked, ¡°Did you hear it?¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Questions Annabelle nodded. La was the one who had asked her out for dinner that night, and it was regarding the matter between Christopher and Yuliana. Although La did not say it, Annabelle could discern what it was about, and the former¡¯s implication was for Annabelle to no longer disrupt Christopher¡¯s and Yuliana¡¯s lives. Halfway through the meal, La¡¯s phone rang. La called out, ¡°Joyce.¡± Joyce was the person who had called. Without saying a word, La¡¯s expression changed. Silence befell the private room, and although La did not turn on the speakerphone, she still vaguely heard something. Soon after, La left the private room and never returned. Annabelle waited for a while, and when she went out, she heard La talking on the phone to Christopher. La said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Annabelle. I don¡¯t think I can continue eating dinner with you tonight. So, why don¡¯t you head home?¡± Annabelle asked, ¡°What about you?¡± La replied, ¡°The police said Yuliana must have been taken to Newcove, and I n to go there. I¡¯ll also be able to head there immediately if there is any news about Yuliana.¡± Annabelle paused briefly and said, ¡°La, I¡¯ll go with you. I won¡¯t feel at ease if you¡¯re going alone.¡± La hesitated for a moment before she nodded in agreement. After some time had passed, Yuliana finally regained consciousness. However, Yuliana was still dazed. Shecked consciousness and could not muster any strength whatsoever. Yuliana could barely open her eyes as her eyelids felt heavy, but she knew that she was in a car, which was moving the whole time. A few minutester, the sense of paralysis gradually faded, and Yuliana had somewhat regained consciousness. Then, she realized that her eyes had been blindfolded, and her arms and feet had been tied 1. When Yuliana tried to move, she heard an unknown man¡¯s voice from above. ¡°She seems to be waking up.¡± Another voice said, ¡°The anesthetic should be losing its effect, but that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve got our target anyway. and we¡¯ll report backter afterpleting the mission.¡± The man sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t say. This girl remained quite cautious. If not for our good luck tonight, we would not have caught her.¡± The men had already been keeping watch for some time then. Previously, it had taken them about half a month to ascertain Yuliana¡¯s day-to-day life as they waited for a chance to act. However, after a few days of spying, they were noticed by Yuliana. After that, she was always apanied by a middle- aged woman, who followed Yuliana to and back from work. On the other hand, Yuliana had never gone to any other ces except her school and home. Hence, the men had no opportunities to carry out their ns. Later on, they followed Yuliana again for a few days. The operation was then dyed for some time due to other matters. The men had recently resumed spying on Yuliana two days ago as they waited for their chance to act. Unexpectedly, luck was on their side. Not only did the middle aged woman not apany Yuliana, but there were also not many people around when Yuliana walked home that night. That gave the men a chance to carry out their n. The man in the passenger seat nced at Yuliana¡¯s abdomen and remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of grudge she has on her. She wouldn¡¯t even show mercy to a pregnant woman.¡± The man who was driving chuckled ¡°Women are so vicious. I wouldn¡¯t have taken this job if it were not for the madam¡¯s orders. Besides, I feel uneasy spending that money. It feels too immoral.¡± ¡°Who said it wasn¡¯t? Count yourself lucky, Miss!¡± Yuliana became more perceptive as she listened to the two men¡¯s conversation. The person who had ordered her kidnapping was a woman. Moreover, who was this ¡®madam¡±? Yuliana attempted to carefullyb through her memories after that. She wondered, ¡°Who have I offended? These people have even dared to pay for my kidnapping. What do they intend to do to me? How long have I been tied up?¡± All sorts of questions quickly came into her mind, but Yuliana could find no breakthrough. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Then, Yuliana asked calmly, ¡°Sirs, could I please ask how long I¡¯ve been unconscious?¡± Yuliana was only aware of the time when she was walking home. She had no memories of what had happened in between and did not know how much time had passed. It was as if that part had been cut off. Upon hearing Yuliana¡¯s calm voice, the kidnappers looked back briefly. Then, they exchanged nces, clicked their tongues, and said, ¡°Miss, you still care about how long you¡¯ve been passed out? Shouldn¡¯t you think about where we¡¯re taking you and what awaits youter?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Yuliana clenched her fists as her fingertips dug into her flesh. ¡°Even if I asked, would you all say anything?¡± The man at the passenger raised a brow and replied, ¡°No.¡± Yuliana responded, ¡°Then, I won¡¯t inquire further. I only want to know how long I¡¯ve been unconscious. That shouldn¡¯t affect you guys anyway, right?¡± The two kidnappers exchanged nces with each other again. The driver nodded, and the man in the passenger seat said, ¡°About 40 minutes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 40 minutes, but I¡¯m still inside the car. The car stops asionally, so it should be because of traffic lights. Therefore, we should still be within Juxshire,¡± she deduced inwardly. Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief. As long she was within Juxshire, it would not be too hard for the Sce family to find her. Moreover, Yuliana made a phone call to Hailey when she got out of school. Hailey would see that Yuliana had not made it home and would be sure that thetter had gone missing. At that time, the Sce family should have already started searching for her. Yuliana should be safe as long as she could buy time until the people from the Sce family showed up. Yuliana assessed her situation slowly as she tried to rx. However, the fear of darkness and the unknown soon ate away at her, bit by bit, over time. Lastly, Yuliana also felt as if she could hardly breathe. At that moment, Yuliana felt sudden movements in her abdomen. The little person inside her belly started to kick about. Yuliana felt a sense of fear and unease. Yuliana kept breathing in and out without stopping. It was absolutely not the time for Yuliana to panic, and only when she had calmed down could she deal with what was about to happen next. She needed to hold on until Christopher found her, all the while protecting the baby. As she thought about that, Yuliana gradually regainedposure. No one knew how much time had passed, but after no more than half an hour, the car finally stopped. The blindfold was not too thick, and although Yuliana could not see her surroundings, she could still discern things through the faint rays of light. Soon after, Yuliana was picked up by the kidnappers, and they went upstairs. Then, upon hearing the sound of a door opening. Yuliana felt herself being carried inside. The smell inside was rather pungent, so that had to be a mansion that had undergone renovations not long ago. After that, Yuliana was taken upstairs again, and they soon entered a room. Once the lights inside the room. had been switched on, she was put down by the kidnappers. The spot where she was lowered down was on a bed. Indeed, the bed was a questionable spot. Yuliana felt her heart race. She could not help herself and soon asked, ¡°What the hell are you guys trying to do?¡± The kidnapperughed. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t afraid!¡± QuestionS STIONS Yuliana¡¯splexion went pale entirely, and the veins around her neck tensed up. She clenched her bound hands tightly to not let herself show any signs of fear. Even with her eyes blindfolded, Yuliana held her head up high to face the kidnappers before her. It was rare for the kidnappers to show a trace ofpassion while looking at their victims like that. Even for dangerous people like them, they did not seem to bepletely hical. Moreover, they could tell that Yuliana was a good teacher from the times when they had spied on her. One could not help but feel a sense of admiration for those who had upations as teachers. One of them hesitated momentarily and said, ¡°Miss, to be honest, we don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re supposed to be doing. But we¡¯re getting money to run errands for people and to bring you here. Count yourself lucky!¡± Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Which Room? After saying that, the two kidnappers looked at Yuliana and left the room. Upon hearing the sound of the door closing, Yuliana¡¯s heart also trembled. On the way there, she had done countless psychological constructions for herself and thought of various ways to procrastinate. But when she arrived there, thinking of what might happen next, her mind was immediately engulfed in fear again, turned nk, and she could not remember anything. After the two kidnappers had gone downstairs, they lit a cigarette and waited for a while. Margaret and Larry also came in with two young-looking men. Margaret asked, ¡°Where is she?¡± Listening to Margaret¡¯s indignant tone, the two kidnappers did not speak immediately but stared at her in silence. Although Margaret was yful, she was still a little scared while facing such professional gangsters, especially when they were staring at her with eyes that looked like ck holes. She felt that they were like two beasts, which could pounce on her and bite her anytime. She gulped. Although she was not confident in her heart, she still pretended to be domineering and shouted, ¡°What are you looking at? Do you still want the money?¡± The two kidnappersughed and exchanged looks. One of them took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke slowly. He motioned upstairs with his head and said, ¡°We put her in the room. You can go upstairs to check her out.¡± Margaret did not want to check at first and only wanted to pay the two kidnappers money to make them leave as soon as possible. But on second thought, those social scumbags were not trustworthy at all. She still had to check before paying them. Otherwise, she might have lost both money and the woman. She nced at Larry and said, ¡°You go.¡± Larry pursed his lips slightly, turned to look at the two kidnappers, and asked, ¡°Which room?¡± ¡°Go upstairs, turn left-the first one.¡± Larry went upstairs immediately and turned to the left side as told by the kidnappers. He opened the door of the first room and walked in. Then, he saw Yuliana huddled up on the bed. Her hands were tied behind her back. She also had her feet tied, her eyes blinded in ck tape, and her hair a little messy. Probably noticing someonee in, she shrank her body even more tightly and trembled uncontrobly. Despite not being able to see anything, she was still stubbornly facing him with a vignt look. The more she acted like that, the more she exuded a sickening kind of beauty. That beauty was so attractive. Larry could not control himself. He stepped forward and touched her face. Yuliana dodged in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Larry sneered and did not say anything. He pinched her chin and forced her to raise her head. He imagined how she looked at him. No matter what he did in high school or all these years, he seemed to be an invisible person in her eyes. He was a friend of Xandria. They had seen each other countless times, but she might not even remember his name. His gaze fell on Yuliana¡¯s opened cor. That day, she was wearing a beige knitted coat with a pink shirt inside. The cor of the shirt was not all the way buttoned up, revealing a small part of her corbone. Her neck was decorated with a corbone chain, which made her skin look fair and tender. Yuliana¡¯s neck was really beautiful. It was long and slender, showing off a beautiful line. Larry could not help but push her hair away to the side of her face, then his hand glided all the way down from her ears, and finally, his fingertips stopped at her corbone. At that moment, Yuliana only felt goosebumps all over her skin. His hand was cold. Although he had just touched her skin lightly, it still made her shudder. That feeling was like a poisonous snake sweeping across her body. She was full of fear and disgust. Yuliana struggled relentlessly and broke free of his hand. Then, she took a few steps back quickly with all her strength. She could not see the person¡¯s face, but his behavior just then and his scent told her that he was not a woman. Biting her lips, she suppressed the fear and asked, ¡°Who are you? Why do you want to kidnap me?¡± Larry did not answer her. He just looked at her with great interest.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Upon seeing that he was silent, Yuliana paused and said, ¡°If you want money, I can give you as much as you want.¡± He still did not say anything. Yuliana¡¯s heart gradually tightened. Obviously, the person who had kidnapped her was noting for money. Upon seeing Yuliana¡¯s face turn pale, looking like a pitiful, fragile trapped animal, Larry felt a trace of kinky pleasure. She used to be arrogant and ignorant of him, but right then, she was creeping under his feet, letting him do whatever he pleased. The phone in his pocket vibrated. Larry took out his phone and looked at it. It was Margaret calling. Without answering the phone, he hung up directly and put it back in his pocket. He stared at Yuliana for another two seconds and then went downstairs. As soon as Larry left, Yuliana¡¯s nerves rxed. It was as though she had experienced war, and her body could not help but feel weak. But soon, she realized something and took a few deep breaths to rx. Her brain was running fast and then she could not wait to get out of bed. It was probably because the aftereffect of the anesthetic in her body had notpletely dispersed yet that she felt a little weak. When she stood up, her body fell to the ground directly. Yuliana panicked. She instinctively raised her waist and used her knees and face to support herself to avoid the impact on her abdomen. Although there was a carpet on the ground, the pain still made her face ashen when she fell violently just then. There was ayer of fog in her eyes. It took her a while to recover. She endured the pain and tears, struggled to sit up from the ground in a messy and awkward posture, and then slowly groped around in the room. Finally, she touched something simr to a vase. Upon seeing Larrye down, Margaretughed sarcastically. ¡°I asked you to go up to check on her, not to catch up on old times. Why? You can¡¯t wait anymore, can you?¡± Larry nced at Margaret coldly. Recently, he was getting more and more annoyed with the woman. Despite being a woman, why was there such a big difference in terms of appearance and personality between her and Yuliana? Larry said, ¡°She¡¯s upstairs.¡± Upon hearing that, Margaret took a card out of her bag and handed it to the two kidnappers, saying, ¡°There¡¯s 150 thousand dors in it. The password is 123456.¡± One of the kidnappers took the card and waved it around, saying with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Ziegler.¡± Margaret crossed her arms and shot a sidelong nce at them. ¡°Since you¡¯ve received the money, remember to keep your mouth shut. If anything that has happened today leaks out, I¡¯ll make you suffer!¡± Upon hearing that, the two kidnappers looked at each other and left the mansion without saying anything. After getting in the car, they did not leave immediately. Instead, they looked up at the room upstairs that was brightly lit. The man in the passenger seat said, ¡°Ms. Ziegler is young, but her heart is vicious.¡± They could obviously tell where Margaret had found the two men and what they would be asked to do But it was really unpleasant for a rich and powerful woman in her early twenties to do such a sinister thing The person in the driver¡¯s seat turned his head to look at him and then picked up the phone. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Are You Distressed? After hesitating for two seconds, he turned on the phone and threw it out. The one in the passenger seat was stunned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that madam will find out and seek trouble with you?¡± The other personughed and said, ¡°If neither of us says it, how would she find out? Besides, we¡¯re not working under her. We promised to help her this time for the sake of our boss.¡± The person in the passenger seat also smiled, took out a cigarette, and lit it. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do. She¡¯s the one who did this. She¡¯s on her own now. Good luck to her!¡± After a while, the car left. After the two kidnappers had left, Margaret said to the other three people, ¡°You guys stay downstairs first.¡± Then, she went upstairs by herself. She was going upstairs to see how miserable Yuliana was. Ever since Zachary¡¯s birthday party, her life had been extremely difficult. In the Ziegler family, she was not much liked by her grandfather and other elders. Only her mother, Quincy, and her father, Waylon, loved her, but after that incident, even her father, who had always loved her, did not like her anymore. Not only that, but everyone was throwing her awkward gazes. Even her best friends, who used to be close to her, sarcastically mocked her in her face, saying that she was craving for what she was not worthy of. She had a big fight with her friends and then they ganged up to sideline her. All of that had happened because of Yuliana. If it were not for her, Christopher would be with her. She would not be disdained by Waylon and the rest of the Ziegler family. Those friends would not mock her but only tter her. Upon thinking of that, Margaret became even angrier. Right then, she was going to destroy Yulianapletely. By then, all the videos and photos would be posted on the inte. She was certain that Yuliana would no longer be acknowledged as the daughter-inw of the Sce family. Margaret opened the door and went in. She looked around and finally saw Yuliana in the corner. Thetter huddled there, trembling all over. Upon seeing that, Margaret was so happy that she paced over leisurely. Yuliana noticed that someone wasing, so she raised her head slightly and faced the person. Margaret sneered. ¡°Yuliana, I bet you never saw thising, huh?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. After hearing that, Yuliana was stunned. ¡°This person is using a voice changer, so those who have kidnapped me must be someone I know. Maybe they are very familiar with me. Besides, the one who came in this time is not the same as the one who came in earlier. The one who came in earlier was a man. Obviously, this is a woman. She¡¯s wearing the kind of perfume that smells floral and fruity. This scent smells familiar,¡± she mused. Yuliana racked her brains, but she still could not remember where she had smelled the scent before. If it was a woman who hade in, she would be safer than if it was a man. Yuliana thought for a while and deliberately pretended to be mortified. She asked, ¡°Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?¡± Margaret looked at Yuliana¡¯s delicate and pitiful face, which made the former feel even more displeased. ¡°Is it this face that made Christopher enchanted?¡± she thought angrily. ¡°What do you think I want?¡± She gritted her teeth and pped Yuliana in the face. ¡°You¡¯re a shameless bitch who only knows how to seduce men. I kidnapped and brought you here to teach you how to behave!¡± With a loud sound, Yuliana¡¯s face was directly turned sideways by the p. Her face burned with pain instantly, and there was a buzz in her ears. After taking a few seconds to recover herself, she turned her head straight, facing Margaret again. At that moment, she thought of the p she had given Queenie in the face. That time, her palm had burned with pain, but it was her face that was burning right then. She pursed her lips, thinking about what Margaret had just said, and asked, ¡°When did I seduce another man? Did you kidnap the wrong person?¡± Throughout her life, she only had rtionships with two men, which were Harry and Christopher. She had nothing to do with Harry for a long time. As for Christopher¡­. Except for Annabelle, she did not know much about the rest of the women Christopher had dated in the past. ¡°Could it be some ex-girlfriend of Christopher?¡± she wondered. ¡°Bitch! How dare you argue?¡± Margaret pped Yuliana in the face consecutively several times. Upon seeing thetter act innocent, she almost exploded with anger. Her anger almost went out of control, and her desire for abuse was expanding constantly. Yuliana was confused after getting several ps in session, and her head was getting a little dizzy. Before she could recover to her senses, her hair was pulled, and her head was knocked against the wall incessantly. The person kept on cursing next to her ears. ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s all because of you, a shameless bitch, that I¡¯ve been reduced to this state! You are a divorced bitch. How could you deserve to marry Christopher? How do you deserve to marry into the Sce family? You¡¯re scum! You should go to the stinky ditch and be with those dirty men!¡± Yuliana¡¯s hands and feet were tied up, and she could not fight back at all. Margaret had used quite some strength to abuse her. After a while, Yuliana felt that she was losing her consciousness gradually. When Margaret saw Yuliana¡¯s bulging abdomen, her eyes burned with fury. ¡°Little scumbag!¡± She cursed and kicked Yuliana¡¯s stomach twice. ¡°How could a woman who hasn¡¯t conceived for three years after marriage get pregnant suddenly? Did you use any dirty means and get yourself pregnant with another man outside?¡± Yuliana subconsciously shrank her body and blocked her abdomen. At that time, both sides of her face were swollen, her hair was messy, and the corners of her mouth and nose were oozing blood. She willed herself and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t touch my child. Otherwise, I¡¯ll fight you!¡± Margaret thought it was ridiculous. ¡°What are you trying to do with me? Yuliana, haven¡¯t you figured out your situation yet? You¡¯re an ant in my hand now. If I want to end your life, all I need to use is a finger.¡± Then, she looked at Yuliana¡¯s abdomen and said, ¡°Your child is a rascal who doesn¡¯t deserve toe to this world at all!¡± She raised her foot, wanting to kick Yuliana in the abdomen. Yuliana seemed to predict her movements. When Margaret kicked her, she turned her back immediately. Margaret¡¯s footnded on Yuliana¡¯s back. Margaret did not give up her strength. The kick was hard. Yuliana was kicked, and her forehead was knocked against the wall with a loud sound. Just as Margaret was about to attack her again, the door behind her opened. Larry came in and was stunned when he saw Yuliana. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait downstairs? What are you doing here?¡± Larry did not have a voice changer, so he did not dare to speak. He was afraid that Yuliana would find out his identity He dragged Margaret out of the room and closed the door before saying, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Margaret shook off his hand and asked, ¡°Why? Are you distressed about her?¡± Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Chapter 232 You Are A Coward ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Larry looked at her coldly. ¡°I¡¯m here for your own good. Don¡¯t forget why you kidnapped her. She¡¯s pregnant and can¡¯t stand your torture. If you end her life, not only will this whole thing fail, but we also won¡¯t be able to walk away from it!¡± What a self-righteous idiot! Margaret could not retort a word after hearing him. After a while, she shouted angrily, ¡°Larry, you¡¯re just a follower behind Xandria! Who do you think you are to teach me a lesson?¡± Larry averted his gaze indifferently and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to teach you a lesson. I just want to remind you.¡± He did not care about Margaret¡¯s life or death. The reason why he had helped her was just to vent his anger, but he did not want to get in trouble. So, he only helped Margaret n the whole thing and did not do anything directly. He just wanted to make Yuliana feel regretful and for Christopher to live in sorrow. It was never his intention to end someone¡¯s life. Otherwise, he was afraid that he would not get away with it. Margaret only cared about venting her displeasure and did not control her strength when abusing Yuliana. She did not care about thetter¡¯s life at all. ¡°Do I need you to remind me?¡± Margaretughed mockingly. ¡°Look at your coward look. Are you even a man? No wonder even Yuliana doesn¡¯t like you. Why don¡¯t I give you a chance to be the first one tonight?¡± Larry paused for a moment and could not help but think of Yuliana¡¯s look when she had sat on the bed earlier. He was in a trance for a moment, but soon, he pushed that thought aside. If he really wanted to do it, he would have done it when they had been in the ancient town. Larry came back to his senses and nced at Margaret. ¡°I don¡¯t have any perverted fetish. I¡¯m not interested in a pregnant woman!¡± ¡°I think you are simply a coward!¡± Margaret despised him even more at that moment. Larry did not refute Margaret¡¯s words. She could say anything she liked, but he did not think of himself as a coward. He was merelyw-abiding. Once a person did something wrong, there was no turning back. Margaret was just an idiot who was proud of her conduct. Upon thinking of that, Larry sneered in his heart. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. I have something to doter, so I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± Margaret was stunned. ¡°You¡¯ve tried your best to help me n this. Don¡¯t you want to see it with your own eyes?¡± Larry replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to record a video? Just send me a copy after recording it.¡± Margaret stared at Larry for a while and seemed to understand him slightly. ¡°Seeing the woman he likes sleep with another man should make him feel miserable, right?¡± she thought. ¡°Okay!¡± Margaret waved her hand and said, ¡°You can leave if you want. I¡¯ll send you a copy after recording it. You can keep it and take it out to enjoy from time to time.¡± Larry nced at her coldly and reminded her again, ¡°Don¡¯t hit her again. If you get out of control, you will not only fail to achieve your goal but will also most likely go to prison. Think it over twice.¡± With that said, Larry went straight downstairs. After Margaret was dragged away by Larry, it gave Yuliana some respite, and she recovered slightly. Nheless, her whole body hurt. Her head had hit the wall, and her face was also burning badly. Her back. had been kicked hard, which caused her tremendous pain. Although she had turned around to prevent her abdomen from being kicked, her abdomen was still affected by the kick that had fallen on her lower back, which caused her great difort. The baby in her stomach seemed to sense Yuliana¡¯s emotions. It was extremely restless and kept moving in her stomach Yuliana¡¯s whole body was on the verge of copsing. She just wanted to go to sleep immediately and have a good rest, but she knew that she could not fall asleep yet. There was still a tough battle ahead, so she could not fall. She mumbled weakly, ¡°Baby, I know you¡¯re scared. Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you. Can you be quiet for a while? I¡¯m exhausted.¡± She had read some popr science articles about pregnancy and maternity, saying that when the baby was in its mother¡¯s stomach, it could not actually hear the outside world. So, for a long time, Yuliana seldommunicated with her baby in words. She usually ced her palms on him when he was moving in her stomach so that he could sense her existence. However, her hands were tied, and she could not interact with the baby. She did not know how to comfort him except by talking to him. It seemed that he understood Yuliana¡¯s words, and the baby in her stomach gradually quieted down. Yuliana let out a long sigh of relief and moved her hands in an attempt to untie the rope. Fortunately, her fingers were soft enough that she seemed to have touched the end of the knot. But the rope had been tied professionally, and her eyes could not see it, so it was very difficult to untie it. After Larry had left, Margaret stood outside for a while. After thinking about his words carefully, she felt a little scared at that moment. Indeed, she had just beaten up Yuliana wildly as all she wanted was to vent her anger. If she had really ended Yuliana¡¯s life, her own life would be gone as well. Given Waylon¡¯s temper, he would most likely ditch her. Besides, ending Yuliana¡¯s life like that was too merciful for her. Margaret wanted her to be abandoned by Christopher and kicked out of the house by him. The biggest punishment for Yuliana was to let every man around the world see how lowly she was. The two men she had found that day were not ordinary. Once Yuliana got in touch with them, she was going to live so miserably that she would wish to die. Upon thinking of that, Margaret felt much better. She went downstairs to the two men and said, ¡°Do you remember what I told you?¡± The two of them smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Upon looking at their obscene smiles, Margaret felt disgusted and immediately turned to look away. ¡°She is a pregnant woman. Be gentle and don¡¯t end her life, or you and I will not be able to get away with it. Other than that, you can have fun with her however you want.¡± The two men made an ¡°okay¡± gesture. Margaret raised her chin and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± The two men went upstairs. Margaret sat on the couch, took out a cigarette from the cigarette box, and lit it. She was sitting with her legs crossed, smoking slowly. Soon, a woman¡¯s shrill shout was heard from upstairs. Her heart trembled, and her fingers, which were holding the cigarette, could not help but shake. Margaret had been arrogant and haughty since she was young, but she had not done anything evil. That was the idea Larry had given her. Otherwise, she would not have thought of it herself. Margaret¡¯s heart beat faster and faster when she heard the continuous cry from upstairs. It was as though. there was a steel drill in her mind, which was causing her headache. She was so irritable that she could not relieve herself from smoking. At that moment, she even regretted it. ¡°Will everything be fine?¡± she pondered. Thinking of the consequences and Larry who had left early, Margaret¡¯s heart tightened. She immediately stood up from the couch, wanting to go upstairs to stop the two men, but on second thought, she paused in her tracks again. Cruelty shed across her eyes. Finally, she simply picked up her belongings and proceeded to leave the mansion. However, just as she was. about to open the door and leave, a bunch of uniformed police officers surrounded her. At that instant, Margaret¡¯s face turned pale. The police swarmed up and controlled her. Then, they quickly entered the room, followed by La and Annabelle. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Chapter 233 I Refuse To Lose It La¡¯s expression was stormy when she saw Margaret, who was apprehended by the police. She walked up to Margaret and pped her hard across her face, then pointed at her as she hissed, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with youter!¡± Having said that, she followed a couple of police officers up the stairs and hurried into the bedroom. La¡¯s heart almost stopped when the bedroom door opened, and she winced like the sight before her was too painful to see. She quickly shrugged off her coat and wrapped it around Yuliana, then held the poor, trembling girl in her arms. However, Yuliana was still in shock, and she aggressively resisted La¡¯s touch as she struggled to break free. ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s me, La.¡± La tightened her hold around Yuliana as she began murmuring to her soothingly, her voice nearly breaking. ¡°Everything¡¯s all right now. Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m right here.¡± Yuliana stiffened when she heard La¡¯s voice. Then, as if all the strength had abruptly left her body, she copsed andy quietly in La¡¯s embrace. She could hear voices around her, but she couldn¡¯t decipher anything coherent. After a while, La loosened her grip and slowly peeled off the ck tape on Yuliana¡¯s eyes. Following that, she gently lifted Yuliana¡¯s bloodstained hand to try and take away the object in her palm. However, Yuliana was startled when La tried to pry her fingers open and immediately clutched the object tighter. La felt her heart twist at the sight of this. She hastily mped a hand around Yuliana¡¯s wrist to stop her and said, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re safe now. Can you please give that to me?¡± Yuliana¡¯s gaze was unfocused, and it took a while before she properly looked at La. She stared at La for a while, then nodded as she slowly unclenched her fingers and let La take the shards away. Had it not been for the shard of a broken vase she held in her hand, she would have no weapon to fend off her assants and save herself from being vited. The situation had ended on a satisfying note, it seemed, but Yuliana was the only one who knew of the process. Meanwhile, Annabelle took in the warzone that was the room. The two men who had been apprehended by the police were covered in blood, and Yuliana was a mess. Disgust shed in Annabelle¡¯s eyes as she walked up to one of the men and, paying no mind to the police officers at all, kicked him hard. The man let out a guttural scream as his features twisted into a pained grimace. At that moment, he almost didn¡¯t look human, but rather like he had been infected by some deadly virus and thereafter turned into a zombie. Much like the zombies in the movies, the man was no better than a rotting corpse. Annabelle nced at Yuliana and had to look away. She turned her gaze on La and suggested, ¡°La, you should send Yuliana to the hospital.¡± La finally came back to her senses and nodded hastily. She tried to help Yuliana get up, but Yuliana was weak and couldn¡¯t stand at all. Seeing this, the police officer standing on one side of the room immediately came over and offered to help. ¡°I¡¯ll carry her downstairs.¡± However, Yuliana froze when she heard the police officer¡¯s voice and shrunk into herself. The objection was clearly written on her face. The police officer stood aside awkwardly. La briefly thanked him and said, ¡°No need.¡± Then, she looked at Annabelle. ¡°Come help me, Annabelle.¡± Annabelle nodded and briskly walked up to Yuliana, then held onto her arm to support her weight before leading her out of the room. But, after a few steps, Yuliana abruptly stopped. She looked down and descended into panic. She subconsciously grabbed La¡¯s and Annabelle¡¯s hands as she cried, ¡°La, the baby. My baby¡­¡± La followed her gaze and grew rmed when she saw liquid running down Yuliana¡¯s legs. Her eyes widened as she urged, ¡°Quick, Annabelle, call the ambnce!¡± Annabelle saw the condition Yuna was in, but seeing as she had never had children before, she wasn¡¯t sure what this entailed. She snapped out of her daze when she heard La¡¯s cry and promptly called the ambnce as she was told to. While Annabelle was engaged on the phone, Laforted Yuliana softly, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yuliana. Just stay calm. Your water broke, but nothing will happen. The ambnce will be here soon.¡± All Yuliana could feel at that moment were the waves of sharp pain in her abdomen, and it wasn¡¯t long before she started breaking out in cold sweat. Clearly, Yuliana was in no state to make her way downstairs without assistance, but La did not have the strength to carry her, either. In the end, La had no choice but to ask the police officer from earlier for help.. Yuliana resisted at first, but the pain eventually overwhelmed her and drowned out her protests. All she could think about right now was the little one in her womb. She was seven months pregnant at this point, and she insisted on giving birth to the child. She spent countless days thinking about what the baby would be like, whether or not he would have any quirks, or which parent he would take after. She had daydreams of what she, Christopher, and the child would look like as a family. She had been fighting for her life against those two men from earlier, and in the heat of the moment, shepletely forgot about the safety of her child. At the thought that she might lose the baby, her tears, which she had been trying to keep from spilling out since the beginning of the night, finally rolled down her cheeks, mixing with the beads of cold sweat that were dripping down her jawline. ¡°La¡­¡± Yuliana clutched La¡¯s hand tightly, her body in agonizing pain and her heart tight with fear. ¡°La, I don¡¯t want to lose the baby, not when the due date is just two months away.¡± La was a mother as well, and she empathized with Yulianapletely. She felt gutted seeing Yuliana on the verge of a nervous breakdown. La wiped away Yuliana¡¯s tears and said reassuringly, ¡°No, you won¡¯t lose the baby. I¡¯m here. The ambnce will arrive soon, and I¡¯ll be at the hospital with you.¡± Yuliana bit her lower lip as she endured another bout of searing pain. Her gaze looked faraway for a brief moment as a torrent of images shed through her mind. She recalled her childhood days when she would sit at the doorstep and quietly wait for Damian and Callie toe home, as they were so absent most of the time. N?velDrama.Org content rights. She remembered Callie picking her up from school one day, only to tell her that she and Damian were getting a divorce. She also remembered the day Callie left the family without looking back, her silhouette rigid and her determination clear. Then, she thought about Harry and how their love had blossomed during the three years of high school, which only made the three years of their marriage seem even bitterer in retrospect. Those were the days when any effort she had put in was to no avail. These scenes looked like they were taken from an old, ck-and-white film, and she was merely someone in the audience who watched these scenes without a shred of emotion. Finally, she thought about Christopher. She tried very hard to think about everything that had to do with Christopher, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t remember anything at all. All that came to mind were his face and name, and even then, it filled her with heartache She parted her lips and whispered his name nheless. La didn¡¯t hear what Yuliana said and only saw her mouth moving. ¡°Yuliana, what did you say?¡± Yuna grabbed La¡¯s hand again and slowly enunciated, ¡°Christopher¡± Although La still couldn¡¯t hear her, she saw Yuliana¡¯s lips form the sybles. Yuliana was asking for Christopher. La¡¯s tears fell as soon as the realization hit her. She quickly wiped them away and said, ¡°Yuliana, Christopher is on his way. He¡¯ll be here soon. Ten minutester, the ambnce arrived, and Yuliana was rushed to the nearest hospital. The doctor assessed Yuliana¡¯s condition and immediately came over to La and Annabelle, then asked, ¡°Are you her family?¡± Annabelle and La were still in a daze. When they heard the doctor¡¯s words, they looked at each other. La was the first toe back to her senses, and she stepped forward as she replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m her sister.¡± The doctor then proceeded to ask La about Yuliana¡¯s pregnancy and said, ¡°Her amniotic sac has ruptured, and as things are, she has no choice but to give birth to the baby. However, from the looks of her current condition¡­¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Be A Father The doctor paused and said, ¡°She can¡¯t give birth to the baby by herself. I can only perform the surgery. The fetus is barely 30 weeks old. Even if the baby is born, the probability of survival is not too high. I hope you are mentally prepared.¡± After finishing his sentence, the doctor asked someone to bring the surgical consent form for La to sign. La remembered what Yuliana had looked like when thetter was sent to the hospital. Her hands were trembling when she signed. Then, they waited anxiously. After a while, Kendrick and Joyce also arrived. Upon noticing La and Annabelle, who looked solemn outside the operating room, the couple immediately walked toward them. Joyce asked, ¡°How is Yuliana?¡± La nced at the closed operating room and said, ¡°The surgery is not done yet. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on inside.¡± However, a medical staff went in and out urgently, and another doctor had hurried over earlier. Even though the doctor did not say anything. La could still feel the danger. Then, Kendrick questioned, ¡°How long until Christopher gets here?¡± Upon thinking of that, La felt a little upset. When Yuliana went for the surgery, Christopher happened to not be around. Any woman would want her husband to be at the scene whenever she encountered things like surgery. La replied, ¡°I just called Christopher. His phone is still off. He should still be on the ne. I guess he¡¯ll take an hour or two to get here.¡± Christopher was on a flight at 10 p.m. It was just past 11:00 p.m. at that moment. It would be at least one hour until the nended. Christopher would take nearly 50 minutes to get to the hospital from the airport. By that time, the baby might have been born.. He did not even know what Yuliana was going through at that moment. Half an hourter, the door of the operating room opened. Several doctors and nurses came out of the room. The one who hadmunicated with La walked toward her. The doctor nced at La and the others before smiling. ¡°The patient and the baby are safe. He¡¯s a strong boy.¡± Upon hearing that, the people at the scene finally felt relieved. The doctor told them about the condition of Yuliana and her baby. Yuliana was too weak and had just finished the operation, so she needed to be sent to the ICU for observation for a few hours. She could be transferred to the general ward if there were no problems. However, the baby was born prematurely and was sent to the incubator in the ICU immediately. He needed to stay in the incubator for some time. After the signs of growth became normal, he could be discharged from the hospital. After the doctor had exined, La and Joyce asked some other questions. The doctor answered each question patiently before leaving quickly. After the doctor had left, everyone did not speak tacitly. For a moment, there was no other noise except for the movement of the nurse who hurried in and out. At that moment, all of them realized what was going on. Everything had been so sudden, and they had been unprepared. ¡°Christopher is a father now,¡± said La: She burst into tears but was smiling. All kinds of emotions were mixing within her. She did not know if she should be happy or sad for a moment. Joyce also chuckled. She wiped away La¡¯s tears and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. Why are you crying?¡± La could not expiain why she was crying, but what had happened that night appeared in her mind again. Joyce did not see it personally and could not experience La¡¯s anguish. Thetter was very distressed. She felt sorry for Yuliana. It was already early in the morning when Christopher arrived at Juxshire. Uponnding, he called La and asked, ¡°La, where is Yuliana? How is she?¡± Before Christopher got on the ne, La had sent him a message, saying that she had found Yuliana and was on her way there. The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. At that moment, it made Christopher nervous. Just as he was about to ask again, he heard La¡¯s voice. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Upon hearing that, Christopher was in slight disbelief. He repeatedly confirmed by asking, ¡°Is she really okay?¡± La hummed softly in response. It was Christopher¡¯s turn to stop talking. For some unknown reason, Christopher felt uneasy, and other emotions surged within him. He stopped and looked at the passengers hurrying to the airport exit. He suddenly wanted to hear Yuliana¡¯s voice. He licked his dry lips and said nervously, ¡°Is Yuliana next to you? I want to talk to her.¡± La hesitated for a moment. ¡°It may be a little difficult.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Her tone had an emotion that Christopher could not understand. Two secondster, La smiled lightly and added, ¡°Chris, congrattions! You¡¯re a father now!¡± For a moment, Christopher could not believe what he had heard. It was not until La said something on the phone that Christopher¡¯s thoughts slowly returned. He was sure that he did not hear La wrong. He interrupted La and said, ¡°La, send me the hospital¡¯s address.¡± After saying that, he hung up the phone and strode toward the airport exit.. In the early morning, there were few vehicles on the road. After speeding all the way, Christopher arrived at the hospital in 40 minutes. At that time, Yuliana was still in the ICU. Christopher could only look at her from a distance through the door. Yuliana was lying quietly on the bed, linked with various monitoring devices. Even from a distance, Christopher could feel she was weak. Kendrick stepped forward and patted Christopher on the shoulder. ¡°Yuliana can transfer to the general ward ¨C in another hour. Do you want to see the baby?¡± Christopher looked at Kendrick in a daze. In fact, he had been in the hospital for a while. Logically, he should see the baby. For some reason, there was a strange emotion in his heart, which made him delighted but a little panicked. He thought, ¡°My and Yuliana¡¯s child¡­¡± Kendrick said, ¡°Go and take a look. It¡¯s a boy.¡± Then, Christopher nodded hesitantly. Yuliana slowly regained her senses from being unconscious but did not wake up. Her whole body was in a state of soreness and weakness. She felt fatigued, and she had never been that tired in her life. She just wanted to continue her sleep. Thus, even though the effect of the anesthetic had subsided, Yuliana was still in aa. She was having a dream. In the dream, she was covered in blood. A knife had cut her belly open, and someone took out a bloody mass and handed it to her arms. She looked at it and found that it was a beautiful baby. At that moment, Yuliana finally remembered that she was pregnant. It was her child. Yuliana was overjoyed. She carefully wiped the blood off his face, wanting to kiss her baby. However, when her fingers touched the baby¡¯s body, she found that it was cold. The baby had no breathing and no heartbeat. She panicked and kept asking for help from the doctors and nurses at the bedside. However, they only looked at her regretfully and said, ¡°Sorry. We did our best.¡± ¡°No! No!¡± yelled Yuliana. Then, Yuliana was awake. eyes. She lifted her eyelids and looked up in a daze. Tears kept rolling down from the corner of her She murmured, ¡°No, it can¡¯t be!¡± After Christopher had gone to see the baby, he immediately came back. After waiting for a while, Yuliana was transferred to the general ward. However, she did not wake up for a long time. Not many people were needed to stay in the hospital for the time being. Kendrick and Joyce had gone back since Winnie and Alex were at home. Worried that Winnie would be concerned, they dared not tell her the news of Yuliana getting kidnapped. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Chapter 235 He Is Safe Now that the baby was born, it was impossible to hide the truth. La and Annabelle also left. There were still many things to follow up on and deal with that night. La contacted someone to send Annabelle back and then went directly to the police station. Meanwhile, Christopher stayed in the hospital to apany Yuliana. The second Yuliana was transferred to the general ward, Christopher held her hand and sat motionless by the bed while looking at her. He thought, ¡°I could still remember that Yuliana was a bit chubby thest time I returned. But now that I look at her, I only feel she¡¯s skinny and petite. Yet, she¡¯s given birth to my child in such a thin figure. The baby is only seven months old and weighs less than 2.2 pounds. He¡¯s only the size of a palm. This delicate baby is my and Yuliana¡¯s own flesh and blood. He will grow as tall as me and be as good- looking as Yuliana in the future.¡± At that thought, Christopher couldn¡¯t help but grab Yuliana¡¯s hand and kiss the back of it twice. He felt as if his heart had been torn apart. Kendrick and La hadn¡¯t told Christopher about what had happened that night in detail yet, and he couldn¡¯t be bothered with it at that time. But upon seeing Yuliana¡¯s hand injury, swollen face, and several head injuries, it was not hard for him to figure out what had happened. Just then, Yuliana, who was on the bed, moved uneasily. She furrowed her brows deeply and grasped Christopher¡¯s hand forcefully. Her body trembled restlessly, and she seemed to be muttering about something. ¡°Please! Save him!¡± Tears kept rolling down from the corner of her tightly shut eyes. As Christopher realized that she might be having a nightmare, he gently wiped away her tears. While caressing her face, heforted her. ¡°Ana, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± However, his words didn¡¯t work. Yuliana was getting more and more panicked in her dream. Just as Christopher was about to press the nurse call button, the person on the bed suddenly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry as she stared somewhere. Then, she murmured unconsciously, ¡°No way. It can¡¯t be.¡± Christopher called from beside her, but she seemed to still be in a nightmare and couldn¡¯t hear his voice at all. At that moment, Yuliana couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a dream or reality. Or rather, even though she had woken up, her memory was still linked to the scene of her nightmare. She abruptly thought of something and looked around subconsciously. When she saw Christopher, her gaze remained still in a daze. The moment Christopher met her eyes, his heart seemed to crumble. He opened his mouth and uttered, ¡°Ana¡­¡± Yuliana was in utter disbelief. She blinked a couple of times, wanting to touch his face to check whether he was real or not. However, she couldn¡¯t lift her hand no matter how hard she tried. Christopher noticed her movements and hurriedly grabbed her hand before pressing it to his face. ¡°Christopher,¡± she called out. Her voice was soft and weak. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± In an instant, Yuliana¡¯s eyes turned red, and she burst into tears again. As she looked at him, all kinds of emotions surged in her chest. After a while, she said softly. ¡°Why did it take you so long toe here¡­¡± Her tone sounded indifferent, but the grievance, disappointment, and faint resentment were apparent. For a moment, tears welled up in Christopher¡¯s eyes, and he didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. After a short while, Yuliana closed her eyes again. ¡°It¡¯s toote. It¡¯s toote¡­¡± She repeated that again and again as she got choked up and sobbed. Her face was all scrunched up, and she couldn¡¯t control her emotions. The veins between her eyebrows twitched with her movements because of her overwhelming sorrow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The baby is gone. Christopher, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Christopher was worried that Yuliana would stretch her wounds, so he hurriedly got up and held her to stop her from moving before replying, ¡°Ana, our child is fine. He¡¯s safe!¡± Upon hearing that, Yuliana was stunned. After a while, she finally opened her tearful eyes and looked into Christopher¡¯s. ¡°W-What did you say?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Christopher wiped the tears off her face with his fingertips, lowered his head, and pressed it against her forehead. He then pecked her on the tip of her nose. He smiled softly and said, ¡°Ana, thank you for giving birth to our son.¡± Yuliana was still in a daze. A few momentster, she finally returned to her senses. She had so much to say and ask, but in the end, she only questioned, ¡°Is it really a boy?¡± Before that, she was notpletely convinced when La and Joyce had imed that the baby was a boy. She thought, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be a boy.¡± Christopher raised his head slightly and focused his gaze on her face. As he looked at her swollen face, he felt as if he had been stabbed by a needle in his heart. He brushed away the hair on her face and gently gave her several kisses on her cheek. ¡°Ana, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yuliana returned from the joy of learning that the child was safe. When she heard Christopher¡¯s words, she was stunned for a moment. Then, various emotions seemed to have vanished from within her instantly, and finally, all that was left was calm. She knew that the matter was an ident and not Christopher¡¯s fault. She mused, ¡°But when I was fighting desperately with the two people who attempted to take advantage of me, I truly wished that Christopher could show up next to me at once. When I saw La appear, I genuinely hoped Christopher would be present with her. The moment I was in unbearable pain and felt I was about to die, how I wished Christopher was there to be with me. Yet, Christopher wasn¡¯t there. He was so far away from me in Romdale. Even if he had taken the ne to rush back, he had spent a few hours to arrive. I can¡¯t me Christopher, but who should I me?¡± Yuliana took a deep breath because she knew that she was currently emotionally unstable. Due to those incidents she had experienced and giving birth to a baby, the hormone level in her body was disordered, which affected her emotions. She uttered faintly, ¡°Christopher, I¡¯m exhausted. I want to sleep for a while longer.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Sure. Have a good rest. I¡¯ll be here with you.¡± Meanwhile, at the police station, Margaret and the two men she had brought were interrogated. The two men swiftly confessed that Margaret was the one who had ordered them to do everything, and they only did as they were told for money. On the other hand, Margaret was utterly scared because she had experienced staying in the detention center. for half a monthst time and believed that the incident that night would cause her to be detained for an even longer period. Hence, she regretted it very much. ¡°What the hell is wrong with me? How could I kidnap Yuliana?¡± she eximed inwardly. Despite that, she wasn¡¯t really foolish. After all, she had some experiences and hade across simr things before. After arriving at the police station, she didn¡¯t answer any of the police¡¯s questions but requested to call her mother, Quincy. When La arrived, the police had juste out of the interrogation room. She stepped forward and said, ¡°Sergeant Silva.¡± Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Have You Eaten? When the police officer heard La¡¯s voice, he looked at her and then approached her, saying, ¡°Ms. Sce, it¡¯ste, yet you still came by yourself.¡± La said with a smile, ¡°My sister-inw has been through a lot, so I¡¯vee to inquire about the situation. I haven¡¯t thanked you yet, Sergeant Silva. We would not have been able to find Yuliana in time without your assistance!¡± Gerald Silva politely stated, ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility, Ms. Sce; you¡¯re too kind. Let¡¯s continue our conversation in the conference room next to us.¡± La nodded and followed Gerald to the conference room. Gerald ced a paper cup filled with warm water in front of La. ¡°There are no more coffee beans, and I haven¡¯t had the time to buy some. There¡¯s only in water. I hope you won¡¯t mind, Ms. Sce.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sergeant Silva. La politely epted it. La took a sip and noticed that the temperature was just right. She had been busy all night, and it would be daylight in two or three hours. She hadn¡¯t had a sip of water during that time. La didn¡¯t realize how thirsty she was until Gerald put a cup of water in front of her. ¡°Is Ms. Livingstone okay?¡± Gerald asked after La had finished drinking the water. Gerald was already aware of the situation at the hospital, but he continued to inquire about it habitually. La pursed her lips, but her expression was solemn. ¡°The baby is safe, but the situation was extremely dangerous. The doctor said that if we had sent them half an hourter, neither the mother nor the child would have survived.¡± All of that was caused by Margaret. La couldn¡¯t understand how a little girl could have such an ill will to harm a pregnant woman. That was also why, when she got out of the hospital, she didn¡¯t go home first but instead went straight to the police station. The Sce family would never be able to let that incident go. Margaret must pay the price for her actions. La asked, ¡°Sergeant Silva, what¡¯s the current situation? Did Margaret say anything?¡± Gerald shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been interrogating her for hours, but she hasn¡¯t said anything.¡± La didn¡¯t expect that Margaret¡¯s mouth was such a tough nut to crack. She frowned slightly and asked again, ¡°Would it interfere with your work if she doesn¡¯t say anything?¡± The police are very particr about evidence when handling cases. Even if they knew that Margaret was the mastermind behind what had happened that night, convicting her would be difficult without a complete chain of evidence. Besides, the Ziegler family was not easy to deal with. In terms of what Margaret had done and with regard to the Ziegler family¡¯s typical way of handling things, they definitely wouldn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of that. Otherwise, the Ziegler family¡¯s reputation in Juxshire would suffer. Gerald smiled as usual and casually said, ¡°Ms. Sce, don¡¯t worry too much. Give us some time. We won¡¯t let the bad guys escape the full brunt of thew.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, Sergeant Silva,¡± La said with a smile. Yuliana had trouble sleeping that night. Her abdomen had a four-inch incision. It hurt to breathe after the anesthetic wore off. She didn¡¯t even have the courage to move while lying on the bed. She frowned and pursed her pale lips. Christopher looked at her enduring expression and asked, ¡°Does the wound hurt?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t open her eyes or respond. Her brows furrowed a little more When he saw that, Christopher said nothing more and got up to call the doctor. The doctor examined Yuliana¡¯s condition and asked the nurse to give her painkillers. Yuliana fell asleep just before dawn as the pain in her body subsided. She slept soundly for a long time and slept until nightfall. When she woke up, she was alone in the ward, and it was pitch ck outside the window. Yuliana was in a trance as she gazed at the ward¡¯s ceiling. The faint pain in her body brought her back to reality, reminding her that everything she¡¯d been through was not a dream. The ward¡¯s door opened at this time. Christopher walked in and said, ¡®Ana, you¡¯re awake.¡± Yuliana nced at him and moved her lips, only to discover that her throat was extremely dry and a little sore. She made two swallowing motions before saying. ¡°Where is the child? I¡¯d like to see him.¡± Christopher lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead before saying, ¡°He¡¯s been ced in the incubator because he is less than a month premature, and he must remain there for some time. I¡¯ll take you to see him when you can get out of bed in two days.¡± Yuliana wanted to see the child right away, but she also knew that her current physical condition would preclude her from going, but she was still concerned and asked some questions about the child. She waspletely relieved after confirming the child¡¯s safety. The ward fell silent. Yuliana eventually asked, ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°Close to 12 hours,¡± Christopher answered. ¡°Twelve hours?¡± Yuliana¡¯s thoughts were moving slowly at that point. She remembered something after a while, and her face became tense. ¡°Today is Thursday¡­¡± Christopher guessed what she was worried about and hurriedly said, ¡°I requested a leave of absence from school this morning. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Yuliana let out a sigh of relief. It was great that the leave of absence had already been applied. The school would arrange for other teachers to take over the ss. However, what happened all of a suddenpletely disrupted her n and must have had a significant impact on her students. Christopher noticed the way she lowered her eyes, but he had no idea what she was thinking of. He felt a little nervous and tried to grab her attention. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Yuliana subconsciously shook her head. Then, she paused for a bit before she nodded. Yuliana hadn¡¯t eaten in a long time, and she couldn¡¯t feel hungry anymore. However, her stomach was empty. and her body was weak. It was obvious that she needed to eat. ¡°Joyce brought some oatmeal over in the afternoon. It¡¯s still hot in the instion box.¡± Christopher stood up and took the instion box as he said that. He uncovered the lid and poured the oatmeal into a small bowl. Then, he tested the temperature, which was still a little hot. He blew on it to cool it down before feeding it to Yuliana¡¯s mouth. Yuliana looked at him quietly for two seconds before opening her mouth. It took her nearly half a minute to swallow a small spoonful of oatmeal. Yuliana ate slowly as Christopher fed her mouthful by mouthful. Neither of them spoke until the small bowl of oatmeal was finished. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Yuliana inquired. She looked at Christopher¡¯s face. In fact, she noticed that Christopher¡¯s face was haggard. His eyes were bloodshot, and there had been a blood clot in there somewhere when he came in from outside just then. The circles beneath his eyes were dark, and his stubble had overgrown. It was very different from his previous image; it was as if he had been through the vicissitudes of life for several years. She wasn¡¯t used to it. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Christopher responded. Christopher set the bowl down and wiped her mouth with a tissue. Yuliana grabbed his hand and pressed it against her cheek. She lowered her eyes and remained silent for a while before she spoke calmly. ¡°I thought I was going to diest night. Numerous images shed through my mind at the time. Did you know what my greatest wish was at the time?¡± Yuliana raised her eyes and looked at him. Christopher¡¯s throat bobbed. ¡°What?¡± She looked at him without blinking as if she was going to outline him with her eyes and engrave it onto her heart. ¡°What I wished for most was for you to appear beside me. I really wanted to see you immediately.¡± She was afraid that she would die like that and never see Christopher again. She couldn¡¯t ept it. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It turned out that she had already liked Christopher before she realized it. When she said that, tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrobly. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Rowan Her tears fell on Christopher¡¯s fingertips, and the wet and warm feeling spread from his fingertips to his heart. Christopher¡¯s heart trembled violently at that moment, and an endless soreness spread from his chest to his limbs, making him almost unable to breathe. Christopher took Yuliana¡¯s hand in his and pressed it to his lips. He was silent for a long time. He lowered his head slightly, his thin eyelids covering his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ana.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t see the emotions in his eyes, but she could hear his voice tremble and choke. Christopher had already apologized to her the night before. She knew she couldn¡¯t me him. No one had expected that to happen, but when she was at her most desperate and fearful, she had hoped for Christopher to appear in front of her immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t me you.¡± Yuliana smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m just a little¡­ sad.¡± There were other emotions that she couldn¡¯t tell him. She couldn¡¯t bear to pressure Christopher with those emotions after she had seen him like that. It would only make him feel more terrible. ¡°Christopher, if this happens again in the future, you must rush to my side as soon as possible, okay?¡± she said softly after a while. Christopher felt as if someone was squeezing and tearing at his heart when he heard that. There was a dull breath stuck in his chest, and he said softly, ¡°No, it will not happen again. I will never leave you alone again.¡± Yuliana smiled at him and extended her pinky. ¡°You must follow through on your promise.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christopher was taken aback by her actions. Yuliana raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pinky promise! Don¡¯t you understand what this action means?¡± Of course, Christopher understood what it meant, but Yuliana¡¯s childish behavior made him seem imusible. Heughed and stretched out his pinky to hook with hers. ¡°I will keep my word.¡± Yuliana¡¯s smile broadened as she looked at him. She didn¡¯t let go of his hand. Instead, she sped his fingers tightly as if she didn¡¯t want to separate from him even for a moment. Christopher also looked at her. Her face was still a little swollen, and the marks left by someone else¡¯s fingers became more and more apparent after the night. Christopher reached out his hand and stroked it gently. Imagining the scene at that time, half of his heart ached, and the other half was wrapped in violent emotions. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he inquired solemnly. Yuliana shook her head gently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Christopher pursed his thin lips lightly and remained silent, but his dark eyes could make people nervous. Yuliana didn¡¯t want to see him in that state, so she quickly changed the subject and asked, ¡°Have you seen him?¡± Christopher immediately understood who she was referring to, and the expression on his face softened visibly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him. He loves to sleep. I went to see him in the morning, and he was sleeping. I went back in the afternoon, and he was still sleeping. Then, I went to see him just now, yet he was still sleeping.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help butugh as she imagined the child sleeping in the incubator with Christopher staring pitifully at him on the side. The image was very gentle. Yuliana said, ¡°Newborn babies sleep for a long time. They¡¯ll be sleeping except for when they eat.¡± She had read all of that in books before. A newborn baby would sleep for nearly 20 hours a day. Yuliana¡¯s heart softened when she thought about the child. She asked, ¡°Does he look more like you or me?¡± Christopher did not immediately answer her question. He appeared to be conflicted. He frowned after a few seconds and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think he resembles any of us. He¡¯s just a pink blob of meat right now. To be honest, he¡¯s not particrly good-looking.¡± Yuliana expressed her displeasure and retorted, ¡°He¡¯s simply too young and hasn¡¯t grown up yet. He should look better in a few months as he grows.¡± She didn¡¯t consider herself ugly, and her facial features were quite attractive. Besides, no matter how ugly she was, the baby had Christopher¡¯s genes, so he wouldn¡¯t turn out all that bad either. Christopher suddenly said, ¡°Ana, what name would you like to give him?¡± The original due date was at the end of May, but it arrived more than two months ahead of schedule. Christopher and Yuliana had not yet given him a name yet. He had been thinking about what to name the child when he visited him that day. Yuliana had considered a few names when she had been free, but she then felt that they were inappropriate. That was probably how a mother would feel. Mothers always believed that their children deserved the best. She asked, ¡°Who was the one that named your brothers and sisters?¡± ¡°La was named by Mom, and my brother and I were named by Dad.¡± Christopher¡¯s brows twitched imperceptibly when he mentioned Zachary. He said quietly, ¡°If Dad were still conscious, we could¡¯ve asked him to name his grandson.¡± Yuliana thought about it once more, but she couldn¡¯te up with a suitable name at that moment. When Christopher saw Yuliana¡¯s thoughtful expression, his heart skipped a beat. A name shed through his mind, and he said, ¡°How about ¡®Roe¡¯?¡± Yuliana was taken aback. ¡°Huh?¡± Christopher continued, ¡°His nickname will be ¡®Roe,¡¯ and his full name will be ¡®Rowan.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help butugh after she had listened to his exnation. ¡°Does the Sce family run a zoo?¡± Christopher hummed lightly. ¡°Isn¡¯t a zoo great? Wouldn¡¯t the big house be livelier if we were to raise a few animals?¡± Yuliana furrowed her brows and red at him, ¡°How dare you think of your son as an animal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± Christopher narrowed his eyes and gave her a strangely gentle look. ¡°You gave birth to our son with all your might. I can¡¯t tell you how much I adore him!¡± Yulianaughed. ¡°It sounds good when you say it now. I hope you¡¯ll remember what you said today when your son grows up and bes disobedient.¡± Christopher thought about the scene in detail and said, ¡°So be it if he¡¯s disobedient. Even if he makes a hole in the sky, I¡¯ll cover it up.¡± Kendrick, Joyce, and La all rushed to the hospital when they learned that Yuliana was awake. Jared was invited to Jeahron recently and would be back in a few days. Giving birth to a child used to be dangerous for a woman. Even with medical advancements, it was still an extremely exhausting situation, especially since Yuliana had given birth to a child under those circumstancesst night. Her body was still very weak after sleeping all day. She felt like a porcin doll that had been broken and reassembled. The sight of her made their heart ache. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. La stated, ¡°You need to pay more attention these days, Yuliana. Having a child is a big deal for women. You must take proper care of yourself. Don¡¯t think about other things too much.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°La, I haven¡¯t thanked you yet.¡± La patted the back of her hand ¡°We¡¯re a family, so there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Then, La and Joyce reminded her of the precautions during the confinement. Kendrick expressed his concern and invited Christopher outside to talk. Kendrick said, ¡°You should stay in Juxshire and take good care of Yuliana for a while. Regarding the matters in Romdale, I¡¯ll let La handle it.¡± Christopher¡¯s brows twitched slightly. ¡°Since La can handle it, why did you let me take care of Romdale back then?¡± Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 She Should Be Put In Jail If he had gone to take care of the mess in Romdale, perhaps Yuliana would not have been kidnapped. Even if she had been kidnapped, he could have rescued her first instead of feeling helpless thousands of miles away. By the time he arrived by her side, everything was over. Even the child had been born. At the thought of this, Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened again, and his angr face looked a little cold. Kendrick knew what he was thinking. After watching him remain silent for a few seconds, he said, ¡°What happened to Yuliana this time was an ident, and it won¡¯t happen again in the future. You don¡¯t have to worry about Romdale for now, but you should be aware that you are part of the Sce family. If something happens to me one day, who do you think should shoulder the burden of the Sce family?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he nced at him. ¡°Don¡¯t y the emotional card with me. I¡¯m not falling for that.¡± The atmosphere was getting heavy. Kendrick looked away from his face and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you fall for it or not, but you have to remember that you are not only Yuliana¡¯s husband but also a son of the Sce family. Since childhood, you have enjoyed everything the Sce family has given you, and you have a responsibility and obligation to do your part for the family.¡± Christopher sneered at his words, ¡°Ken, I see you¡¯re getting old for speaking in such a rigid and clich¨¦ way.¡± Christopher thought, ¡°What family? What responsibility and obligation?¡± These were the things that Kendrick cared about. He never cared about them. Christopher¡¯s words seemed to evoke a sense of nostalgia in Kendrick¡¯s eyes, and his lips curled slightly. His tone softened as he replied, ¡°Maybe.¡± When he was young, Zachary instilled in him how to be a good heir, to run a big family and a family business, and the unwritten ¡°system¡± of the Sce family. These things had long been ingrained in him through daily repetition. Butter, he had more exposure to things and gained a bit of deviation in his thinking. He doubted whether those things were really right for a moment. He also tried to change the ¡°system¡± butter found out it did not work. These ¡°systems¡± were deeply ingrained in him and every member of the Sce family. Once they were toppled, everything would fall apart, which would only elerate the downfall of the Sce family. Kendrick roused himself and looked back at Christopher. ¡°Did La tell you aboutst night¡¯s incident?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes turned cold again when he heard this, and his lips curled into a cold smile as he replied, ¡°Yes.¡± La had briefly told him about itst night. ¡°How do you n to handle this matter?¡± asked Kendrick. Christopher frowned and looked at him, then gave a light, dismissiveugh and said, ¡°How to handle it? Just handle it as it should be. Kidnapping is illegal, isn¡¯t it? Of course, she should be put in jail!¡± At this moment, the Ziegler family was already in chaos. Last night, the police informed Quincy about the situation, and she immediately rushed to the police station to see Margaret. Margaret told Quincy everything, but with Quincy¡¯s ability, she could not help Margaret get out of trouble. Previously, Quincy could not even get her released from detention, let alone when she hadmitted a crime and needed to go to jail. However, Margaret was her only daughter. Margaret¡¯s life would bepletely ruined if she were to spend a few years in jail. Nobody would be willing to marry someone who had been in prison, especially among influential and prestigious families. She could not let her daughter¡¯s life be ruined like that. After braving her fear, Quincy told Waylon about the situation. Although Waylon was angry and frustrated because of the incident at Zachary¡¯s birthday banquet, he could not bear to see Margaret go to jail. It was still because of the Sce family. The Sce residence publicly humiliated him, and now his daughter was going to jail. If he did not stand up to them now, he could not continue to survive in this social circle. After running around all day, Waylon tried using his connections to get his daughter out. However, among those with whom he had good rtionships in the past, none were willing to help him, but they did not want to upset him either. They told him tactfully that there was pressure from higher-ups and they could not act without authorization. Waylon could understand the meaning behind their words. He came back reeking of alcohol, and Quincy¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw him. She greeted him immediately, ¡°Honey, how¡¯s it going? Can our daughtere out now?¡± Waylon threw her a cold nce and pped her across the face. ¡°You taught our daughter so well! You only know how toe up with petty schemes all day long. You were too smart for your own good, and in the end, you raised her badly!¡± Quincy¡¯s ears buzzed from the p, but she ignored the pain and spoke eagerly and kindly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault. But Marge is also your daughter. Are you really going to watch her life get ruined? Honey, you used to love her so much. Can you bear to let her suffer in prison?¡± The rtionship between Waylon and his children had always been distant. Otherwise, he would not have let Harry go unchecked after knowing he was his biological son. However, Margaret was the only child he truly loved and cared for. He shot a gloomy look at Quincy for a while, shook off her hand, and walked away. Quincy became anxious instantly upon seeing that. ¡°Honey, you can¡¯t leave Marge like this. If you don¡¯t help her, she¡¯ll be doomed.¡± Waylon went out after ignoring her and headed for the main building on the other side. There lived the patriarch of the Ziegler family, George Ziegler. When Waylon arrived, Harry was also there, talking with George. When George noticed Waylon and Quincye in one after another with strange expressions, he looked at them and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Harry sat at the side, lowered his eyes, and picked up the coffee cup to take a sip. Waylon¡¯s face was stern, and he did not speak immediately. Quincy looked at George, then at Waylon, and finally nced at Harry from the corner of her eye. Currently, besides George, the most powerful member of the Ziegler family was Harry. From the beginning of the year, George had gradually stopped meddling in the affairs of the Ziegler family and had shown clear intentions to hand over the management of the Ziegler family to Harry. Therefore, Harry¡¯s position in the Ziegler family was even higher than Waylon¡¯s. Quincy had disliked Harry all the while. Although he was an illegitimate child and was not recognized by Waylon, his abilities were beyond doubt, which made her daughter, Margaret, seem too mediocre. Waylon did not like this particr son. Naturally, Quincy had to be on the same page as him. But inside, Quincy was somewhat afraid of Harry. When Quincy saw that Waylon was holding his breath and refusing to speak, she knelt on the ground, crying and begging. ¡°Dad, you have to save your granddaughter!¡± George nced at the woman on the ground but did not respond. Instead, he looked at Waylon and asked, ¡°is this why you came?¡± Waylon was stunned for a moment. ¡°You knew all about it?¡± George snorted coldly. ¡°What can that bitch do other than be an embarrassment andughingstock of the Ziegler family? Is it necessary to care whether she lives or dies?¡± Quincy¡¯s face went white when she heard this.N?velDrama.Org content rights. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Chapter 239 I Am Fine She turned around and looked at Waylon again, grabbed his trouser legs, and cried, ¡°Waylon, we have only this one daughter We can¡¯t leave her alone!* Looking at Quincy kneeling on the ground, George¡¯s face darkened. When Waylon married Quincy, he strongly opposed it. However, Waylon was obsessed as if he had been drugged by her, and he still married her regardless of his father¡¯s objection. It was initially thought that Quincy¡¯s moral character could be changed slowly However, 20 yearster, she still didn¡¯t make any progress. Waylon sighed. ¡°Dad, Marge is still my daughter, your granddaughter, and the blood of the Ziegler family. If she is sentenced to prison, wouldn¡¯t that also harm the Ziegler family name?¡± The older generation cared most about the reputation of the family. George might not care about this granddaughter, but he wouldn¡¯t ignore the reputation of the Ziegler family. ¡°How dare you mention the Ziegler family to me?¡± George threw a cup at Waylon and said, ¡°Had you really cared about the Ziegler family, you wouldn¡¯t have married this woman!¡± He pointed at Quincy, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, ¡°If you had been willing to listen to me, there wouldn¡¯t have been such a thing today!¡± Waylon didn¡¯t dodge. He braced himself for the oing teacup, and the tea sprinkled all over him. George pointed in the direction of the door. ¡°Get out of here! Don¡¯t bother me!¡± Waylon looked at George, wanting to say something else, but when he saw George¡¯s eyes, he didn¡¯t continue to say anything. He turned around and walked toward the door. ¡°Honey!¡± Quincy said. Upon seeing Waylon leave, Quincy panicked even more. She turned to look at George, but she didn¡¯t dare to say another word. She got up and stumbled, chasing after Waylon. After they had left, the study was quiet for a while. George pressed his chest, and he looked gloomy. He was obviously angry at what had happened just then. Harry watched quietly. He didn¡¯t go forward or say anything tofort George. He was like a bystander watching a farce. George looked over, and their eyes met. Neither of them had any affection for the other, and they shared cold and indifferent looks. George paused for a moment and asked someone toe in and clean up the cup from the ground. After a while, the person came in with a cup of light tea. George took a sip and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± He had called Harry over sote for Margaret¡¯s sake. Waylon was right. He could ignore Margaret, the granddaughter, but he couldn¡¯t ignore the Ziegler family. In Juxshire, the Ziegler family was overwhelmed by the Sce family. A while ago, a joke had been made out of the affairs of Margaret and Christopher. The outside worldughed at their daughter for desiring something she was not worthy of. ¡°Him? Her? Not worthy?¡± George smiled in his heart. ¡°If this issue with Margaret were not handled properly this time, wouldn¡¯t the Ziegler family be weaker than the Sce family?¡± he thought. ¡°What would be of me and the Ziegler family then?¡± Harry yed with the teacup in his hand and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. George was not in a hurry as well. He was drinking tea, waiting for Harry to speak quietly. After a few minutes, Harry said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Kendrick want that piece ofnd? Let¡¯s give it to him.¡± It was the next day, and Yuliana had recovered a lot. Except for the pain in her abdomen, she had also recovered some strength in her body. Gerald brought two people to the hospital, wanting to record a statement from Yuliana. Currently, Margaret refused to say anything, and the two people that Margaret had found didn¡¯t know much. ording to them, there were two other people who had kidnapped Yuliana, and they had tracked down a ck business car with the help of the surveince footage. However, when they arrived, there wasn¡¯t any clue left in themercial car, and they didn¡¯t know where the two kidnappers had gone to. They had also tried to portray the two kidnappers, but it would take some time. When the portraits came out, they might have already fled somewhere. That was why they wanted to get a statement from Yuliana at the hospital to see if there were any clues. However, as soon as they opened the door, they were blocked by a young man. Gerald took out his badge and said, ¡°I¡¯m Gerald Silva. I¡¯m here to record a statement from Ms. Livingstone.¡± Christopher nced at his badge. ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for her now.¡± Gerald looked behind Christopher. Yuliana was lying on the bed and looking at them quietly. Her face was still pale but much better than the night before. Obviously, it was not a problem to record a statement. Yuliana met his gaze, pursed her lips, and said, ¡°Christopher, let them in.¡± Christopher turned around and nced at Yuliana. He noticed the persistence in her eyes. After two seconds, he moved away and asked Gerald to take his men in. Gerald had brought some fruits and put them on the cab next to the bed. He greeted her with a smile. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, do you feel better? If you don¡¯t feel well, we cane back tomorrow.¡± Yuliana said with a faint smile, ¡°Much better. Thank you for your concern. How may I address you?¡± Gerald said, ¡°My name is Gerald Silva.¡± ¡°Sergeant Silva,¡± she said. Upon seeing that his two subordinates were ready, Gerald said, ¡°Let¡¯s get started. If you feel ufortable halfway, Ms. Livingstone, we can stop at any time.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The recording took more than half an hour. Yuliana told the police what had happened when and after she was kidnapped and what she knew. Christopher stood at the end of the bed throughout the entire process, watching Yuliana and listening quietly. When Yuliana was giving her statement, she was very calm. It was as if those things didn¡¯t happen to her-like she was just a bystander. However, even a bystander wouldn¡¯t be as calm as she was. At least, after hearing what Yuliana had said, he had an uncontroble urge to tear those people apart. Gerald frowned slightly after hearing Yuliana¡¯s words. ¡°Do you mean that there was another person besides Margaret that night?¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°Margaret? She¡¯s the one who kidnapped me?¡± She and Gerald looked at each other for a while. Then, she looked at Christopher. Christopher met her eyes but didn¡¯t answer her question. Gerald was also stunned and immediately realized that they hadn¡¯t told Yuliana yet. The atmosphere became stagnant for a while. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Yuliana didn¡¯t expect that Margaret was the one who had kidnapped her. She had been reluctant to think about what had happened the night before yesterday, so she hadn¡¯t asked Christopher about the follow-up procedures until Gerald brought his men to record the statement. She knew she couldn¡¯t keep running. Yuliana quickly calmed down and continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure there was another man, and I should know him as well.¡± Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have kept silent. He didn¡¯t speak on purpose because he was afraid that she would hear his voice. Gerald left with his men after recording the statement. LAm Fine Christopher poured a ss of water, put a straw in it, and gave it to Yuliana so that she could slowly drink. some water to moisten her throat. When she was drinking the water, Yuliana secretly nced at Christopher from her peripheral vision. He looked calm. She couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling. Yuliana panicked a little. She reached out and gently pulled on Christopher¡¯s finger and said, ¡°I am fine.¡± Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Have You Given Birth? In the morning. Gerald hade to record Yuliana¡¯s statement and returned the phone to her. It was because the police had managed to track the location of Yuliana¡¯s phone that they got there in time. The police took the phone, regarded it as evidence, and examined it. After confirming that there was no useful information, they then handed it back to Yuliana. However, the screen on the top left of the phone was broken, and the corner of the phone was also somewhat dented and deformed. After Yuliana had gotten her phone back, she clicked on it twice, but the screen didn¡¯t respond to her touch. She pressed and held the power button for a while, and a battery indicator icon appeared on the screen. Christopher took the charger and charged the phone. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. After turning on the phone, Yuliana checked her messages on WhatsApp immediately. There were many messages from her school colleagues, including the principal, Fiona, Albert, who worked coboratively together with her, and Spencer. Even Ariel, who was in the same office as her, had also texted her. However, most of the messages were sent by some students¡¯ parents, most of which were greetings, and some had asked her when she could go back to school to teach the students. Yuliana couldn¡¯t reply to all of them. She contacted the principal first to discuss the following arrangements. Given her current situation, there was no way she could go back to school. Besides, she would definitely need more energy to take care of Rowan since he had been born prematurely. Cooper told her to take care of her health. The school had arranged for another teacher to take over her ss and exin to the parents. After that, she replied to her colleagues, who had sent greetings to her, to express her gratitude. After replying to the messages, Yuliana was about to put down her phone and rest, but then, it rang. It was a call from Xandria. Yuliana answered the call. Before Yuliana could say anything, she heard Xandria say nervously, ¡°Yuliana, I heard that you have been kidnapped. Are you okay?¡± That night, the Sce family used a lot of connections to search for Yuliana in the whole city. Even though the Sce family had reminded people not to cause an uproar, there were still too many people who knew about it, so it was inevitable that the information had leaked out. Xandria, on the other hand, had just seen it in the chat group. There were dozens of people in the group. The one who had mentioned it was a guy from a rich family. He had rtives working at the police station, so he knew about it. As soon as he said that, the others chimed in and echoed what the man had said. They were discussing it enthusiastically. Xandria had just woken up when she saw the messages in the chat group. She was stunned and immediately called Yuliana. Yuliana was stunned for a while. For an instant, she had no idea how to answer Xandria¡¯s question. If Yuliana said she was fine, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. After all, she had gone into prematurebor due to that incident, and Rowan was still in the incubator. Furthermore, she hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to see her son yet. However, Yuliana was afraid that Xandria would be worried if the former mentioned that she was not doing well. In fact, she was grateful that the incident had ended up that way. At least, Rowan was safely born, and she had also managed to stay alive. In the end, Yuliana replied, ¡°I¡¯m in the hospital. Do you want toe over?¡± Upon hearing Yuliana¡¯s voice, Xandria finally felt relieved. ¡°Which hospital? I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Yuliana then told Xandria the location of the hospital. More than an hourter, Xandria arrived at the hospital with Raymond. ¡°Yuliana, are you okay?¡± As soon as Xandria came in, she went straight to Yuliana. Christopher stepped forward to stop her. ¡°Stay away from her.¡± Xandria was about to lose her temper. However, when she met Christopher¡¯s cold eyes, she instantly got scared. ¡°I just want to see if she¡¯s hurt.¡± Christopher nced at her and reminded her again, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Xandria pouted and whispered, ¡°Fine, then. I won¡¯t touch her. I just want to have a look at her, okay?¡± Upon hearing that, Christopher stood at the side and asked Xandria toe over. Looking at the green marks on Yuliana¡¯s face, Xandria subconsciously wanted to touch them. When her hand was halfway toward Yuliana¡¯s face, she suddenly recalled something. The woman then nced at the person behind her, and sure enough, a cold gaze immediately swept over her. Xandria awkwardly withdrew her hand and asked, ¡°Yuliana, n-are you okay?¡± It took Xandria a long time to form the question as she didn¡¯t know what to say. She wanted to ask Yuliana if she got hurt, but when she saw Yuliana¡¯s face, she knew that thetter must have been injured, and her other hand was still wrapped with gauze. Xandria¡¯s eyes instantly turned red when she thought of that. Upon seeing her cry, Yuliana hurriedlyforted her. ¡°I¡¯m fine here. It¡¯s all right.¡± Christopher looked at the smile on Yuliana¡¯s face, and his gaze darkened. Saying nothing, he dragged Raymond out of the ward. Yuliana watched them leave and then looked at Xandria. Then, she reached out to hold Xandria¡¯s hand and remarked, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I just gave birth. I don¡¯t have the energy tofort you.¡± ¡°Gave birth?¡± Xandria furrowed her brows. She looked at Yuliana¡¯s abdomen subconsciously. Although it was covered with a nket, she could tell that it was much tter. She asked in shock, ¡°Have you given birth to the baby?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Xandria was confused in an instant. She had little to no knowledge about delivering a baby. However, if she remembered correctly, Yuliana was only a few months pregnant. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the baby take ten months to be born?¡± she wondered. ¡°Where is the baby?¡± Yuliana paused for a while. Her expression turned a little solemn. ¡°The baby is in the neonatal ICU. He has to stay in the incubator because it was a premature birth.¡± It had almost been two days since Rowan was born. As a mother, she hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to see the baby yet. It took Xandria a while to digest the fact. She found it amazing. Although Xandria knew that Yuliana was pregnant and would soon give birth to a baby, she still found it hard to process the fact. After that, Xandria asked Yuliana about the kidnapping incident. Yuliana then recounted the incident to Xandria briefly. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± After hearing that, Xandria frowned. ¡°Well, did Margaret ask someone to kidnap you?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything. Upon seeing her stay silent, Xandria continued to ask, ¡°Do you also think there¡¯s something wrong?¡±. Although Margaret was arrogant, she didn¡¯t have the guts to do something like kidnapping. If no one had backed her up and given her the idea, there wouldn¡¯t have been any way she would think of kidnapping someone, let alone do it. She would, at most, go to Yuliana¡¯s school and make a scene. Upon recalling that, Yuliana realized that the ones who had kidnapped her were not ordinary gangsters. Judging from the way they had spoken and the things she had managed to observe, she could tell that they didn¡¯t seem like average people. From what she knew about Margaret, it was impossible for the woman to have contact with those people. Meanwhile, Christopher dragged Raymond out of the ward. Raymond looked puzzled. ¡°Why did you drag me out? I haven¡¯t greeted Ms. Livingstone yet!¡± Christopher didn¡¯t beat around the bush and went straight to the point. ¡°I remember that your uncle is working at the police station?¡± Raymond was stunned for a moment. Raising his brows, he asked, ¡°What?¡± Christopher nced at him coldly. ¡°I need his help.¡± Raymond immediately understood what Christopher meant. The former cleared his throat and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deal with this. I can assure you that the woman will receive excellent service over there.¡± Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Stop Watching It, Ana In the subsequent two days, it was torturous for Margaret. It waspletely different from the half-month she spent in the detention center. She was bullied by others every day, and she was covered in bruises everywhere except her face. No matter how she begged for help, the guards would onlye to take a look and warn those who bullied her. After that, they¡¯d leave as if nothing had happened. Margaret had been brought up in luxury and couldn¡¯t bear the harshness of her current situation. She couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well. She had to be careful all the time, afraid of being bullied and beaten. Even at night, she couldn¡¯t sleep soundly and was almost driven to madness. When Quincy learned about Margaret¡¯s situation, she immediately went to Waylon. Waylon was angry, the thought of Margaret being bullied inside still made him feel furious. Under normal circumstances, no one would dare to cause trouble inside. At first, Waylon nned to hire awyer, hoping to bail Margaret out of there first. However, Harry told him not to do anything for the time being, so he had been wailing patiently these days. After all the waiting, he didn¡¯t expect things would end up like this. Waylon was already very dissatisfied with Harry. Now, he only felt that Harry was still thinking about Yuliana, so he chose to torture his own younger sister. What an ungrateful bastard. Quincy no longer cared about anything and was not afraid of getting beaten up. She was determined to do whatever it took to save Margaret. Waylon was annoyed and angry because of these things. After careful consideration, he arranged for a lawyer to apany Quincy to the detention center. The moment Margaret saw Quincy, she burst into tears, and snot flowed out uncontrobly. She cried so hard that she was gasping for air as she recounted the bullying she had endured these past few days. Seeing that, Quincy¡¯s heart ached. ¡°How could this happen? Does thew mean nothing to them? Why didn¡¯t anyone stop them?¡± Margaret shook his head and choked. ¡°Why would anyone stop them? I think they did it on purpose. It must have been arranged by Yuliana. She wants me to die here!¡± Hearing that, Quincy became even more worried. At that moment, she just wanted to get Margaret out immediately. She took out a tissue to wipe Margaret¡¯s tears and choked out, ¡°Marge, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take you out of this terrible ce today. I¡¯ve arranged for awyer to handle the procedures for you. We¡¯ll be able to go home. soon.¡± Thewyer looked expressionless for a while on the side. He only spoke up when the emotions of the mother and daughter had eased a bit, ¡°Ms. Ziegler, I have some questions to ask you. I hope you can tell me everything without reservation.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Margaret was still sobbing. Hearing thewyer¡¯s words, she froze for a moment and turned to look at Quincy. Quincy nodded. ¡°He¡¯s thewyer your dad hired for you. Marge, your dad won¡¯t harm you.¡± After hesitating for two seconds, Margaret pursed her lips and said, ¡°Ask away.¡± She was willing to do anything as long as she could get out of this hellhole. Rowan had been born for nearly five days, and Yuliana still hadn¡¯t been able to see her child. She only got to watch a short recorded video clip of him. Rowan¡¯s small bodyy in an incubator, with a tube in his mouth and gauze covering his eyes. Various monitoring instruments were attached to his body, and his tiny hands and feet struggled inside the incubator. At that moment, Yuliana¡¯s tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly, and her heart ached terribly. In the past, no matter how difficult things were, she could control her emotions well. Even if she couldn¡¯t control herself for a while, she could quickly recover. However, seeing Rowan struggling in the incubator in the video, she instantly broke down. ¡°Stop watching it, Ana.¡± Seeing how distressed she was, Christopher couldn¡¯t bear to let her continue watching and took the phone away from her. Yuliana quickly wiped away her tears. She looked at Christopher with her teary eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished watching it yet. Give it to me.¡± The duration of the video was around two minutes. It was recorded by Christopher in the surveince room of the hospital. Rowan¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t very good in the past two days, and the hospital didn¡¯t allow visitation, but Yuliana really wanted to see him. Thus, Christopher went to the surveince room to record the video. When Christopher saw the footage of Rowan in the incubator from the surveince room, his heart was in pain too. However, he had seen the child twice before, so he was somewhat mentally prepared and not as distressed as Yuliana. Christopher put the phone aside and handed her two tissues to wipe her tears. ¡°You promised me just now that you wouldn¡¯t cry.¡± Yuliana was stunned. She looked at Christopher and didn¡¯t say anything, but she couldn¡¯t stop crying. Her gaze was heart-wrenching. Their gazes met for a moment. In the end, Christopher still took the phone over and paused the video. Looking at her earnest eyes, his heart suddenly tightened, and he felt a little upset. A newborn baby who was only a few days old had taken away all of Yuliana¡¯s emotions. He paused for a moment before he said, ¡°If you keep crying, I¡¯ll delete the video, and I won¡¯t go to the surveince room to record it anymore.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Christopher handed the phone to her. Yuliana held back her tears and watched the video until the end. She felt like her heart was being torn apart by a blunt knife. It was a feeling that only a mother could understand. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 About Your Father Christopher had been guarding Yuliana in the hospital these days and had not left. In the afternoon, Kendrick called Christopher and asked him to go to thepany. Yuliana would be discharged from the hospital the next day. Joyce asked Yuliana if thetter wanted to go to the postpartum care center or hire a professional maternity matron. Yuliana thought it was better to stay at her own home as it would be more convenient. Hence, she decided to hire a maternity matron. Joyce executed the task quickly. In the afternoon, she sent some information about a few maternity matrons to Yuliana and asked thetter to pick. Yuliana skimmed through the information and found all maternity matrons were experienced and professional. They were extremely reliable based on their resumes. Joyce asked her to pick two maternity matrons. However, Yuliana only chose one. Yuliana was not used to having too many people in the house. Besides, Rowan would be in the hospital for a month, and she was the only one who needed to be taken care of. Hence, having Hailey alone would be sufficient. However, Hailey was not a professional maternity matron.. Yuliana was responding to Joyce when she heard Hailey ask, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Yuliana looked up and saw Harrying in with a fruit basket. Their gazes met for two seconds, and then she nced at the fruit basket. All the fruits were those she often bought. Perhaps, she knew Harry too well. Hence, Yuliana immediately guessed why he was there when he showed 1. Harry withdrew his gaze and looked at Hailey in front of him. He said, ¡°Yuliana and I know each other. I was nearby, so I came to visit her.¡± Hailey stared at him thoughtfully when she heard this and then looked at Yuliana. Hailey assumed they did know each other, judging from Yuliana¡¯s reaction. Hailey smiled and said, ¡°My apologies. I hadn¡¯t seen you before and thought you were in the wrong ce. Pleasee in!¡± Harry nodded and handed the fruit basket to Hailey. Hailey put down the fruit basket while she told Harry to sit down. Then she poured a ss of water for him. Yuliana sat on the bed and texted Joyce back. After responding to Joyce¡¯s message, Yuliana looked up at Harry. She pursed her lips slightly and said in a low voice, ¡°If you¡¯re here on Margaret¡¯s behalf, I advise you not to say anything.¡± Perhaps, many people would think Yuliana was a gentle and kind person. However, Harry knew that she was gentle and kind when it came to things that she did not care about. She would not give in if it were something that she cared about a lot. Hailey excused herself and went out after knowing they had something to discuss. Harry smiled faintly. However, it was probably because his eyes were cold that it made his smile look a little stiff. ¡°Yuliana, did you really love me so much back then?¡± If she had really loved him back then, she would not have allowed other women to stay around him. Yuliana was stunned for a moment and did not answer Harry¡¯s question Instead, she asked rhetorically, ¡°Are you trying to guilt-trip me with our past rtionship because I don¡¯t want to let Margaret go?¡± She nced at him and added, ¡°Harry, this doesn¡¯t seem like something you would usually do.¡± Harry lowered his gaze and fell silent for a while. When he looked up at Yuliana again, he was back to his cold self. ¡°I¡¯m here to offer you a deal. Let go of Margaret, and I¡¯ll tell you a secret.¡± Yuliana frowned and looked at Harry in silence. However, her pursed lips betrayed her real emotions. If Harry were not confiderit that she would care about the secret he said, he would not have used it in exchange for Margaret¡¯s freedom. Yuliana fell silent for a moment. However, in the end, she could not help but ask, ¡°What is it?¡± Harry¡¯s expression remained unchanged. His eyes were still cold and calm. Yet, they exuded confidence. ¡°Is this a deal then?¡± Yuliana lowered her eyes to hide her emotions. ¡°You didn¡¯t say what it is. How would I know if it¡¯s worth it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about your father,¡± Harry replied. Yuliana¡¯s eyes trembled, and she suddenly looked up at him. Meanwhile, in Sce Corporation, Christopher pushed open the door of Kendrick¡¯s office and saw that Zavier and Zaiden were already there. The three of them looked at the door simultaneously upon seeing Christopher entering. ¡°Zavier. Zaiden, Christopher greeted. Zavier smiled and asked, ¡°Chris, how¡¯s Yuliana? When will she and the baby be discharged from the hospital?¡± The second and third branches of the Sce family only found out about the news of Yuliana¡¯s ident in the past two days. They only got the information from Kendrick and Joyce and have not had time to visit. Yuliana at the hospital. The baby was born prematurely, and he was still in the incubator. Hence, they would not be able to see him. The two families had nned to celebrate the baby¡¯s birth when the baby was discharged from the hospital. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Christopher replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Zavier. Yuliana will be discharged tomorrow, but the baby has to stay in the hospital for a while.¡± Zavier and Zaiden advised Christopher to take good care of Yuliana before leaving Kendrick¡¯s office. Christopher sat down, casually took a pen, and fiddled with it. Then, he looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the office?¡± matter? What is so important that you can¡¯t tell me over the phone and need me toe to your Kendrick did not answer his question. Instead, he picked up a document in front of him and handed it to Christopher. Christopher stared at the blue cover of the document for a while before he took it and opened it. He flipped through a few pages and knew what it was. He frowned and said, ¡°Hasn¡¯t this project been on hold. for many years?¡± Kendrick got up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at the high-rise buildings in the distance. ¡°You¡¯re right. This project has been on hold for many years, and now there is a chance to restart it.¡± It was not a big project. However, ording to Juxshire¡¯s future nning, the subsequent profits would be immeasurable if the project waspleted. Kendrick was not in a hurry to start the project previously as there was still time. On the other hand, with the capability of Sce Corporation at that time, the project would not impact thepany that much. However, Sce Corporation now needed a project with low investment and high return, and the timing was just right. Christopher threw the document back onto the desk and asked, ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡± Kendrick was silent for a while before finally saying, ¡°Harry looked for me.¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Someone Was Here? The project was put on hold because the piece ofnd that was crucial to the project belonged to the Ziegler family. The Ziegler family had not had any use for the piece ofnd. However, they refused to let go of it to disrupt the project of Sce Corporation. Ziegler Corporation had been trying to surpass Sce Corporation. Sce Corporation¡¯s progression had slowed in recent years, and the Ziegler family wanted to seize the opportunity. They used a lot of dirty tricks on the Sce family, both openly and in secret, causing the rtionship between the two sides in the business field to get worse. Just that morning, Harry met up with Kendrick and talked about the piece ofnd. He was willing to sell it to Sce Corporation at a price lower than the market price, provided that the Sce family would stop pursuing the case where Margaret kidnapped Yuliana. As long as the Sce family did not pressure the case, the Ziegler family would take care of all the other matters, and there was no need for the Sce family toe forward. The Ziegler family would take full responsibility for Margaret¡¯s consequences, whether good or bad. Of course, since Harry suggested that, he must have had the confidence to keep Margaret safe. That piece ofnd did not matter to the Ziegler family. However, it could keep Margaret safe and let the Sce family win public opinion. The Sce family did not care about winning public opinion, but George did. In an instant, Christopher understood what Kendrick meant. He got up, kicked the chair away, and stared at Kendrick¡¯s back coldly. ¡°Do you think the project can soothe Ana¡¯s pain? Kendrick, did you forget that my son is still in the incubator? Does it not matter to you because Alex isn¡¯t the one in it?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Kendrick turned around and looked at Christopher. Kendrick was silent for a moment before saying coldly, ¡°Even if Alex were the one inside the incubator today, I¡¯d still do the same. Christopher, you¡¯ve built Glory Corporation. You should know what we need to do to minimize the loss. What happened can¡¯t be changed anymore.¡± If this had happened before something happened to Yuliana, Kendrick would not agree to Harry¡¯s suggestion of using this project to minimize theirpany¡¯s loss. However, since it had already happened, even if Margaret went to prison for a few years, it would not change. the fact that Yuliana had given birth prematurely, and Rowan had to stay in the ICU since his birth. Christopher looked at Kendrick coldly for a long time. Ultimately, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± After saying that, he strode toward the door. Seeing the chair blocking his way, he kicked it again and knocked it over, causing it to hit the ground with a loud bang. After watching Christopher leave, Kendrick walked over and grabbed the chair to put it upright. Then, he lit a cigarette and stood in front of therge floor-to-ceiling window again, looking out the distance. The building of Sce Corporation had stood there for nearly 20 years. It stood at the best location in Juxshire. However, no matter how good the location was, it would be covered up by new high-rise buildings over time until only the mottled walls would remain. When Christopher returned to the hospital, Yuliana stood by the bed, trimming the flowers in the vase. The flowers were given by a teacher who visited her under the school¡¯s arrangement. Hailey trimmed the branches and put them in the vase. Yuliana wanted to trim the flowers again and change the water when she saw they were slightly wilting. Perhaps, she was too focused that she did not even notice Christopher¡¯s return. ¡°You should let Hailey do it.¡± Before Yuliana could react, Christopher snatched the scissors from her hand. meone Was Here? Yuliana looked at Christopher in a daze. She was stunned for a moment before she focused her gaze on his face and asked, ¡°When did youe back?¡± ¡°I came back when you were focused on trimming flower branches.¡± Christopher put down the scissors, snatched the flowers from Yuliana¡¯s hand, threw them aside, and wiped her hands carefully with a tissue. When Yuliana saw his tightly knitted brows, she immediately noticed that he was in a bad mood and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Christopher looked up at her and quickly lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just had some argument with Kendrick.¡± Yuliana asked, ¡°What argument?¡± The corner of Christopher¡¯s lips twitched. He sneered and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for brothers to have arguments?¡± Yuliana thought about what he said and thought it made sense. Christopher threw the tissues into the trash can. Then, he nced at the fruit basket on the desk that had not been opened yet. ¡°Someone came to visit you this afternoon?¡± He retracted his gaze to look at Yuliana and happened to meet her eyes. With that, Christopher immediately guessed who had visited Yuliana. He pursed his lips, paused for two seconds, and asked, ¡°Harry was here?¡± Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Discussion Yuliana was silent for a moment as she looked into his eyes. Initially, she wanted to brush it off. However, she did not expect Christopher to guess it so quickly. She did not even have a chance to react. She lowered her eyes and answered softly, ¡°Yes.¡± Christopher looked at her eyshes, which were trembling slightly, and asked, ¡°Why did hee?¡± Yuliana frowned slightly. She turned around and put the flowers back into the vase as she responded, ¡°Nothing. He just came to visit me.¡± Christopher chuckled, and then the expression on his face became cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that the rtionship between ex-wife and ex-husband can be so harmonious. You gave birth to my son, and he came to visit you.¡± His tone was t, and one could not tell his emotions. However, Yuliana felt that he was unhappy. She arranged the flowers, turned around, looked at him for a moment, and said, ¡°Christopher, I have something to discuss with you.¡± Christopher did not speak immediately, but his gray eyes were fixed on her. After a while, he asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Yuliana paused for another two seconds and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to pursue the matter further.¡± Christopher looked calm and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why?¡± Yuliana almost did not dare to look into his eyes. However, she made herself meet his eyes and said, ¡°I owe Harry a favor. I¡¯ll pay him back this time, okay?¡± After saying that, Christopher¡¯s eyes gradually turned colder and colder, and finally, it seemed as if a thickyer of ice had formed in his eyes. Christopher remained silent for a long time. His stare made Yuliana anxious, and she pursed her lips harder. She was afraid that Christopher would ask her about the favor she owed Harry. She did not know how to make up another excuse. It was as if the time in the ward had stopped. They looked at each other silently for a while until Hailey¡¯s voice sounded when the door was opened. ¡°Mr. Sce, you¡¯re back.¡± Both of them retracted their gazes simultaneously, and the atmosphere in the room returned to normal. Christopher nonchntly greeted Hailey, then walked to a chair and sat about two or three steps away from the bed. Yuliana went to her bed and picked up the book next to her. Hailey nced at them and then realized something was wrong. In the past few days, both of them were extremely affectionate to each other. It was to the point where Hailey felt she was an eyesore. Hence, she would stay outside the ward as much as possible when she had nothing to do. ¡°I only went out for a while. Howe they argued with each other?¡± Although Hailey was muttering in her heart, she knew her position. She would never ask anything she should not ask. Yuliana would be discharged from the hospital the following morning. Hence, Hailey walked in and out to pack her things. Although Yuliana only stayed in the hospital for a few days, there were quite some misceneous items, so Hailey packed the items that Yuliana did not use. Christopher and Yuliana sat on the opposite side. One of them was reading while the other was staring out the window with an icy expression. Yuliana could not focus at all. She held the book in her hand and felt like the words on the pages had blended and formed a dark-colored ball. She did not turn a page for a long time and could not help but nce at the man sitting on the chair from the corner of her eye. She felt as if there were silk threads entwining tightly in her heart. She wanted to untangle it, but the harder she tried, the tighter they tangied. The next morning. Yuliana finally saw Rowan, who was six days old, through the ss. She had not realized it when she looked at him through the phone, but now that she saw him in person, she realized he was extremely tiny, only almost the size of two of her palms. Yuliana did not know how to describe her feelings. It was quite a strange feeling. It felt strange, yet familiar. Rowan was her and Christopher¡¯s baby. Their blood was in his body, and he would grow from such a tiny baby to an adult like Christopher or her. In the future, he would call her ¡°Mommy.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears, but she did not dare to cry. She did not want her vision to be blurry, making her unable to see Rowan¡¯s face clearly. There was a time limit for visitation. It was only a few minutes, and she did not want to waste even a second. As soon as the visitation time reached its limit, the nurses came over to urge them to leave. When Yuliana came out of the ICU, she let her tears fall. Shey on Christopher¡¯s shoulder and could not control her emotions. She had cried so much these days, and it almost felt like she had used up the tears for her whole life. Christopher gently patted her frail back,forting her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. We¡¯ll pick him up when he recovers. By then, you can see him at home every day.¡± Yuliana calmed down, and they went back to the ward. After the discharge procedures were done, Christopher took Yuliana and Hailey back to Oceanview Apartment. On the third day after Yuliana was discharged from the hospital, the two men who attempted to take advantage of Yuliana that night retracted their confessions, denied all their previous testimonies, and disclosed that Margaret had nothing to do with everything. Both of them took full responsibility for what had happened. They said they had a grudge against Margaret. Hence, they deliberately made things up to take revenge on her. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. The police did not wholly believe their testimony. However, Margaret suddenly fell sick and applied for medical bail. Gerald, who was in charge of the case, initially rejected her application, but his superior issued an order and let Margaret out of the detention center the same day. After that, the police verified the testimony of the two men and confirmed that they did have a dispute with Margaret. During the second half of the previous year, Margaret and her friends went to a club, and the two men served Margaret at that time. For some reason, Margaret got into a serious argument with them. The club owner was afraid of offending the guests, so he asked the two men to apologize to her. However, Margaret was so angry that time that she insisted they kneel in front of her. To keep their job, the two men knelt and apologized to Margaret. However, they had always wanted to take revenge on Margaret, so they investigated her privately. They set her up after knowing she did not get along with Yuliana. About two weekster, the two kidnappers who kidnapped Yuliana were also arrested. The testimony of the two kidnappers matched the testimony of the two men, and all kinds of evidence proved that it had nothing to do with Margaret. As a result, Margaret waspletely disassociated from the case. However, less than a week after Margaret left the detention center, she had a dispute with someone. She beat a person up and caused that person to be seriously injured. Hence, she was sent to the detention center again The victim refused to ept anypensation and wanted Margaret to be put in jail. Besides, someone recorded Margaret when she was beating up the victim and uploaded the video online. Shortly after, Margaret¡¯s past was also exposed. Her arrogant and rude behavior angered the public. The impact of the incident was so bad that it would be useless even if the Ziegler family wanted to help. Rowan stayed in the incubator for seven weeks before his vital signs returned to normal. He was finally discharged and could go home. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Really On the day Rowan got discharged from the hospital, Yuliana went to pick him up with Christopher. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The moment Yuliana held Rowan in her arms, she could feel his soft little body. Rowan opened his eyes slightly, making a round mouth while waving his chubby hands in the air. Meanwhile, Yuliana froze on the spot, not knowing how to react. She was afraid that she would disturb him and make him ufortable. After holding him for a while, Rowan started wailing in Yuliana¡¯s arms. It could be that he was unable to get used to the environment outside the incubator. His cheeks flushed badly, and Yuliana was frightened to see 1. Kylie Zabel, the maternity matron, immediately hugged the baby and coaxed him gently by cradling him. After a while, Rowan stopped crying and soon fell asleep. Yuliana observed at the side, feeling a little envious. She wanted to hold Rowan again but was afraid of waking him up. Noticing her helpless expression, Kylie chuckled. ¡°The way you held him was too stiff. Although he¡¯s small, he¡¯s extremely sensitive to the environment. A newborn can easily detect any difort, and a cry is one of his first verbalmunications.¡± Yuliana listened carefully to her words. She had tried her best to learn newborn baby tips before the baby was born in the past month. However, it was not that easy to put them into action. She could only think of Rowan while holding him just now. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Take your time,¡±forted Kylie. At night, Rowan fell asleep in the crib after finishing his milk. Sitting beside the crib, Yuliana stared at his little face. His skin was too thin to retain moisture. She noticed that his face was peeling, and there was some redness. At that moment, she suddenly recalled what Christopher mentioned when Rowan was born. ¡°Christopher said that Rowan looks like a chubby snowball. Well, I agree with him now,¡± thought Yuliana. Although Rowan was still a baby, his double eyelids were obvious. He inherited his eyes and facial features from Christopher. Nheless, his face shape looked simr to Yuliana¡¯s. Yuliana looked at him in a daze, not knowing that someone hade in. Christopher walked behind her and leaned over, supporting himself with his arms on both sides of the crib. She came back to her senses when Christopher embraced her in his arms. Turning around, she looked at his head and said, ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t let the water on your head drip on him.¡± Hearing that, Christopher snorted lightly and deliberately shook his head, trying to ssh the water. Yuliana felt the water on her face. However, she ignored it and looked at Rowan in the crib subconsciously. The sound asleep Rowan seemed to be frightened as his limbs trembled. There were water droplets on his face. Hastily, Yuliana wiped off the water on Rowan¡¯s face. She turned around to stare at Christopher, only to see him grinning wickedly. ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher lowered his gaze and said bitterly, ¡°Since he came home, you only focus attention on him.¡± He felt invisible to Yuliana with Rowan around. Startled by his words, Yuliana quickly realized that she had really neglected Christopher. ¡°Not just today, but I¡¯ve been ignoring him since I was discharged,¡± contemted Yuliana. Rowan had been staying alone in the hospital at that time. That thought alone filled Yuliana with anxiety that she couldn¡¯t eat and sleep well. After Rowan¡¯s condition finally stabilized, she called Callie and Sabrina to inquire about something. She felt that there was a boulder on her chest, so heavy that she could not even breathe. Moreover, Yuliana was affected by the pregnancy, both physically and psychologically. Because of that, she didn¡¯t have much time and energy for Christopher. Besides worrying about her postpartum body, she was bothered by Margaret as well. Neither of them brought that up after that day. Nevertheless, Yuliana could still feel that Christopher hadn¡¯t let that go. She had a subtle hunch, albeit their rtionship remained the same. Yuliana met his eyes and kissed him on the chin. ¡°Let¡¯s see who he looks like.¡± The next second, Christopher nced at the little boy in the crib and asked, ¡°Can you tell who he looks like?¡± Yuliana curled up in his embrace and smiled softly. ¡°His facial features look like yours. His face shape looks like mine.¡± They looked at Rowan beside the crib for a while before returning to their room. Yuliana came out from her shower. Meanwhile, Christopher was ying with his phone on the bed. Hearing thementary, Yuliana assumed that he was watching a game tournament video. She went to check on Rowan again. Although the maternity matron was there, she was still worried and gave Kylie instructions. After all, it was the first night Rowan would be staying at home. When Yuliana returned to the room, Christopher was not on the bed anymore. She looked around and saw the bathroom light was brightly lit. Then Yuliana lifted the quilt andy on the bed. A few minutester, Christopher got on the bed and switched off the light. The room darkened in an instant. With that, Yuliana wrapped herself into Christopher¡¯s embrace. Christopher¡¯s body turned stiff for a moment, but soon he rxed. He merely hugged Yuliana gently and kissed her on the forehead twice. After waiting for a while, Yuliana felt his steady heartbeat pounding. She lifted her fingers and started drawing circles on his chest. There was no response from Christopher. He fell asleep quietly. Opening her eyes, Yuliana raised her head slightly and looked at Christopher¡¯s face through the dim light in the bedroom. Christopher¡¯s eyes were shut, and his lips were pursed into a tight line. The corner of her lips curled up slightly as she moved her hand down his chest. As soon as she touched his abdomen, Christopher pressed her hand abruptly. Christopher opened his eyes and saw Yuliana smiling smugly. With a frown, he warned, ¡°Stop messing around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Yuliana blinked before asking bluntly, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to do it?¡± Of course, he wanted to do it. As a matter of fact, it had been nearly three months since they did it together. They had been sleeping next to each other, but Christopher could not do anything. He could feel the desperation surging within him as days passed by. That feeling grew stronger after Rowan was born. Nheless, Yuliana needed time for recovery. For the past month, they merely gave each other a peck. Christopher was afraid that he couldn¡¯t restrain himself. Pressing on her hand, Christopher asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Almost immediately. Yuliana¡¯s face turned hot. Her vision became blurry, and his face turned fuzzy in front of her. She bit her lower lip and murmured, ¡°I can help you.¡± It was safer for them to wait at least for a while until Yuliana fully recovered from the pregnancy. However, Yuliana felt guilty for neglecting Christopher all this while. She wanted to make it up to him. Emotions flitted across Christopher¡¯s eyes. He looked shocked after hearing her words. ¡°Really?¡± His voice was hoarse. It wasn¡¯t something that Yuliana enjoyed doing. Hence, Christopher didn¡¯t want to pressure her into doing it. However, he didn¡¯t refuse this time, as she was the one who initiated it. Without saying anything, Yuliana turned over and proved it to him with action. They saw Annabelle at Rowan¡¯s birthday party. Although it was a birthday party for Rowan, he was in fact only two months old. They held the party at the Sce residence. The second branch of the Sce family, the third branch of the Sce family, and the Fuller family attended the party. Meanwhile, Callie arrived at Juxshire the day before the birthday party. She had a meal with Yuliana and Christopher before heading back to Jeahron that night. Having met Rowan, she didn¡¯t attend the party the next day. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Do You Still Love Me? ¡°Look at these eyes. They¡¯re exactly the same as Christopher¡¯s when he was a kid!¡± Winnie gently tapped Rowan¡¯s face as she gazed at him lovingly. A long-lost smile appeared on her face. Since Zachary¡¯s incident, Winnie seldom smiled. Her health condition had also gotten unstable. The three siblings of the Sce family did not dare to mention Yuliana¡¯s kidnapping to Winnie after it happened. It was not until a while ago, when Rowan¡¯s condition in the hospital had stabilized, that they told the old woman about the child¡¯s birth. However, they did not dare to bring up the kidnapping. They feared that Winnie would get worried, so they only said it was a little hup. ¡°Roe is so cute!¡± Beside Winnie, Zofia stared at Rowan in the olddy¡¯s arms. She reached out to touch the baby¡¯s hand with her fingers, but Rowan grabbed her fingers instead. ¡°He¡¯s grabbing my hand. She waved to Alex next to her. Refusing to back down, Alex stretched out a finger to touch Rowan¡¯s other hand. Rowan grabbed that too. Alex lifted his chin toward Zofia and said, ¡°He¡¯s grabbing my hand too!¡± Winnie looked at the three of them and smiled. ¡°You are siblings now. You have to protect your little brother from now on, okay?¡± Alex and Zofia rarely agreed on anything, yet they nodded at the same time. Winnie was quite happy that day. She rarely got to chat with everyone. However, Rowan was far too young. After a little bit of fun, he started to feel sleepy. In the end, Winnie allowed the maternity matron, Kylie, to coax the baby to sleep. As soon as the kid left, the smile on the olddy¡¯s face disappeared again, as her thoughts drifted to Zachary. She sat for a while longer before deciding to go upstairs. Annabelle apanied Winnie upstairs. Joyce said, ¡°Mom has been like this for some time. She would ask to be taken to Dad¡¯s room during mealtimes. She can only eat as she watches over Dad.¡± Basically, Winnie was reluctant to leave unless it was bedtime. She was afraid that Zachary would draw hisst breath as soon as she left. Yuliana frowned. ¡°She can¡¯t go on like this. Her body won¡¯t be able to bear it.¡± She had not been to the Sce residence for over two months. She used toe every so often. Back then, she could not see the difference. This time, it was clear that Winnie was, mentally and physically speaking, totally different than she had been before Zachary¡¯s incident. Besides, the olddy was in poor health. Joyce knew very well what Yuliana meant. The doctor had said that Winnie was mentally unwell. As long as Zachary remained unconscious, she would not be able to recover. Recently, Yuliana would put aside her work whenever she could to apany Winnie at home, but doing so had not been effective. These days, Winnie looked forward to seeing her grandson, and that put her in a better mood. Joyce said, ¡°Ana, why don¡¯t you stay in the Sce residence for a few days? Don¡¯t go back today. With you and Roe here, perhaps Mrs. Sce will feel better.¡± Yuliana nodded. Over the past few months, the Sce residence had been rather lifeless. The birthday party that day added quite a bit of joy. Many people were in attendance. The children ran about. It was a lively asion. Annabelle looked out to the yard from the window. The weather was warm and sunny. Joyce had prepared an open-air banquet. At that moment, many people were enjoying the food and drinking wine in the yard as they chatted. Yuliana was holding Rowan in her arms as she talked to Isabe and Wendy. They were a little far away, so Annabelle could not hear what they were talking about. Based on their expressions and manners, they seemed to be talking about the child. It was apparent that they had taken a liking toward Rowan. Annabelle saw that kid a moment ago too. He certainly took after Christopher and was likable by all. She looked away from Yuliana and gazed at the endless sky. Her heart felt empty. Annabelle left after lunch. She drove aimlessly through the streets, both familiar and unfamiliar ones. She had been in Juxshire for nearly twenty years. She thought she would have been more than familiar with the city, but it turned out to be false. She did not return to Grand Ind Mansion untilte at night. When she opened the door and went in, she smelled a strong stench of alcohol. She paused and turned on the light. It was then that she saw a man lying on the couch. One foot was on the armrest while the other pressed against the couch, The lights might have been too blinding for the man. He instinctively lifted an arm and pressed it against his eyes. Annabelle stood there for a while before she walked over and kicked at the man¡¯s leg. In a low voice, she said, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The man on the couch neither spoke nor moved at all, as if he had not heard her. Annabelle bent down and pulled his hand away. When she was about to speak, her eyes happened to meet the man¡¯s. His dark orbs resembled two ck holes attempting to suck her in. She briefly pursed her lips. Her eyes fell on his forehead resting on the backrest. It seemed to have been scraped as if it had hit something. The wound was a deep one. The area around it was bruised and swollen. Apparently, the wound had not been treated. Annabelle frowned. ¡°Were you in a fight?¡± Harry just looked at her without saying anything. His dark orbs dazzled in the light, revealing slight drunkenness even though he was mostly sober. Annabelle felt that her heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she could not look away. Before she could react, Harry closed his eyes again. Annabelle pursed her lips briefly. In the end, nothing was said. Then, she went looking for a first aid kit to treat his injury. The room was quiet except for some crackling noises. It was so quiet that they could even hear each other¡¯s breathing. After applying the medicine, Annabelle closed the kit and was about to put it back where she found it. As soon as she got up, Harry grabbed her wrist. The kit had not been closed properly, so all sorts of medicine and tools fell out of it and scattered all over the floor. As for Annabelle, she lost her bnce and fell directly on top of Harry. Instantly annoyed, Annabelle punched him in the chest. ¡°Get some medical help, psycho! Don¡¯te to my ce just to go crazy!¡± Her eyes reddened when she said that. That infinite sense of openness once again flooded her mind. The truth was that she was d to see Harry. At least she would not be alone. Immediately after that, she recalled that Harry was not hers to keep. Harry remained expressionless as he watched the tears roll down Annabelle¡¯s cheeks. He merely lifted a finger and lightly wiped them away. Then, he moved her toward him, pinched her chin, and kissed her hard. In fact, he kissed her so mercilessly that it would be more urate to call it a bite. Annabelle only felt numb and painful. The smell of blood spread out in her mouth, but she neither struggled nor evaded it. Instead, she bit back much harder. They went at it like two ferocious beasts. After some time, Annabelley quietly on Harry¡¯s chest, listening to his heartbeat. The sense of loneliness Do You Still Love Me? within her gradually disappeared. She looked up and gazed into his eyes as if she had been bewitched. She asked, ¡°Do you still love me?¡± Harry stared at her calmly. After a few seconds, he said lightly. ¡°What do you think?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The expression on Annabelle¡¯s face froze, but it soon returned to normal. Sheid on Harry¡¯s chest again and smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s fine that you don¡¯t love me. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be as stubborn as before and I can¡¯t get rid of you.¡± Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Do Something For Me Annabelle was talking about her time in university. Suddenly, she missed those moments very much. It was said that one would miss the past only when one was not doing well in the present. In fact, she knew Harry when she was in high school. He was a top student and ranked first in every exam. He was not bad-looking. Although he had a cold temperament, he was still very popr among the girls at school. Even Yuliana liked him too. But Annabelle thought he was a nerd, and he could not hold anything in his mind except reading and studying The first time she had another impression of Harry was during the university entrance exam. At that time, something seemed to have gone wrong with Christopher. He was studying hard like a madman. When she looked at Christopher behaving like that, she only felt that he was growing farther away from her. She felt panicked, bewildered, and angry, along with all kinds of emotions that were entangled in her. After a night of self-study sessions, she felt that she would definitely be suffocated if she continued to stay in the ssroom. At that time, the homeroom teacher was watching very closely, and Annabelle did not want to make a big deal out of it, so she sneaked out secretly with the excuse that she needed to go to the restroom because of her stomachache, but in fact, she had no ce to go. Finally, she found a corner in the school field where the lights were not illuminated. There were two big trees next to her. She sat on a chair under the tree, crying in secret. After high school, Annabelle never cried in front of others. The students in the school were afraid of her and did not dare to provoke her. She thought that no one could see her fragility. She thought that no one could see her crying over there, but she did not expect that Harry would be there. He was hiding there to smoke, and he saw her pathetic figure. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At that time, she felt like an animal being held in a vulnerable position, and she could not wait to pounce on him and bite him immediately. So she made the first move and pretended nothing had happened. Then, she teased him, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect ¨C that such an obedient student in the teacher¡¯s eyes and the top-ranked student would smoke in secret!¡± However, Harry ignored her and threw the cigarette butt on the ground. He stubbed out the cigarette. He walked away without even looking at her. Only a thin and frail figure was left behind. He was wearing a summer school uniform, and the top and trousers were a little short. It was on that night that Annabelle realized Harry was not as boring and rigid as she thought. She even thought she and Harry were simr on the inside. The vibration of the phone brought Annabelle back from the past. She raised her head and looked at Harry again. ¡°Your phone is ringing.¡± The phone kept vibrating in the pocket of his pants. It was vibrating against Harry¡¯s body and also vibrating against Annabelle¡¯s body. Harry responded in an indifferent manner and feigned ignorance. Annabelle looked into his eyes, and her gaze fell on his lips again. There were several injuries. The wounds were deep and provocative. She leaned forward and gently licked them again. She moved her hand into the pocket of the man¡¯s pants and took out his phone. She nced at the caller. There was the word ¡°Scarlett¡± on it. ¡°It¡¯s your dear fianc¨¦e¡¯s call. Do you want to answer it?¡± Annabelle asked. She was using a questioning tone, but after she finished speaking, she pressed the answer button before or Me Harry could say anything. Scarlett¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Harry, where are you?¡± Upon listening to the sound, it could be heard that Scarlett was very nervous and was apanied by a crying sound. Annabelle raised her eyebrows and ced the phone to the man¡¯s ear, but their gazes were locked on each other¡¯s faces the entire time. She lowered her head again and kissed Harry¡¯s chin. She was teasing his body with her hand. Harry stared at her with his deep eyes. He seemed to be calm, but there seemed to be a storm brewing under the calm surface. He asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As soon as Scarlett heard Harry¡¯s voice, she burst into tears. ¡°Harry, my dad didn¡¯t mean it. Can you not get mad at him?¡± Scarlett said Earlier that night. Harry had gone to the Lynch family for dinner. After dinner, Scarlett¡¯s father called Harry to the study room to talk about something for a while. No one knew what Harry had said, but Scarlett¡¯s father had smashed Harry with something, causing blood to drip from Harry¡¯s face. Harry left, and Scarlett chased after him, but she could not catch up, and the car had already gone. She was worried, so she drove to Highfield Manor again. She waited for several hours, but Harry did note back. At first, Harry did not answer the phone. Unexpectedly, it went through this time. Despite the excitement, she could not help but cry. Harry said, ¡°This is something between Mr. Lynch and me. It has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t think too much. Go to bed early.¡± After saying that, the man grunted in agony. Annabelle had bitten him. She bit his Adam¡¯s apple with great strength. After she was done biting, she looked up at him with some anger in her eyes as well as some smugness. Harry lowered his eyes and stared at her for a while. Harry pinched her out of revenge. Annabelle could not help but whimper. This sound went through to the other end of the phone. After hearing that, Scarlett immediately stood up from the couch, and her tears stopped streaming. She bit her lip and asked cautiously, ¡°Harry, who are you with?¡± Harry was still pinching Annabelle. He saw that her face was tinged with scarlet color, and there was desire in her eyes. He spoke in a steady and restrained voice. ¡°No one. I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow, and we can have dinner together.¡± After saying that, he hung up the phone. He grabbed the phone from Annabelle¡¯s hand and threw it aside. He turned over and pinned Annabelle beneath his body. At this time, Scarlett, who was in Highfield Manor, clenched her phone. She felt as if she was in an ice cer, and her whole body was so cold that her blood was frozen. She did not hear wrongly. There was a woman beside Harry, and that woman¡¯s voice was sweet and charming just now. As a woman herself, she could not help but feel nervous. Scarlett stood still dazedly for a long time. She turned around, and her eyes were wet. She bit her lip tightly, looked up at the dazzling crystal chandelier above, and wiped away her tears. Finally, there was only an icy expression on her face. Even though she knew that there might be another woman around Harry, she pretended to be unconcerned, so long as his heart was still with her. But when she really faced it, she realized that she could not stand it at all. The more she cared about it, the more she could not stand it. Scarlett picked up her phone and dialed a number. ¡°Do something for me.¡± Yuliana and Christopher brought their son to stay in the Sce residence for a week. With Rowan here, Winnie¡¯s attention was diverted from Zachary. As Winnie looked at the newborn child, she was indeed in a much better mood. The next day, after returning to Oceanview Apartment, it rained in Juxshire, and the temperature suddenly dropped. Even if the maternity matron kept Rowan warm, his body was too weak, and Rowan still had a cold. At first, it was not serious, and the symptoms were very mild. The maternity matron was very experienced with such minor problems, so she did not go to the hospital. But that night, Rowan began to have a fever. At first, it was just a low fever. The maternity matron applied an external cooling method, and Rowan¡¯s temperature dropped. But after an hour or two, Rowan¡¯s temperature. went up again, and it was higher than before. The newborn could not speak, and he was not feeling well, so he could only bawl and wail. And every time Rowan cried, he was particrly scary. With his mouth wide open, his face would turn swollen and red first, and then his face would turn blue as if he could not breathe. Yuliana was watching by the side. She could not do anything. She was so anxious that she wished she could take Rowan¡¯s ce and feel his suffering. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 I Miss You In the end, Rowan was sent to the hospital that night. The doctor took his temperature and found it was over 38 degrees Celsius. But Rowan was too young, so the doctor refused to give him an injection. Instead, he chose a physical cooling method, which was simr to the way the maternity matron did in the house before. Rowan was kept under observation. After a whole night, the temperature dropped a little. When they got home, Rowan finally fell asleep. Yuliana sat by the crib, exhausted. When she first found out she was pregnant, she even thought about raising her child by herself. Until then, she realized that her thoughts were too naive. Even with Christopher, Hailey, and the maternity matron, Kylie, by her side, it was still a torment. If she were alone, she wouldn¡¯t even know what to do in the middle of the night. In the next few days, Rowan¡¯s fever subsided, but there were still some cold symptoms. Yuliana hasn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep. Whenever Rowan made a slight noise at night, she would wake up to check on him so that she could have some peace of mind. When she woke up, Christopher also woke up. But Christopher still had work to do during the day, so Yuliana put a bed in the nursery for fear of disturbing his sleep. When Rowan made a lot of noise, she would stay in the nursery. Christopher had been busytely. On one hand, due to the wrong decision-making, the investment project lost a lot of money, and the internal operation of Glory Corporation had some problems, which Christopher would have to deal with in person. On the other hand, La went to Romdale, and Kendrick recently went to Alendor to investigate an important project. Some matters at the headquarters of Sce Corporation were handed over to Christopher. Christopher would go out early in the morning ande backte at night. It was almost impossible for them to be alone except at night. It was already wee hours when Christopher returned home that night. Yuliana just coaxed Rowan to sleep. When she heard the noise, she came out of the nursery and saw Christopher changing his shoes at the door. His coat was slung over his wrist. She walked over and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. A pungent smell of alcohol wafted into her nose. Yuliana assumed that he had drunk a lot. Christopher nodded and handed the coat to Yuliana. Looking at the nursery, he asked, ¡°Is Rowan asleep?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Yes, just recently.¡± Looking at dark circles beneath her eyes, Christopher frowned and said, ¡°Take a good rest tonight. Kylie is here to take care of our son if he cries. If she can¡¯t settle him down, I¡¯ll get up and do it.¡± In the past few days, Yuliana hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep. As soon as shey down to rest, Rowan would start to cry. There were times when Rowan didn¡¯t cry. But Yuliana would wake up suddenly and run to the nursery in a daze. She was probably hit with a nervous breakdown. Yuliana nodded, but she didn¡¯t take his words seriously. ¡°Do you want something to eat?¡± ¡°No.¡± After changing his shoes, Christopher unbuttoned his shirt and went back to his bedroom with Yuliana in his arms. Christopher went to take a shower. Yuliana made him a cup of warm honey water and sat on the couch in the room, waiting for him toe out. Probably because of theck of sleep recently, her eyelids dropped soon after she sat. But she didn¡¯t sleep well. When she heard the bathroom door open, she woke up. Yuliana looked in the direction of the bathroom in a daze. She got up too suddenly and almost fell down. Fortunately, she leaned on the armrest of the couch in time to stabilize her body. Seeing that she was in a bad condition, Christopher hurried over. He helped her sit down and touched her forehead. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Yuliana closed her eyes for a few seconds and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Maybe it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t gotten enough rest recently I was a little dizzy just now.¡± Hearing that, Christopher didn¡¯t say anything. He picked Yuliana up and put her on the bed, ¡°Sleep when you¡¯re sleepy. Don¡¯t wait for me.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything. She just put her hand around his neck and nuzzled against his neck like a kitten. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Christopher was stunned and soon noticed that Yuliana was in a bad mood. Yuliana shook her head gently and kissed Christopher¡¯s neck. Then she raised her head to kiss Christopher¡¯s chin, lips, and tip of his nose. After that, she moved back a little. Their foreheads touched each other, and their eyes met. The atmosphere seemed to be getting heated up. Christopher slid his fingers down from her neck to her back. He pressed her joints along the way and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ana, you need to rest.¡± Sensing his movements, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help shuddering. She didn¡¯t reply to him but took the initiative to kiss his thin lips. Instead of just pecking him, she kissed him the way he kissed her before. She said after a while, ¡°Christopher, I miss you.¡± From the moment she saw him standing at the door and changing his shoes, she suddenly felt that she hadn¡¯t seen Christopher for a long time. A kind of longing kindled in her heart for no reason. Christopher took a deep breath and kissed her without saying anything else. Yuliana took the initiative. She got up from the bed and sat on him. Holding his neck, she responded passionately to his kiss. Suddenly, the ringing of a phone came through. Yuliana was stunned. She paused what she was doing. Christopher, as if he hadn¡¯t heard it, removed the shoulder straps of her undershirt with his fingers. He continued moving down her neck. Yuliana pushed him. ¡°Phone.¡± His lust was aroused; there was no time for phone calls. The next second, she was pressed face down on the bed. Yuliana¡¯s ears gradually blocked the ringtone of the phone as she got immersed in the amorous moment. After their erotic interaction, Christopher carried Yuliana to take a shower. Yuliana was so tired that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes. Shey on the bed, and Christopher kissed the back of her shoulder. Yuliana¡¯s rest was disturbed by that, so she grunted with dissatisfaction. Christopherughed and then got up to check the previous call. Instantly, his eyes darkened. He nced at Yuliana, who was sleeping on the bed. He then left the room and shut the door before dialing that number. It took a while for the person on the other side of the phone to answer the call. ¡°Hello?¡± Annabelle¡¯s raspy voice came through. She sounded panicked. Christopher¡¯s eyes paused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Annabelle took a deep breath and shook her head. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s settled now.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t believe her at all. ¡°Nothing? And you called me in the middle of the night? What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked coldly. Annabelle was confused and didn¡¯t know what to say. After a while, she said with uncertainty, ¡°I feel like someone entered my house.¡± Christopher frowned. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Annabelle suddenly shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Christopher rubbed the spot in between his eyebrows and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. He only heard the anxious and heavy breathing on the other side of the line. After a while, he said, ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡± After hanging up the phone, Christopher went back to the room and changed his clothes. When he walked out, Yuliana seemed to notice something. She woke up and saw him change his clothes. She frowned. ¡°Are you going out?¡± Christopher paused. He walked to the bed and kissed her on the lips. ¡°Something happened to Annabelle. I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana, who was half asleep, suddenly became clear-minded. She stared at Christopher for a while and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you go tomorrow?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t say anything Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 He Is Back Seeing that Christopher wasn¡¯t replying to her, Yuliana knew that he wouldn¡¯t rest assured if he didn¡¯t head over. She looked down and didn¡¯t say anything for a while. Christopher kept his eyes on her, trying to read something from her expression. However, Yuliana was very calm. At times like that, he actually hoped that Yuliana would have some emotions so that he¡¯d feel better. ¡°Okay, go ahead,¡± Yuliana interrupted him before he could say a thing. She looked up at him for a moment and said faintly, ¡°Don¡¯t drive by yourself since you¡¯ve consumed alcohol. Call a designated driver or take a taxi.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Come home early.¡± Yuliana¡¯s words made Christopher swallow back the words that he wanted to say. ¡°Okay. Sleep early. Kylie¡¯s here, and she can take care of Roe, so you don¡¯t have to get up at night. Have a good rest.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana hummed softly in response and then closed her eyes. Christopher sat next to the bed for a while. After Yuliana¡¯s breathing calmed down, he got up and left. Hearing the sound of the door closing gently, Yuliana opened her eyes. Looking at the ceiling above the bed, she stared at the light-irradiated lines carefully. Though she seemed indifferent earlier, she was affected deep down. She was sleepy, yet she couldn¡¯t sleep. Yuliana got up from the bed and went to the nursery. The lights in the nursery were on. Kylie fell asleep by the side. She had been tired these days and didn¡¯t have a good rest, either. At that moment, she was sleeping soundly. She didn¡¯t notice that Yuliana hade in. Yuliana didn¡¯t wake Kylie up. She gently walked to the crib and looked at Rowan, who was asleep. It had been half a month since she was discharged from the hospital. Rowan grew fast. The pinkness of his skin began to fade, and his facial features were beginning to develop more. He was starting to look more and more like Christopher. It was half past three in the morning when Christopher arrived at Grand Ind Mansion. The vi was brightly lit. Christopher rang the doorbell. He waited for a while, but no one came to open the door. He tried to enter the password, but the password was wrong. Then he realized that Annabelle must have changed the password. He took out his phone and called Annabelle. The phone was answered after two beeps. ¡°I¡¯m here. Open the door.¡± Annabelle had just fallen asleep. When she heard Christopher¡¯s voice all of a sudden, she was confused for a moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know the password?¡± Christopher was silent for a moment. ¡°The password is wrong.¡± Annabelle was stunned and told him a new set of numbers. Grand Ind Mansion was bought by Annabelle before she returned to the country. Christopher didn¡¯t go there many times. Most of the time, she went to Oceanview Apartment to find him. She changed the password once, but Christopher didn¡¯teter, so she forgot to tell him. Christopher typed in the password and opened the door. He checked around and saw that the doors and windows were closed, and the items in the vi didn¡¯t look like someone had moved them. Christopher went upstairs and knocked on Annabelle¡¯s bedroom before pushing the door open. The lights in the room were also on. At a nce, he saw Annabelle crouching on the floor by the bed. Her arms wrapped around her knees. Looking at him nkly, she was holding her phone tightly in her hand. He frowned slightly and was about to walk toward her when he suddenly caught a glimpse of what was on the coffee table. It was a whip that was rolled into two circles. The handle of the whip was made of wood, and it looked a little old. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened. He walked to the coffee table. Picking up the whip, he looked at it carefully. When Annabelle saw that, she suddenly got out of control and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± After roaring, she immediately got up and rushed over. She grabbed the whip from Christopher and threw it hard. It fell to the corner of the wall. Annabelle¡¯s whole body was trembling, and her eyes widened in fear as she stared at the whip. ¡°He is back!¡± Looking at Annabelle¡¯s reaction, Christopher¡¯s brows furrowed deeper. ¡°Annabelle¡­¡± Annabelle didn¡¯t hear Christopher¡¯s words at all, as if she was trapped in a nightmare. She continued mumbling to herself, ¡°He¡¯s back! It must be him!¡± Christopher looked at Annabelle silently for a while and stepped forward to hug her. Annabelle seemed to have found a safe haven. She grabbed Christopher¡¯s clothes and hid in his arms. Her eyes were still vignt as she looked at the whip. Her body was shaking. Annabelle didn¡¯t sleep until dawn. Christopher covered her with a nket. Sitting down on the couch, he took out his phone and looked at it. Yuliana didn¡¯t send a message. Thest message was sent yesterday afternoon. Yuliana asked him if he would go back for dinner at night. He said he wouldn¡¯t because there was a social engagement at night and asked her not to wait. Yuliana hurriedly replied to him, saying that their son was crying. Perhaps she had gone to take care of their son, so she no longer replied to him after that. Christopher stared at thest message for a long time. He clicked on the keyboard button and typed some words. After hesitating for a while, he deleted them. Then he typed again, but he still deleted them in the end. After repeating it several times, he still failed to send it. Atst, he exited the WhatsApp interface. He leaned against the couch and closed his eyes to rest for a while. Then, he went to the corner to pick up the whip. He looked at it carefully before checking around the room. Nothing suspicious was found. Walking out of the room, Christopher continued checking the other ces upstairs. But he found nothing. Christopher went back to the first floor and checked again. When he checked the windows, he found that one of the windowtches wasn¡¯t locked, or rather, it was loose. Judging from its condition, it was clear that someone had tampered with it. He stood there for a while. Then, he went to the couch in the living room and slept there for two hours. When the day brightened, he called the management office of Grand Ind Mansion and asked them for footage ofst night from the surveince cameras near Annabelle¡¯s vi. However, no suspicious person came in except Annabelle. Christopher wandered around the vi and found that there were many blind spots around Annabelle¡¯s vi. It was not difficult to get in through that window without getting caught on camera. With some spection in his heart, Christopher left a note for Annabelle and left. On the way back to Oceanview Apartment, he passed by a breakfast restaurant. Christopher went there and bought wholemeal buns of different vors and some hash browns. When he got home, he gave Hailey the food and asked, ¡°Is Ana awake?¡± Shaking her head, Hailey looked at him with some reproach in her eyes. ¡°I heard from Kylie that she didn¡¯t sleep muchst night and had been taking care of Roe.¡± Christopher asked, ¡°Where is she?¡± Hailey nced at the bedroom and said, ¡°Roe has just woken up. Yuliana carried him to her room to feed him milk.¡± When Christopher opened the door and entered, Yuliana had just finished feeding Rowan. Upon hearing the noise from behind, Yuliana thought it was Hailey or Kylie. Only when she didn¡¯t hear anyone speaking did she turn around. When she saw Christopher, her eyes paused for a while. After two seconds, she said faintly, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Why Do You Want Them Seeing that it was Christopher, she paused for a moment. After two seconds, she said faintly, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Christopher hummed in acknowledgment. Walking up to Yuliana, he took Rowan from her arms. Rowan was energetic and full at the time. He had enough sleep. He clenched his fist and stuffed it into his mouth. His saliva drenched his whole hand, and his ck eyes kept staring at Christopher. Yuliana ignored the father and son. She went to the bathroom and washed herself. When she came out, she saw Christopher sitting on the couch with Rowan in his arms and teasing him. Rowan crinkled his eyes and smiled. Christopher asked, ¡°Do you think he can understand me?¡± Yuliana walked over. She poked Rowan¡¯s soft face with her finger and said softly, ¡°He¡¯s so small. How can he understand?¡± ¡°But he¡¯s smiling at me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that he¡¯s amused by your movements. He actually has no idea of what¡¯s happening.¡± After being discharged from the hospital, Rowan seldom smiled. When he was awake, he would just stare at people quietly most of the time. Moreover, his eyes were not fully developed, so when he looked at people, he only stared symbolically. But Yuliana found that every time Christopher hugged him, he did smile more. There were things that were indeed unexinable. Though she conceived him for seven months, sometimes she really felt that Rowan seemed to be closer to Christopher. Yuliana asked, ¡°How is Annabelle?¡± Christopher was silent for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Yuliana nced at him and wanted to ask him something else. But when she saw the faint expression on his face, she swallowed back what she wanted to ask. Somebody knocked on the door, and Hailey¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Mr. Sce, Yuliana, breakfast is ready.¡± Yuliana hummed a response. Taking her son from Christopher¡¯s arms, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast.¡± After saying that, she carried Rowan out first. Christopher sat for a while. A whileter, he headed to the walk-in wardrobe to get changed and went out. Yuliana handed the child over to Kylie and sat at the dining table with a wholemeal bun in her hand. Seeing Christophering out, she noticed his clothes at a nce. He wore a simple white T-shirt paired with ck sports shorts, which revealed his slender and well-proportioned legs. Although his skin was fair, he was quite hairy. His calves were covered with thick hair. Yuliana took a sip of milk and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going out today?¡± Christopher dragged the chair and sat down. ¡°No.¡± He picked up a boiled egg and shelled it. Then, he offered it to Yuliana. Yuliana opened her mouth and took a bite. Christopher stuffed the rest of the egg into his mouth. Yuliana lowered her eyes and continued eating the wholemeal bun she was holding. After a while of silence, she said, ¡°If you¡¯re staying at home with me because you feel guilty about what happenedst night, then it¡¯s unnecessary. I don¡¯t want you to do this.¡± Christopher replied, ¡°There¡¯s nothing important today. I don¡¯t need to go to thepany. Besides, I wanted to spare a day with you and our son.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Yuliana did not say anything more. After breakfast, Rowan fell asleep again. Yuliana didn¡¯t have much restst night, so she nned to go back to her room to sleep. Christopher apanied Yuliana to lie down for a while. Soon, his phone vibrated twice. He looked at it and got up from the bed. He went outside to return the call. He said, ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± Annabelle gave a soft response. Crumpling the piece of note, she threw it into the trash can. She pulled her hair and asked, ¡°When did you leave?¡± Christopher said, ¡°This morning.¡± Annabelle walked back and forth in the room twice, but she didn¡¯t find anything. Everythingst night seemed like a dream. If it weren¡¯t for Christopher¡¯s note, she would have suspected it was just a dream. Annabelle hesitated for a while before asking, ¡°Last night¡­¡± Christopher said, ¡°Someone did go into your housest night.¡± Annabelle¡¯s pupils shrank. So, the whip was not her illusion. She gritted her teeth and asked after a while, ¡°Is it him?¡± Christopher was silent for two seconds. ¡°He¡¯s dead. How can the dead survive?¡± Annabelle closed her eyes. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s dead. But who else could it be except him?¡± she thought. Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to investigate this matter. Why don¡¯t you stay in a hotel? I¡¯ll get two people to protect you.¡± Annabelle let out a heavy sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you forst night. But you can leave the rest of the matter alone. I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Annabelle answered and hung up the phone. Christopher stood by the window for a while and dialed another number. ¡°Craig, find me two people.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Someone who¡¯s good at investigating and fighting.¡± On the other end of the line, Craig was stunned. ¡°Why do you need them?¡± ¡°I have my reasons,¡± Christopher said. Craig was speechless for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them to contact you tonight.¡± Yuliana woke up after sleeping for more than an hour. She needed to feed Rowan milk. She woke up and stared at Christopher, who was still asleep. Then she gently lifted the nket and got out of bed. Christopher didn¡¯t wake up until lunchtime. In the afternoon, Yuliana apanied Rowan in the nursery. When he was awake, she would y with him. When he was asleep, she would either read a book or sleep in the nursery if she was sleepy. Christopher went in and out several times. His phone rang every once in a while, so he would leave the room to answer the calls and deal with things. When Rowan was awake, his phone didn¡¯t ring. But his phone rang every time Rowan fell asleep. Startled by the ringing, Rowan twitched his limbs. When Christopher came in after answering the phone, Yuliana red at him unhappily. ¡°Either mute your phone or don¡¯t bring your phone in.¡± Christopher muted his phone and threw it aside. Sitting down beside Yuliana, he put his arm around her shoulders and nced at her face. However, Yuliana focused on flipping through the book in her hand,pletely pretending he didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana said faintly. She was still fixing her eyes on the book. Christopher said, ¡°There will be a birthday banquet in a few days. Ken is not around, so I need to go there. Can you apany me?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment before looking at Christopher. ¡°What birthday party?¡± Christopher said, ¡°Leonard¡¯s grandfather¡¯s 80th birthday.¡± Why Do You Want Them Actually, Christopher was somewhat rted to Leonard¡¯s family. Winnie¡¯s surname was also Fuller. But when it came to Winnie¡¯s generation, the rtionships between them were no longer close. They were still considered rtives, but distant ones. Although Christopher¡¯s maternal side of the family hadn¡¯t been around much with Leonard¡¯s family, the Sce family shared a good rtionship with Leonard¡¯s family. They had been working together in business for many years. No matter what, the Sce family had to attend the birthday banquet. Kendrick was in Alendor, so he couldn¡¯te back in time. Besides, Zachary was in aa So, Christopher had to go on behalf of his family. Moreover, judging from the rtionship between Christopher and Leonard, they should go to the banquet. Yuliana replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, Yuliana shifted her attention to the book again Seeing that, Christopher took the book from her hand and put it on his side so that she couldn¡¯t reach it. Yuliana red at him with anger. ¡°Give it back.¡± ¡°No.¡± Christopher began to y tricks. Holding her back with one hand, he grabbed her legs with the other. He scooped her up and put her on hisp. Then he pinched her chin and kissed her. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Are You Still Angry Christopher began to y tricks. Holding her back with one hand, he grabbed her legs with the other. He scooped her up and put her on hisp. Then he pinched her chin and kissed her. Last night, Christopher was afraid that her body hadn¡¯t recovered, so he was still very restrained. But at that moment, he didn¡¯t want to hold himself back anymore. The only time Christopher made love to her without any scruples was the first time. In fact, he even deliberately made her ufortable. However, after Yuliana became pregnant and gave birth to Rowen, he would be careful when having sex with her every time. Yuliana noticed Christopher¡¯s intention. Shey obediently in his arms, letting him kiss her. Christopher was immersed in his erotic mood when Yuliana pushed him away all of a sudden and broke free from his grasp. It was too sudden. Christopher had no time to react. Stunned, he watched Yuliana straighten her clothes and leave the room after picking up Rowan, who was sleeping on the bed. ¡°Yuliana!¡± Yuliana stopped. Turning around, she looked down at him and said with a cold smile, ¡°Settle it yourself.¡± She then walked out of the nursery with Rowan in her arms. Christopher looked at her receding figure and gnashed his teeth. His face was as ck as thunder. The sunset illuminated the earth. After dinner, Yuliana wanted to go downstairs for a walk to help with her digestion and bring Rowan out for some fresh air. It had been quite some time since Rowan was discharged from the hospital. Aside from going to the Sce residence, Rowan had never left the house. The stroller she had prepared a long time ago had hardlye into use. They brought Rowan out and walked around the neighborhood twice. Yuliana began to sweat and pant. On the contrary, Christopher looked fresh. Though he was still carrying Rowan, he didn¡¯t even sweat a little. After giving birth to Rowan, Yuliana obviously felt the changes in her body. Although she hadn¡¯t exercised regrly in the past, it was no problem for her to run three miles. But currently, she was starting to feel tired despite having only been walking for a while. Her figure had changed a lot after giving birth, too. Although she only gained a few pounds, her skin was much looser than before, especially around her abdomen. In addition to the ugly scar, her skin was loose, and there were also several stretch marks. In the past, Yuliana didn¡¯t care too much about those. But when realization dawned on her, she was still a little anxious. At night, Craig sent the people¡¯s information to Christopher. Both of them were from special forces. One of them was older. He was well-equipped with a lot of experience in that field. He looked mature and cautious. The other had lesser experience. He changed his career two years ago. Though he was younger, he had excellent agility. Christopher made a phone call with the elder man, put forward his request, and then sent Annabelle a message. After that, Christopher went back to his room. The lights in the bathroom were on, but it was quiet. He knocked on the door twice, but there was no response. He tried opening it. The door was not locked. When he pushed it open, he saw Yuliana standing in front of the mirror with her hair half-dried. Her clothes were lifted. She was looking at her abdomen and rubbing the scar with her fingers. He frowned deeply and called her. Yuliana came back to her senses and subconsciously looked at the door. Then, she suddenly realized something and quickly put down her clothes. She pursed her lips. Layers of emotions flicked across her eyes. Then she calmed down again. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°This is my house. Can¡¯t Ie in?¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows. He walked to her and lowered his eyes, pausing them at her abdomen for a moment. Yuliana noticed his movement and subconsciously stretched out her arm to block it. She couldn¡¯t help ring at him and was about to leave. Christopher grabbed her slender wrist. He pulled her back and held her tightly in his arms from behind. ¡°Are you still angry?¡± In the mirror, there was a reflection of them embracing each other. Yuliana¡¯s body frame was small. Even if she had gained weight, she wouldn¡¯t appear fat. She would only look. plumper, which was in contrast with Christopher¡¯s tall and slender body. Yuliana struggled twice, but she still couldn¡¯t free herself. Christopher held her hands with both of his. Her arms were also wrapped by him. She couldn¡¯t move at all. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. She looked at Christopher in the mirror and asked, ¡°When did I get angry?¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes fell on her side profile as if he was carefully observing her expression. Yuliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°No.¡± She lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them. But her face was calm. There weren¡¯t any changes in her expression. Christopher sneered and said firmly, ¡°Liar.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyes and stare at him. She could no longer hide her emotions. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Christopher didn¡¯t let go of her. Instead, he lowered his head to kiss her face and ear. He blew her gently and said, ¡°We weren¡¯t able to finish in the afternoon.¡± Yuliana tilted her head to dodge, and his kiss fell on her neck. His fingers moved to the sensitive points of her body. Soon, she couldn¡¯t feel any strength in her. Her eyes turned red. She grabbed his arm tightly and dug her fingertips into his flesh. ¡°Christopher!¡± she called. Yuliana pursed her lips tightly, tears rolling in her eyes. Christopher stopped. He stared at Yuliana in the mirror before loosening his grasp on her. Then, he turned around and looked at her. He raised his hand to wipe her tears that were about to roll down. However, Yuliana dodged. She didn¡¯t look at him and dropped her gaze to the floor. Christopher¡¯s hand hovered in the air for a moment and fell. After a while of silence, Yuliana asked, ¡°Christopher, have you ever thought about your rtionship with Annabelle seriously?¡± Previously, she had been deceiving herself, thinking that Christopher¡¯s care for Annabelle was nothing but a sense of responsibility. Butst night, she thought about it all night. Whether it was a responsibility or not, if Annabelle was superior to her or Rowan, she wondered who Christopher would choose if he needed to make a choice one day. Would he choose Annabelle or Yuliana and Rowan? Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Chapter 252 I Mean If She waited a while, but Christopher didn¡¯t answer. She looked up at him and stared into his eyes. She sensed him struggling to make a decision, but it dissipated soon after. It was as if he couldn¡¯t escape from his fatality. Yuliana felt a sharp pain in her heart. She forced her tears back and asked with a smile, ¡°If one day, I Annabelle, our son, and I are in danger at the same time, and you can only save one side, who will you save?¡± The question was childish and ridiculous. However, Yuliana just wanted to hear Christopher¡¯s answer. Christopher frowned and blurted, ¡°Ana, I won¡¯t let this happen again. You and our son will be fine.¡± ¡°I mean if!¡± Yuliana looked at him and waited for his answer. She already knew the answer in her heart, but she didn¡¯t dare to face it. That was why she wanted Christopher to tell her on his own. Christopher was silent for a long time and didn¡¯t answer Yuliana¡¯s question again. Yulianaughed at herself. The moment she turned around, she bit her lip and tears rolled down her eyes. She wanted to pretend that nothing had happened and continue to live in peace. But when Christopher kissed her, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the scene of Christopher leavingst night. It made her body elicit a sense of repulsion. So she couldn¡¯t help but point out the problem between them. She really didn¡¯t know how things turned out that way. Perhaps the more she cared about something, the more she couldn¡¯t bear any ws in it. Yuliana left the bathroom and went to the nursery for a while. In the next few days, Christopher was busy again. He went out early and returnedte. When he went out in the morning. Yuliana was still asleep. When he came back, Yuliana had already fallen asleep. She no longer waited for him toe back as she did previously. In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Leonard¡¯s grandfather¡¯s birthday banquet. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana wore an improved nude gown to the banquet. It was simple and elegant, showing off her figure perfectly. Meanwhile, Christopher wore a ck suit, which was perfectly tailored. It was the first time they showed up at such a grand banquet after publicizing their rtionship. As soon as they appeared, they attracted the attention of numerous people. Before the dinner began, Christopher brought Yuliana with him to send their felicitation to Lucas. Lucas was sitting on the seat, and someone was talking to him. Lucas¡¯ temperament was good. He always talked to others with a smile on his face. Christopher and Yuliana stood beside them for a while. Soon, Milton and Rosalyn came over to greet them. Christopher said, ¡°Ana, this is Mr. Fuller and Mrs. Jenkins.¡± Yuliana followed Christopher¡¯s ways of addressing them. There were too many guests at Zachary¡¯s birthday banquetst time. Christopher only brought Yuliana to meet the rtives from his paternal side and the ones from Winnie¡¯s side. But before going to the banquet, Christopher had talked to Yuliana about the Fuller family. Rosalyn smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re fast. Not only did you get married, but now you even have a son. The one in my family is still single!¡± Christopher said, ¡°Mrs. Jenkins, this is your fault. You control Leonard too much. Otherwise, he would have brought you a daughter-inw.¡± After Lucas finished talking to the guests, he greeted Christopher and Yuliana. Lucas red at him and pretended to be angry. ¡°What are you busy with these days? I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here now!¡± Christopher pushed Yuliana forward and said, ¡°And I brought someone to see you. This is my wife. Beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡± Yuliana blushed and greeted him as Grandpa Lucas. Lucas sized her up for a while and said, ¡°Good taste. The girl is very pretty. You have to treat her well. Don¡¯t do anything despicable.¡± Rosalyn answered, ¡°He won¡¯t. Chris is now a father. He¡¯s much more sensible than the one in our family. Lately, Chris has been busy with work. He no longer fools around.¡± What she said was true. In the past, Christopher, Raymond, and Leonard were very close. They always hung out with a group of people. They were either in bars or at poker tables in various clubs. When Christopher got together with Yuliana, he seemed to turn over a new leaf. Even if he had nothing to do, he would stay at home instead of going out to have fun with them. Hearing Rosalyn¡¯s words, Lucas became even angrier. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you hurry up and find someone for Leonard? I¡¯m still waiting for my great-grandson. I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll be alive to see him if things get dyed for another one or two years.¡± ¡°Grandpa, why are you talking nonsense on your birthday?¡± Leonard and Raymond came over, along with Xandria. Seeing Raymond and Xandria, Rosalyn couldn¡¯t help but sigh again. Out of the three, only her son, Leonard, was still single. She felt a little ufortable at that instant. Raymond smiled and said, ¡°Grandpa Lucas, you¡¯re full of vigor. Not to mention a year or two, it won¡¯t be a problem for you, even if it¡¯s ten or twenty years.¡± They apanied Lucas for a while. When other elders came to talk to Lucas, they went to the other side. Yuliana stood for a while and was a little tired. She took Xandria to a ce to sit down and rest. Xandria took two sses of juice and handed one to Yuliana. She asked, ¡°Has my godson recovered from his cold?¡± She nned to visit Rowan before, but Yuliana said he caught a cold. Considering how weak the immune system of a newborn was, Xandria didn¡¯t visit Rowan. She was afraid of infecting him with the germs she brought from outside. Yuliana took the juice, but she didn¡¯t drink it. ¡°He¡¯s fine now.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go see him some other day. As his godmother, I haven¡¯t even seen him before.¡± Xandria pursed her lips. Biting her straw, she looked around the banquet hall. Suddenly, her eyes paused, and she frowned. ¡°Why is he here? What bad luck!¡± Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Chapter 253 What Are You Looking At? ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Yuliana looked in her direction. She saw Harry and Scarlett in the middle of the crowd, talking to several young men and women. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Scarlett talked to the men and women before her most of the time. Meanwhile, Harry just stood there quietly, absent-minded. Yuliana didn¡¯t expect to run into Harry at Lucas¡¯ birthday party. On second thought, it was only normal to see Harry at the Fuller family¡¯s birthday party. Many of the Fuller family¡¯s business partners attended the birthday party. Their business partners were within Juxshire¡¯s circle, and they usually dealt business with one another. Even if they hadn¡¯t done business with each other in the past, it didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t work together at present or in the future. The businessmen were only concerned about their own interests. ¡°Come on, just pretend you didn¡¯t see them.¡± Yuliana looked away and took a sip of the juice. The juice was cold. She couldn¡¯t eat too much cold food nowadays. If she didn¡¯t pay attention to it, she would get sick. When Xandria heard what she said, Xandria became enraged, ¡°Yuliana, can¡¯t you be tougher? When you see the Ziegler family¡¯s scum, you should kick his ass!¡± Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°After that, what should I do next?¡± If Yuliana were to do that, everyone would be put on the spot. Perhaps, Harry had such thick skin that he wouldn¡¯t feel much pain, and she would instead hurt her own hand. Xandria tutted and shook her head. ¡°Yuliana, are you being too sensible, or are you being too aggrieved?¡± Xandria thought, ¡°She often thinks about the consequences first in everything she does.¡± Yuliana practiced cautiousness and good manners, but Xandria thought it was meaningless. Xandria didn¡¯t dwell on the topic. Instead, she talked about a new bag from a brand she liked and wanted to invite Yuliana to have a look. Yuliana hadn¡¯t gone shopping in months. She stayed at home every day. She would also like to go out to improve her mood. Therefore, she made an appointment with Xandria. The duo could go out for some rxation during the weekend. As soon as they finished talking, Scarlett came over to them. ¡°Hello, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Scarlett nced at Yuliana before turning to Xandria. ¡°Hello, Ms. Yeager.¡± Yuliana nodded politely. ¡°Nice to see you, Ms. Lynch.¡± Scarlett said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Ms. Livingstone for a long time. I heard from Wade that you¡¯ve asked for a leave. Is that true?¡± Scarlett¡¯s cousin, Wade, was one of the students from Yuliana¡¯s ss. Yuliana replied to her coolly. Xandria sneered to herself, ¡°The news that Margaret had bribed the kidnappers to kidnap Yuliana was already known in our circle. How can Scarlett not be aware of the recent upheaval in the Ziegler family? Besides, Scarlett must have known about the rtionship between Yuliana and Harry long ago. Why is she trying to y dumb now?¡± Xandria rolled her eyes without hesitation. Scarlett noticed Xandria¡¯s expression. Scarlett didn¡¯t pay much attention to it and kept a smile on her face. She paused for a moment before saying regretfully, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve heard about the recent incident. I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re safe and sound. Ms. Livingstone, Marge has had a bad temper since she was a child. She had finally learned her lesson. I hope she will keep her temper in check in the future.¡± Yuliana replied to her politely. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave you two alone. It¡¯s time for Harry toe to me.¡± Scarlett nodded with a smile. She then acere You Looking At? turned around and went up to Harry. Meanwhile, Harry was in a business conversation with several men in their thirties and forties. The Ziegler family thrived in business these days. As such, many people took the initiative to ride on his coattails. Yuliana cast a nce at him indifferently. When she averted her gaze, she noticed a familiar figure. She immediately looked back in that direction. She thought, ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± The man wore a dark gray suit with a ss of wine in his hand and a smile on his face. He looked down as he listened to the people talking next to him. He was calm and casual. The man seemed to have noticed Yuliana¡¯s gaze, so he looked up to see Yuliana. When they exchanged nces, the man nodded and smiled at Yuliana. Some images shed in Yuliana¡¯s mind. She stared at him expressionlessly and didn¡¯t respond to his greeting. ¡°What are you looking at? Why do you look so serious?¡± Christopher¡¯s voice rose. Yuliana averted her gaze and tilted her head to look at Christopher. He stood right behind her with his hand resting on the backrest of the couch. He looked in the same direction that Yuliana had looked before. She was caught by surprise and said in a low voice, ¡°Nothing.¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Proper Introduction Yuliana turned away and regained herposure, but she did not look back. However, Christopher saw this and his face darkened. He stared at Yuliana stonily for a moment, then left to look for Raymond and Leonard. Sensing that something might have happened between Yuliana and Christopher, Xandria asked the former, ¡°Did you and Christopher get into a fight?¡± Stumped, Yuliana looked up to meet Xandria¡¯s imploring gaze before answering hesitantly, ¡°No.¡± It had been a while since shest quarreled with Christopher. During their early days, quarreling was almost a daily activity for them, if not second nature. But, as time went on and they got to know each other, they couldn¡¯t seem to find the drive to pick fights with each other anymore. To be fair, Christopher treated her decently enough. He certainly never abandoned his responsibilities and fooled around aside. He even took care of the household and Rowan during his free time. In any case, he was a good husband; better than Yuliana expected. s, human nature was such that one simply would not be satisfied with what one had, and high expectations would only lead to greater disappointments. Dinner began shortly after. Christopher returned to escort Yuliana to dinner. They were seated at the same table as Xandria and Raymond. There were other familiar faces at the table as well, and being younger than Christopher and Raymond, they greeted the two men politely. Given their simrity in age, the group got along well. Christopher was a man of few words, but he seemed particrly quiet this evening. Normally, when he was among friends, he wouldn¡¯t mind voicing his thoughts during a conversation that was on a topic of interest, and he would appear moreid-back as well. However, he kept to himself the entire evening, and if Raymond had not initiated small talk with him, he would not have uttered a single word at all. All the more concerning was the stormy look on his face, That being said, he was still an attentive partner to Yuliana, and he made sure to taste every dish before he gave her helpings. When the others at the table noticed Christopher¡¯s considerate gesture, one of them teased, ¡°The award for Husband of the Year goes to Chris!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana had just set her spoon down after taking a sip of her soup when she heard this. She looked up at the person who spoke and saw that it was a young man in his twenties. He seemed like the childish sort. Christopher nced at Yuliana, then at the young man. ¡°Be quiet when you eat.¡± The young man who had spoken earlier was Emmett Fuller, Leonard¡¯s younger cousin. More urately, they were distant cousins, but Emmett had always been close to Leonard and would stick to thetter like glue when they were children. That was how Raymond and Christopher got to know him as well. Presently, Emmett grinned. ¡°Oh,e on, Chris, are you shy? You were never this sweet with the other girls before!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Xandria chimed in jokingly, ¡°How many girlfriends did Chris have?¡± Emmett¡¯s expression froze when he heard this, and his gaze flickered past Yuliana. Flustered, he quickly added, ¡°Uh, maybe I was exaggerating. There was Annabelle, for sure, but they were abroad and¡­¡± His voice gradually died down halfway through the sentence, for he dared not continue speaking. Christopher was staring at him now, and while his gaze was not threatening in any way, Emmett knew better than to push the man¡¯s limits. As such, he cleared his throat and went on eating in silence. Xandria, on the other hand, grew anxious at the mention of Annabelle¡¯s name. She nced at Yuliana only to see that the girl was perfectlyposed, her expression as cid as ever. Raymond immediately changed the subject. ¡°By the way, Chris, when will we get to meet your son?¡± Christopher looked at him with a raised brow. ¡°Why would I let you meet my son?¡± Taken aback by this, Raymond pressed, ¡°Can¡¯t I meet him as your friend?¡± Christopher replied bluntly, ¡°No.¡± Raymond was rendered speechless. Meanwhile, Emmett was simmering in guilt. When he heard the others at the table moving on to a different topic, he looked up and sneaked a nce at Yuliana. He was staying abroad for a while before this, and he happened to be in the same ce as Christopher and Annabelle. At the time, the only woman Christopher was close with was Annabelle, and those two had a rather strange dynamic between them, too. Emmett wouldter ask Leonard about this, but instead of getting a straight answer, he got an earful from Leonard asking him to stay out of others¡¯ business and focus on his academics. Halfway through dinner, Yuliana excused herself and went to the restroom. Raymond watched as Yuliana left and took her seat next to Christopher. He clinked his wine ss against Christopher¡¯s and asked, ¡°Did you and Ms. Livingstone get into a fight?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t answer him and merely raised his own ss to take a sip of wine. Raymond didn¡¯t need Christopher¡¯s answer to see through the situation at handpletely. ¡°Chris, the both of you are married with a child now. Can¡¯t you just move past this fight?¡± Christopher eyed him frostily and retorted, ¡°Do I have to move past this just because we¡¯re married and have a son together?¡± There were plenty of couples out there who filed for divorce after spending decades together. Christopher looked grim as the thought crossed his mind, and he tightened his grip on the stem of his wine ss. Raymond shook his head in mild exasperation and clicked his tongue. ¡°Stop being so melodramatic. At this rate, you¡¯ll only end up pissing her off and losing her.¡± Having said that, Raymond took his wine ss and returned to his own seat. While this was happening, Yuliana wasing out of the restroom. She was making her way down from one end of the corridor toward the banquet hall when she saw a figure standing by the window around the corner. The man was speaking on the phone and had his face turned to the ss. Yuliana¡¯s gaze lingered on the man for a moment, but just as she was about to walk away, the man suddenly nced in her direction. Their eyes met. Finding herself with no choice other than to acknowledge him, Yuliana stopped in her tracks and smiled politely at the man. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter,¡± the man said to the person on the other line and hung up. Then, he sauntered up to Yuliana and stopped just two feet away from her. He smiled and said, ¡°So, we meet again.¡± ¡°Yes, what a coincidence,¡± Yuliana replied. Heughed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a coincidence. Thepany I work at has business rtions with Sce Corporation and Baleygr Corporation; I¡¯m just attending this banquet on mypany¡¯s behalf.¡± Yuliana nodded pensively at this and said, ¡°I see.¡± The man smiled again and offered Yuliana a handshake. ¡°I¡¯m Oliver Sce.¡± Surprised, Yuliana repeated, ¡°Sce?¡± Oliver raised a brow. ¡°I know. What are the chances, right? Unfortunately, myst name is about the only thing I share with the Sce family in Juxshire. I couldn¡¯t hope topete with the Sce family¡¯s reputation.¡± She snapped out of her bewilderment and only then shook his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Yuliana.¡± Even as she shook Oliver¡¯s hand, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little unsettled. She looked at him and guessed he was in his thirties, but Yuliana couldn¡¯t be sure of his exact age. The first time she met him, she thought he bore some resemnce to Christopher. ¡°Is Oliver really not rted to the Sce family?¡± she wondered to herself. Then again, Zachary and Winnie were so tight-knit that it was hard to imagine the former fooling around outside of his marriage and siring illegitimate children. ¡°Mr. Ziegler!¡± Yuliana was still in deep thought when she heard Oliver call out to someone. She followed his gaze and saw Harry walking toward them from the direction of the restroom. Harry saw Oliver first, and only then did he notice Yuliana. At the sight of her, he stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to Oliver. He addressed Oliver formally. ¡°Mr. Sce.¡± Thinking this was a good time to interject, Yuliana said, ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Sce, but I¡¯ll be returning to the banquet hall now. Have a nice evening.¡± Oliver smiled and nodded. Just as Yuliana was about to leave, Harry suddenly pulled her to a stop. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Call Me Daddy She was stunned and looked at Harry, but Harry didn¡¯t look at her. Instead, he looked at Oliver and said, ¡°Mr. Sce, I¡¯d like to have a few words with Ms. Livingstone alone.¡± Oliver raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go in first then.¡± Oliver turned around and entered the banquet hall. Yuliana struggled and said with a frown, ¡°Let go of me.¡± Harry loosened his grip and stared at Oliver who was walking away. After thetter was gone, Harry looked at Yuliana and reminded her, ¡°Stay away from him from now on.¡± Yuliana was stunned again, ¡°Oliver?¡± Harry tly responded in agreement. Baffled, Yuliana asked, ¡°Why?¡± With a meaningful expression, Harry didn¡¯t answer Yuliana¡¯s question. Instead, he remembered something and frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯d better not tell anyone about what I told you the other day. Don¡¯t try to do anything.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t want to ept his help, so she said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s all my own business. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Harry put his hands in his pockets and looked at her nonchntly. ¡°With your ability, it¡¯s like an ant trying to shake a big tree. If you don¡¯t want to implicate others, don¡¯t waste your time struggling.¡± Yuliana sneered, ¡°In that case, why did you tell me?¡± Harry didn¡¯t say anything. Actually, she didn¡¯t want to do anything. As Harry said, it would be like an ant trying to shake a tree. Now Damian could at least still live well in prison. Maybe he woulde out in ten or twenty years and livefortably into old age. But she found Harry ridiculous. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Yuliana was leaving. Harry stopped her as if he wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t say a word for a long time when he looked at her side profile. Just then, Scarlett found him. Scarlett saw Harry and Yuliana together, and a look that contrasted with her soft-featured face suddenly appeared on her face, which made her look a little ferocious. She pursed her lips and suppressed the emotions that arose in her heart. Then she walked over with a smile. ¡°Harry, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana looked at her and smiled faintly. She passed by Scarlett and entered the banquet hall. Staring at Yuliana¡¯s back for two seconds, Scarlett walked to Harry with a smile and gently took Harry¡¯s arm. ¡°Harry, what did you just talk to Ms. Livingstone? Why does Ms. Livingstone look unhappy?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Harry replied in a t voice, ¡°You go in first. I¡¯ll smoke a cigarette.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Harry went straight to the depths of the corridor. Scarlett bit her lip and her eyes turned red. These days, Harry had be much colder to her. Yuliana missed Rowan, so she said she wanted to go back after she had some food. Christopher was not interested in such an asion. He took Yuliana to say goodbye to the host, and then they left first. When they came out, they saw Scarlett standing alone in the hall downstairs and talking to someone on the phone while walking toward them. Her eyes were red, with a restrained expression on her face. She seemed like she was holding back some emotions. Seeing Yuliana and Christopher, the expression on her face stiffened for a moment, and then she quickly. regainedposure. She just nodded at Yuliana and then walked past her quickly. Yuliana didn¡¯t react much. Perhaps Yuliana had dealt with many students¡¯ parents, so she had a good intuition about people. She wasn¡¯t surprised by what Scarlett was like just now. Christopher suddenly said, ¡°That¡¯s Harry¡¯s current fianc¨¦e.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Yuliana said calmly, ¡°I know.¡± Christopher¡¯s face fell again. He nced at Yuliana, and strode off, quickly distancing himself from Yuliana. The car was filled with silence all the way home. Since that night, they hadn¡¯t talked face to face. Although they were not giving each other the silent treatment, it could be clearly felt that something was separating them. But some things were like a dead knot that could not be untied at all. They returned to Oceanview Apartment. Yuliana went to take a shower first and then took her son from the maternity matron. They were separated for only a few hours, but she missed him so much that she felt like she had left him for several days. After a while, Christopher also came out of the room. He was wearing ck sleeveless T-shirts and shorts. His hair was wet after taking a shower, but his hair grew longer, so it covered his forehead after the shower, making him look young like a university student. He took Rowan from Yuliana and said, ¡°Roe, call me Daddy.¡± Yuliana sat on the couch and quietly looked at the father and son. Christopher held Rowan with his powerful arm and rocked him gently. The former¡¯s expression was unprecedentedly gentle, and the scene looked very heartwarming. However, she couldn¡¯t help reminding him, ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t drop him.¡± Hearing what Yuliana said, Christopher nced at her from the corner of his eyes and then rocked Rowan a little more as if he was deliberately against her, which made her frightened. She immediately got up and tried to bring Rowan back, but Christopher evaded her. Yuliana couldn¡¯t bear it and shouted through gritted teeth. Christopher didn¡¯t seem to hear her as he still held Rowan back and forth in the huge living room. Rowan didn¡¯t feel scared. Instead, he keptughing with Christopher¡¯s rocking. Yuliana¡¯s temples suddenly throbbed, and she was so frustrated that she simply went back to her room so that she did not have to see what Christopher was doing. Ten minutester, Christopher also returned to the room. Yuliana sat on the couch in the room and looked at the message on her phone. She ignored the noise behind her. Christopher didn¡¯t take the initiative to speak. He sat down by the bedside and turned on his phone. He watched the rey video of the game. Thispetition was held this afternoon. The winning team lost twice first and won thrice to win the competition. Yuliana was even more irritable when she heard the sound of the game and thementator¡¯s passionatementary. She got up and went out of the room, sitting on the couch in the living room. She tilted her head sideways and looked out of the window. Therge floor-to-ceiling windows provided an excellent view. She had a panoramic night view of bustling Juxshire. The voices of Hailey and Kylie came from the nursery. They were not far away, but at this moment, Yuliana seemed to be in a different world. There was a tense and aching feeling in her heart, and some emotions were eroding her little by little. A sudden sound pulled her back to reality. Yuliana looked at the man standing next to her, and her eyes were instantly filled with tears. After a while, she felt that the man¡¯s appearance had been blurred. She didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her. It was like she was in quicksand. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank. Yuliana stared at him for a while and came back to her senses. She turned away to evade Christopher¡¯s sight. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Not Asking For Your Opinion She had also hidden her own embarrassment. There was silence in the living room. One of them was standing and one was sitting, but none of them spoke for a long time. Yuliana looked out of the window, and only half of her side profile was visible to Christopher. Christopher looked at her for a while and somehow started to feel a little panicked. ¡°Ana.¡± He called again, walked to Yuliana, and sat down. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± Yuliana ignored him. Her eyes were out of focus as if she was seriously thinking about something. Seeing that she didn¡¯t say a word, Christopher panicked more and more, ¡°Ana¡­¡± ¡°Christopher.¡± Yuliana interrupted him, turned around, and looked at him, saying, ¡°I want to take Roe back to Celestial Garden and let him stay with me for a while.¡± Christopher frowned subconsciously, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yuliana leaned back against the back of the couch, curled up, and put her arms around her knees, saying, ¡°I think we should separate for a while and calm down to think about what happened between us.¡± Christopher said sarcastically, ¡°Aren¡¯t you calm enough now?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and looked at him calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to make any impulsive decisions, but every time I see you now, I feel sad. So maybe we can catch some breath if we separate for a while.¡± This kind of pain made it difficult for her to treat Christopher rationally and the rtionship between them. Yuliana knew that maybe it was not only Christopher¡¯s problem but also her own problem. But when she stayed with Christopher every day and saw him, she kept remembering many things, including the past and the recent, more clearly, which kept tearing her apart. Hearing what Yuliana said, Christopher¡¯s face turned cold, ¡°Are you upset to be with me?¡± Yuliana looked down and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Silence then filled the air again. After a while, Christopher said tly, ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for your opinion.¡± Whether Christopher agreed or not, she had already decided. Christopher sneered. After a while, he stood up and said, ¡°Stay here with Roe. I¡¯ll leave.¡± After saying that, he entered the room. Yuliana was still sitting on the couch, watching his figure disappear from her sight. After a while, he came out of the room again. He had changed his clothes and carried a small suitcase in his hand. He didn¡¯t look at Yuliana as he put his suitcase outside, and then went to the nursery. A few minutester, he came out of the nursery and walked straight to the door with his suitcase. When the door was opened, Rowan¡¯s cry suddenly sounded in the nursery. Christopher stopped and looked at the couch. He met Yuliana¡¯s eyes, which were still calm, like dry wells, without any emotion inside. Yuliana withdrew her gaze, got off the couch, entered the nursery, and carried Rowan, who was crying. At night, Yuliana had insomnia. She was sleepy, but she just couldn¡¯t sleep. She had always been sleeping well, and she rarely got insomnia, but she often didn¡¯t sleep well recently. Even when she was asleep, she could be easily woken up. On the one hand, it was because of Rowan. She would be worried about him and wake up once he made any movement. On the other hand, Yuliana also knew that it was the problem with her emotions. She had known this before, so she probably knew how her condition was. That was why she offered to separate from Christopher for a while. By being with him, her mood would only get worse. The next morning. Yuliana went to a psychological consultation hospital andmunicated with a professional psychologist. When she left, the doctor prescribed her some medicine and asked her to take it for some time. They were all medicines that helped her sleep. Her current condition was not serious. As long as she got better sleep, she would actually be much better. In the next few days, the two hadn¡¯t been in touch. Yuliana didn¡¯t know where Christopher was or what he was doing every day. She seldom thought about it. She apanied her son every day, and then signed up for a postpartum recovery ss. She exercised properly every day and sweated all over. After a few days, she felt much more rxed. asionally, when she was idle and suddenly remembered it, she quickly turned her attention to other things. As long as she didn¡¯t think about it, she would feel much more rxed and get better sleep at night. She made an appointment with Xandria to go shopping on weekends. Xandria drove over to pick her up. Yuliana got her driver¡¯s license during the summer holiday of her freshman year. When she was in university, she still drove asionally. After graduating from university and getting married to Harry, she rarely drove. She didn¡¯t like driving. However, having Rowan made her feel that she needed to be proficient in driving. If anything happened in the future, she wouldn¡¯t be at a loss. On the way there, Yuliana asked Xandria to take the front passenger seat. She drove for a while. Yuliana was very cautious, especially in driving. Yuliana took more than an hour to get to the destination which was a 40-minute drive away, but they finally arrived safely and she perfectly reversed the car into the parking space. But Xandria criticized her many times along the way. They went to a branded store to get a handbag. It was a new handbag that Xandria had ordered in advance. After that, they went shopping nearby for a while. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana didn¡¯t buy anything for herself. When she passed by a maternity store, she went in and bought a few small things for Rowan. After a while, Xandria was also tired, so they found a ce to sit down and rest. While talking to Yuliana, Xandria took a few photos of the newly bought handbag and posted them on her Instagram. After posting them, she browsed through others¡¯ posts on Instagram and saw that Raymond had just posted a video. It was a video of a few seconds, in which several people were recorded, and the final shot was the poker hand in front of Raymond. It was a good hand. Raymond obviously wanted to show off. The caption wrote: [Today is a lucky day.] It ended with a bitchy emoji. This video was posted a few minutes ago. When Xandria saw it, dozens of friends liked and commented on 1. Xandria looked up at Yuliana, who was drinking a hottte, and asked, ¡°Raymond is ying poker with your husband. Why don¡¯t we go and y with them?¡± She hadn¡¯t yed poker for some time, and she missed it. There seemed to be many people with Raymond. She thought that it was probably very lively and that maybe. she and Yuliana could join them to y poker. Yuliana was stunned and kept silent for two seconds. She looked down and said, ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯m a little. tired. I want to go back to apany Roe.¡± Xandria persuaded, ¡°Let¡¯s go together. It¡¯s only afternoon. Let¡¯s go y cards for a while. We¡¯ll go back to apany Roe at night. I¡¯ll go with you to see my godson.¡± Yuliana wanted to refuse, but seeing Xandria want to go, she couldn¡¯t say anything. Seeing this, Xandria immediately got up and dragged Yuliana out of the cafe and headed for the parking lot. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Let Go Of Me After getting in the car, Xandria sent a voice message to Raymond to ask where they were ying poker. Soon, Raymond sent a location over. It was a little far away from where Yuliana and Xandria were. They were in a leisure vi, which normally took 40 to 50 minutes to drive there. The traffic was heavy and congested on weekends, and it took more than an hour to get there. It was already past four o¡¯clock in the afternoon when they arrived at the vi. Xandria impatiently stopped the car and dragged Yuliana to run all the way to the vi. Yuliana suddenly became nervous when she thought of seeing Christopher. In fact, it was only four or five days after Christopher moved out of Oceanview Apartment, but she felt like they had been separated for a long time. They were led in by the staff of the vi. Raymond was the host today. He had made an appointment with a few people in business to talk about things. For some people, a formal office was not suitable for talking about things. It was easier to talk about things with drinks or at a poker table. It happened to be the weekend, so he called Christopher and Leonard over as well. When Yuliana and Xandria arrived, they didn¡¯t see Christopher. Except for a few familiar people, Yuliana and Xandria did not know the other people in the vi. ¡°Hey, Ms. Livingstone, you¡¯re here, too!¡± Seeing Yuliana, Raymond looked at her and said in an ambiguous tone. Leonard only nodded at Yuliana and said nothing. Xandria was preupied with poker and didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. She stood behind Raymond and looked at the game for a while. When one round was over, she kicked Raymond off the poker table and went to y on her own. Raymond didn¡¯t say anything. He gave the seat to Xandria and went out to smoke. Yuliana didn¡¯t ask where Christopher went, while Raymond and Leonard did not say either. Finally, Xandria asked casually, ¡°Leonard, where¡¯s Christopher? Isn¡¯t he with you?¡± Leonard nced at Yuliana and paused for a moment. ¡°He just answered a phone call and went out.¡± Xandria asked, ¡°Where did he go?¡± Leonard said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t you ask Ms. Livingstone to ask him?¡± Yuliana met Leonard¡¯s smiling eyes and didn¡¯t answer. Xandria was quickly distracted by the cards in her hand and forgot about Christopher. Yuliana sat by Xandria¡¯s side for a while, but she had no interest in the game at the poker table. She came here earlier and found that the environment in the vi was good. It was an eastern-style vi with andscaped courtyard, which was quite special. Yuliana told Xandria before she got up to go out. The vi was not very big, but itsyout was excellent and beautiful. Yuliana wandered around the vi aimlessly for a while, and then she heard the delicate and soft voice of a woman talking. ¡°Christopher, are you free tonight?¡± Yuliana stopped in her tracks and walked over. When she looked up, she saw the man leaning against the pir of the corridor with a cigarette between his fingers while looking at the woman in front of him. indifferently. With her back to Yuliana, the woman was slender, wearing a ck slip dress and a centipede braid. Her skin was very fair. Standing in front of Christopher, she was petite and adorable. When Yuliana walked over, Christopher noticed something and looked over. When he saw her, he paused and then quickly withdrew his gaze. Yuliana saw Christopher raising the corners of his mouth. Then he took a drag on his cigarette, slowly blew out the smoke, and said to the woman in front of him, ¡°Yes. Why? Do you want to ask me out?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s expression, but from the girl¡¯s voice and tone, she could also feel the latter¡¯s joy and excitement. The woman approached him boldly, looked up at Christopher, and said, ¡°Yes, I do. Can I?¡± Christopher puffed out a mouthful of smoke and saidzily. ¡°What do you want to do on a date?¡± The woman¡¯s voice became softer and more alluring as she said, ¡°What do you think, Christopher?¡± Yuliana looked at them for a while and then turned around and left. Christopher watched her leave, and the look in his eyes became cold. In the end, his whole face was as cold as ice. The woman noticed the sudden change in his expression and was stunned, ¡°Christopher?¡± Christopher nced at her coldly and walked in the direction of Yuliana without saying anything. The woman immediately grabbed his hand and asked, ¡°Christopher, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Christopher nced at her coldly and said, ¡°Get lost!¡± After saying that, he shook off her hand and strode away. Yuliana didn¡¯t go back to find Xandria. She went straight out of the vi and sent a message to Xandria at the door. She said she was not feeling well, so she went back first. Xandria was ying cards and did not check her phone. This leisure vi was for the rich to have fun and rx. Most of them came here by their own cars, and the area was rtively remote, so it was not easy to take a taxi. Yuliana used a ride-hailing app to book a taxi. After a few minutes, someone epted her booking. But it was a little far away. The driver still needed a few minutes before he reached here. It was five o¡¯clock, and it was still sunny. Yuliana stood for a while, and then she was sweating and her face turned red: The car finally arrived. Yuliana walked over to open the door and was about to get in the car when she was suddenly dragged aside. Then, the door was closed in front of her. She turned around and saw Christopher walking to the front passenger seat and knocking on the window. When the window was wound down, he said, ¡°She isn¡¯t leaving.¡± The driver looked at them and didn¡¯t say anything. Then he drove away. Yuliana struggled silently, pursed her lips, and stared at him with reddened eyes. Christopher nced at her and didn¡¯t say anything. He dragged her into the vi. Yuliana was furious, ¡°Christopher, let go of me!¡± Christopher didn¡¯t say anything. He dragged her to the back of a rockery, pushed her against the rockery, and kissed her hard Yuliana broke free from him and pped him on the bridge of his nose without hesitation. She pped him with all the emotions in her heart. She used almost all her strength. After that, Christopher¡¯s nose immediately turned red, and her palm was burning. They didn¡¯t move. They just looked at each other and neither of them gave in. ¡°Chris, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. A sudden sound broke the tension in the atmosphere. Raymond walked over with a cigarette in his mouth, looked back and forth between the two, and said, ¡°What are you two doing here? Am I interrupting?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t look at Raymond as his eyes were still on Yuliana¡¯s face. Yuliana looked away and ignored Raymond as well. She was about to leave when Christopher grabbed her wrist again. Yuliana struggled angrily. Her eyes turned red and she said, suppressing her emotion, ¡°Let go of me.¡± Christopher was silent for two seconds and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you hometer.¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Say It Again He didn¡¯t let go. Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything. They looked at each other, and no one would take a step back. Raymond looked from the side for a while and coughed lightly, ¡°I¡¯m still here. You two should behave yourself. You can close the door and make out however you want when you get home.¡± Yuliana nced at Raymond, paused, and stopped exerting force on her hand to resist Christopher. Then she looked to one side, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. Can you let me go?¡± Christopher loosened his grip on her wrist and held her hand. ¡°It¡¯s hot outside. Let¡¯s go in and y cards for a while. I¡¯ll send you home when it¡¯s nighttime.¡± After saying that, he took Yuliana¡¯s hand and walked to the ce where the rest were ying poker. Raymond watched them leave, stood there for a while, and then followed them at some distance. Hemented in his heart that romantic rtionships were troublesome. Upon their return, Yuliana met the young woman who talked to Christopher earlier. The woman was sitting and talking with another older woman, but she couldn¡¯t help but nce at the door. When Christopher took Yuliana in, the woman saw her at a nce. She stared at Yuliana for a moment while scrutinizing her. Finally, her eyes fell on Yuliana¡¯s face, and she frowned. Yuliana didn¡¯t notice her immediately. She noticed that someone was looking at her, so she subconsciously looked over and saw her. At first nce, Yuliana didn¡¯t recognize her as the woman who talked to Christopher earlier. The woman had her back to her, so Yuliana didn¡¯t see her face. Seeing her now, Yuliana noticed her face and didn¡¯t notice anything else. After a while, she only recognized her from the ck slip dress. Seeing Yuliana and Christophere back together, Xandria, who was ying poker at the poker table, waved her hand and said, ¡°Yuliana,e here and rece me for a while.¡± Yuliana withdrew her gaze and walked over, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y.¡± At the poker table, in addition to Xandria and Leonard, the other two were the people whom Raymond had invited over. They were from Jeahron. One was called Edward Zimmerman, and the other was Jimmy Wyatt. The two women also came with them. Xandria felt a little ufortable in her stomach. She wanted to go to the restroom. She hurriedly got up. pushed Yuliana to the chair, and made her sit down. She said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let Christopher teach you how to y.¡± Before Yuliana could say anything, Xandria ran away. Yuliana looked at the cards in front of her and became nervous. She had seen others and Christopher y poker several times. She roughly knew how to y it, but knowing how to y didn¡¯t mean she could y well. The yer before her happened to have discarded a card, so it was Yuliana¡¯s turn and she drew a card. She looked at her cards carefully, put in the card she just drew, and then took another card out to discard it. At this moment, Christopher put back the card in her hand and gave another card to her. ¡°Discard this card.¡± Yuliana nced at him. Her next action seemed like she was deliberately going against him. She put back the card he said and yed the card she took earlier. As soon as she discarded it, the next yer won. Yuliana was stunned and a little annoyed. Jimmy, who won because of her, smiled happily, ¡°Mr. Sce, your girlfriend is quite rebellious, isn¡¯t she?¡± Christopher leaned backzily against the back of the chair, nced at him, and said casually, ¡°I like the rebellious girl.¡± Later, Christopher didn¡¯t say anything more. He just sat beside her and watched quietly. There was no doubt that Yuliana lost a lot. At the beginning of the next game, Xandria hadn¡¯te back, but Yuliana didn¡¯t want to y anymore. She looked at Christopher and took the initiative to give up her seat, ¡°You¡¯ll y.¡± Christopher looked down at her and said, ¡°No.¡± He was obviously unhappy and throwing a tantrum. Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything more and began to y again. But she was too slow in taking her cards. Every time others finish taking their cards, they had to wait for her. Christopher couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and helped her get the card in front of her. Jimmy was a little surprised when he saw the scene. Before today, he hadn¡¯t interacted with Christopher, but after today, he knew that thetter was not a patient and good-tempered person. Yuliana¡¯s previous behavior obviously made Christopher a little displeased, but he didn¡¯t expect that Christopher would take the initiative to help her take the cards. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Yuliana protested in a low voice. Christopher¡¯s face froze and became cold, but in the end, he didn¡¯t lose his cool. Instead, he whispered, ¡°You¡¯re too slow. Didn¡¯t you see that everyone else is waiting for you?¡± Yuliana looked up at the people at the poker table and pursed her lips. Then she said nothing and acquiesced in Christopher¡¯s words. Leonard smiled and said, ¡°Chris, I never thought I¡¯d live to see the day when you be so patient.¡± He was two months younger than Christopher. Most of the time, he called thetter by his first name, only called him by his nickname when he was teasing him. Christopher nced at him coldly and said nothing. and At this time, the young woman in a ck slip dress came over and stood next to Jimmy, while Christopher was sitting on the other side. Shey on the back of Jimmy¡¯s chair and said in a coy tone, ¡°Jimmy, I want to y too.¡± Jimmy didn¡¯t look back at her. ¡°How can a girl y this?¡± The young woman was dissatisfied and said, ¡°Then how can thisdy y?¡± Jimmy was stumped and couldn¡¯t speak. The young woman continued to plead with him coyly. Jimmy finally couldn¡¯t stand it and gave up his seat to her after taking his cards, while he stood behind the young woman and looked at her cards. Later, Jimmy seemed to have found something as he said in surprise, ¡°Hey, Ms. Livingstone and Yocelyn look quite alike. No wonder I found Ms. Livingstone familiar when I saw her for the first time just now.¡± Hearing what Jimmy said, Leonard couldn¡¯t help but look back and forth between the two women and found that they did look a little simr. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± the young woman subconsciously refuted, obviously unhappy because of this, ¡°Jimmy, is there any problem with your eyes? I¡¯m not rted to her, and we¡¯re not born to the same parents. How can we look alike? I look more like my brother.¡± Her brother was Edward. This time, she came to Juxshire with Edward on the weekend for a trip. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After saying that, she murmured to herself again. As soon as she finished speaking, a loud noise was made as something hard hit the poker table, causing Yocelyn to scream in surprise. All of a sudden, everyone looked at Christopher. Yuliana didn¡¯t know what happened and looked at him in a daze. Christopher looked at Yocelyn and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear what you said just now. Say it again.¡± Yocelyn was frightened by his expression. She was so scared that she pursed her lips and didn¡¯t dare to speak. She was afraid that the next moment, something hard would hit her instead of the poker table. But she was angry and aggrieved. Her eyes were brimming with tears. She looked at Edward and said, ¡°Ed.¡± Jimmy came back to his senses. Seeing that Yocelyn was almost in tears, he said coldly, ¡°Mr. Sce, calm down. It¡¯s my fault. Yocelyn is too young and ignorant. Don¡¯t mind her.¡± Christopher said in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Zimmerman is an adult, isn¡¯t she? Doesn¡¯t she know what she should and shouldn¡¯t say?¡± Jimmy didn¡¯t expect Christopher to actually make him look bad, so his face clouded over a little. The atmosphere was awkward. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Apologize To Her ¡°Chris!¡± Leonard called out. He wanted to dissuade Christopher. Inwardly, Leonard remarked, ¡°Raymond is the host for this meet-up. These guests came from afar, too. We shouldn¡¯t go overboard, considering we¡¯re the host¡¯s friends.¡± However, Christopher ignored Leonardpletely. The former continued to stare at Yocelyn with an icy cold expression. Leonard knew Christopher had a quick temper. ¡°s, if Chris is offended, he won¡¯t listen to anyone, regardless of who is present,¡± Leonard thought. When Leonard felt his head ached slightly, he saw Yuliana pick up the card Christopher had thrown out. Then, she gently ced her hand on the back of Christopher¡¯s hand. ¡°Which card to discard?¡± she asked softly. Christopher was momentarily stunned. His gazended on Yuliana. Noticeably, the iciness on his expression diminished a little. He nced at the cards in Yuliana¡¯s hand and said, ¡°The first from the left.¡± His tone was a lot gentler by then. His expression changed, too. A moment ago, he looked as though he would devour someone. Even Leonard was shocked to witness such a scene. Yuliana took the card that Christopher picked and discarded it. Then, Edward, who had been silent, voiced, ¡°Yocelyn, apologize to Mrs. Sce.¡± Both Yocelyn and Jimmy were stunned upon hearing that. ¡°Mrs. Sce?¡± Yocelyn looked toward Yuliana with a frown. Yuliana, too, was stunned upon hearing what Edward had said. Earlier, when Yuliana and Xandria arrived, Raymond did not explicitly tell Edward and Jimmy about the rtionship between Christopher and Yuliana. Raymond also did not deliberately introduce Yuliana. He only addressed her as Ms. Livingstone. That was why Jimmy called her Ms. Livingstone moments ago. ¡°I wonder why Edward could tell our rtionship,¡± Yuliana thought. As she thought about that, she heard what Yocelyn had said. At that moment, both Yuliana and Yocelyn¡¯s gazes met. ¡°Apologize to her,¡± Edward voiced once again. His tone was stern. Yocelynposed herself and pursed her lips tightly. Her eyes had already reddened. Still, she continued to look at Yuliana. Albeit unwillingly, Yocelyn said, ¡°Sorry.¡± Verily, it was perfunctory. After that, Edward spoke again. ¡°Mr. Sce, Mrs. Sce, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m negligent in not disciplining my sister. Please forgive me. I¡¯ll make her reflect on herself once we get back.¡± Edward sounded very sincere. In actuality, Yuliana did not hear what Yocelyn had said. The former would not even know what had happened if Christopher did not suddenly throw the card. As such, Yuliana naturally did not feel angry. ¡°Since she has already apologized, there isn¡¯t any reason for me to treat her harshly. I can¡¯t ruin the mood when Raymond is the host,¡± Yuliana mused. Yuliana tugged at Christopher¡¯s clothes. Thetter then looked at her. The two of them exchanged nces silently for two seconds. Christopher looked at Yocelyn with an eyebrow raised. He uttered, ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, Ms. Zimmerman.¡± As such, the matter was put to rest. Yocelyn kept her head down and did not look at Christopher. At that moment, she felt a warm blush rise to her cheeks She thought about what she had said to Christopher before this and wished she could find a hole. in the ground to hide. This time, Yocelyn came to Juxshire with her eldest brother, Edward. Initially, she had already nned to meet her friend. However, the friend stood her up to attend to some urgent matter. Since Yocelyn was too bored on her own, she tagged along with Edward. In the beginning. Yocelyn came here with no expectations. She intended to kill time. She had never thought that she would get to know Christopher. Christopher¡¯s appearance alone was enough to make women fond of him. Moreover, his cold expression and quietness gave him an air of mystery. It made one feel attracted to him and want to pry him out. Thus, when Christopher headed outside to answer a call, Yocelyn immediately followed suit and went after him. Yocelyn had always been bold in doing things. As she was interested in Christopher, she flirted with him right away. She did not expect that Christopher was already married. Yocelyn thought that Christopher looked young and was around the same age as her. From her point of view, Christopher did not look like a married man at all. Therefore, it had never crossed her mind that Christopher had already married. Deep down, Yocelyn was annoyed and angry when she realized she had nearly hooked up with Christopher, a married man. Nheless, she could only contain herself. She did not even dare to look into Christopher and Yuliana¡¯s eyes. With reddened eyes, Yocelyn got up from the chair. She choked back her tears and said, ¡°I¡¯ll stop ying. Jimmy, it¡¯s better if you get back into the game.¡± She then trotted out almost immediately. After a short while, Xandria and Raymond came back together. Yuliana then left the poker table and returned the seat to Xandria. They yed for another few rounds. When it was almost seven o¡¯clock, Raymond ordered several dishes. They had their dinner at the vi straight away. It was getting dark after they finished their dinner. Raymond then asked someone to bring coffee. After that, he got down to business with Edward and Jimmy. Soon, it was around nine o¡¯clock, and the group left the vi. Jimmy was driving, and thedy he brought along was sitting in the passenger seat. Edward and Yocelyn were sitting in the back seat. Jimmy expressed his amazement as he looked at the car in front of him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Mr. Sce has already married at a young age.¡± Edward smiled, ¡°You aren¡¯t observant enough, though you¡¯re experienced in life.¡± ¡°Uh, how can you tell that?¡± Jimmy asked. Edward exchanged nces with Jimmy through the rear-view mirror and responded, ¡°It¡¯s obvious. The wedding ring.¡± That day, Edward had already noticed the ring on Christopher¡¯s finger when he saw thetter. Edward had already spected the rtionship between Yuliana and Christopher when the two went in together. Edward knew his guess was correct when he caught sight of the ring on Yuliana¡¯s finger. As Edward turned to Yocelyn, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about him anymore. He¡¯s not suitable for you.¡± Yocelyn had alreadyposed herself. She snorted and turned her head to another side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not interested in married men,¡± Yocelyn answered. Meanwhile, Yuliana was driving the car, since Christopher had drunk some wine that night. In the afternoon, Yuliana tried driving Xandria¡¯s car, and she got more skillful at it. However, as the night limited her vision, Yuliana had to pay more attention. Christopher leaned against the back of the seat and fixed his gaze on Yuliana. It was already half past ten when they arrived at Oceanview Apartment. Yuliana parked the car steadily at the side of the road. Then, she looked at Christopher. Although his eyes. apologize To Her were shut, Yuliana was unsure if he had fallen asleep. ¡°Would you like me to call a designated driver for you?¡± she asked. Christopher did not even move a muscle. Yuliana held her breath for a moment and said, ¡°Stop pretending. I know you¡¯re still awake.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Two secondster, Christopher opened his eyes and looked at Yuliana steadily. ¡°I¡¯ve had alcohol.¡± ¡°So?¡± Yuliana questioned. ¡°I¡¯ve had alcohol, but you still want to get rid of me. Yuliana, you¡¯re too heartless, aren¡¯t you? Furthermore, my son must be missing me. He hasn¡¯t seen me for so many days. You can¡¯t take away his right to enjoy fatherly love,¡± said Christopher. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Answer Your Phone First Christopher did not drink much alcohol that night and had coffee after that. Thus, he was pretty sober. After getting some sleep earlier, his eyes were exceptionally bright, especially under the dim lights inside the car. When he stared at Yuliana, his beautiful eyes looked even more charming. For a moment, Yuliana could not find the words to refuse him when he stared at her like that. Then, Christopher suddenly reached out again and hooked their fingers together. ¡°Ana, can you let me sleep at home tonight?¡± Instantly, the look in his eyes changed again. This time, he looked like an abandoned puppy, looking very pitiful. Even if Yuliana tried to act tough, she still couldn¡¯t find the words to refuse him. She was about to say something, but an abrupt vibration interrupted her. They were both stunned for a moment, and the ambiguous atmosphere between them that had just started building up disappeared instantly. Yuliana withdrew her hand and said, ¡°You should answer your phone first.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Christopher stared down at his fingers for a while, feeling the soft touch lingering there. He curled his fingers a little as though he wanted to grab something before losing it again. The vibration was about to stop. He picked up his phone and looked at the name on the screen. His brows knitted a little before he answered the call. Yuliana looked out of the window. Christopher didn¡¯t say anything over the phone. A voice was heard faintly over the phone. It was a man¡¯s voice. However, Christopher pressed the phone to his ear nearer the door, and Yuliana couldn¡¯t hear their conversation clearly. After the man finished talking, Christopher replied faintly, ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow in person.¡± With that, Christopher ended the call and tossed his phone back onto the armrest between the driver¡¯s and the passenger¡¯s seats. Then, he took an open bottle of soda and took a sip. As he sipped the soda, he nced at Yuliana from the corner of his eye. From that angle, he only saw her ear and side profile. After drinking the soda, he slowly screwed on the cap and put the bottle in its original spot. ¡°Ana-¡± He had just called her name, but Yuliana suddenly turned around and looked at him with bright eyes, cutting him off by saying, ¡°If you want to sleep at home tonight, I can go to the hotel.¡±- She had yet to figure out how to deal with her rtionship with Christopher. Earlier, she almost softened her heart for him. However, Yuliana knew if she softened her heart once, she would certainly face a simr situation again. Christopher remained silent and changed his expression a little. None of them said anything. The atmosphere inside the car turned quiet and depressed. Some momentster, Christopher said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go back upstairs.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°If you miss our son, you can alwayse back to visit him.¡± She had never thought of stripping away Christopher¡¯s right to spend time with his son. After saying that, she opened the door and was about to get off the car. Then, she paused and turned back around to look at Christopher, reminding him, ¡°You had alcohol tonight. You should find yourself a designated driver instead of driving on your own.¡± Christopher took in her gentle expression and said nothing. Their gazes met. Yuliana got out of the car and walked inside Oceanview Apartment without looking back. After she disappeared from his sight, Christopher leaned into his seat and stared at the car roof for a while. Then, he picked up his cigarette box and lit a cigarette. One cigaretteter, he booked a designated driver to send him to Prestige Club. In the past few days, Christopher didn¡¯t return to the Sce residence and stayed at Prestige Club instead. TOUR FTIONE FUST However, it was ratherte that night. After taking a nap earlier in the car, Christopher did not feel sleepy after arriving back at the club. He went to the bar and ordered a ss of wine, sipping it slowly on the bar stool. Later, he made a phone call. Half an hourter, a man with tanned skin and a burly figure stepped inside Prestige Club. He nced around at the entrance. A man in a suit stepped forward and asked him some questions. Then, he followed behind the man in a suit and went to the suite on the top floor. The man in the suit gently knocked twice on the door before pushing the door open and going inside, saying. ¡°Sir, he¡¯s here.¡± Christopher sat on a chair with his long legs crossed on the table. Hearing the noise, he slowly lifted his eyelids and looked at them. Then, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Okay. You may leave us alone now and go back downstairs.¡± The man in the suit nodded and turned around. Then, he closed the door behind them before walking away. Meanwhile, the man who came in with the man in the suit took a few steps forward and greeted, ¡°Mr. Sce.¡± Christopher raised his hand and pointed at the couch in the distance. ¡°Take a seat.¡± The man went to the couch and sat down. Christopher got up from the chair and went to the bar counter, taking a bottle of wine and two sses before heading to the couch. He sat beside the man and poured him a ss of wine, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making youe here at such ate hour.¡± The man did now show much emotion and took a sip of the wine, saying, ¡°Mr. Sce, you¡¯re wee. You¡¯re my employer, and I am only fulfilling my duty bypleting my job.¡± Christopher was indeed only doing that out of formality. He poured himself a ss of wine but did not drink it immediately. Instead, he leaned onto the couch and looked at the man, saying, ¡°Go ahead. What have you found?¡± The man¡¯s name was Wesley Duncan, the man Christopher told Craig to find for him. Wesley used to be in the special forces, but after exiting the special forces, he started taking private jobs. Wesley reported, ¡°We¡¯ve found the person who broke into Ms. Johnson¡¯s house that night, but he¡¯s with Mr. Hatfield, so we can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± There were rules in each field of work. Although Wesley was not afraid of Yahir Hatfield, he did not want to attract unnecessary trouble for himself. At the mention of Yahir, Christopher darkened his gaze a little. Wesley continued, ¡°Mr. Sce, I¡¯m sure you know who is behind Mr. Hatfield.¡± Being born and bred in Juxshire, Christopher knew everything about that ce. Thus, he surely knew who was behind Yahir even without Wesley telling him. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Christopher thought, ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, Annabelle holds no personal grudges against Mr. Hatfield. The whip left in Annabelle¡¯s ce clearly indicates that they had investigated her past. Given Mr. Hatfield¡¯s status, he wouldn¡¯t have to make it so obvious. For him to do such a thing, it must have something to do with that person backing him up. That whip is a warning.¡± After Wesley left, Christopher made a phone call to Annabelle. The call took a while to get connected and was finally answered by the other party. Annabelle¡¯s voice sounded like she was in a hurry. It was noisy, with loud music sting in the background. Christopher asked casually. ¡°Are you still outside?¡± Annabelle hummed in response and walked to a ce that was quieter than before. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Although Christopher had yet to say anything, Annabelle knew him well enough to understand that he wouldn¡¯t call her at such ate hour if it wasn¡¯t for something important. Moreover, Christopher had obviously been his distance ever since he got together with Yuliana. Christopher asked, ¡°Do you still keep in contact with Harry?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Annabelle paused. Then, she chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with you. if I keep in touch with him or not.¡± ¡°It is indeed none of my business.¡± Christopher felt his throat was a little dry, so he took a sip of his wine and continued, ¡°But then, I want to remind you of something. Don¡¯t y with fire, or you might get burned in the end.¡± Annabelle was quiet for a couple of seconds. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Although Christopher had given her kind reminders before, he had never said warned her so solemnly. She wondered, ¡°ying with fire?¡± When Annabelle was pondering his words, she heard Christopher¡¯s indifferent voice again, asking over the phone, ¡°Do you know who sent that person to break into your house that night?¡± Hearing that, she was stunned, but she soon understood what Christopher meant. In fact, she had also hired someone to investigate this, but she had yet to get any updates from them. Annabelle frowned. An innocent face appeared in her mind. ¡°Was it Harry¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± She had seen Harry¡¯s fianc¨¦e before. His fianc¨¦e was pretty and looked obedient. Annabelle would even categorize Harry¡¯s fianc¨¦e as the same kind of person as Yuliana. However, Yuliana was different. She was prettier, and her unworldly temperament felt more innate than Harry¡¯s fianc¨¦e. However, Annabelle knew better than to judge a book by its cover. It was even more applicable to the circle of wealthy people. They might present themselves morously, but they often had the most dirt to hide from the public. Christopherughed and said, ¡°Unlike Yuliana, you can¡¯t step all over her.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you trying to defend your wife?¡± Annabelle sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. If it weren¡¯t for me. Yuliana might still be married to Harry.¡± Annabelle¡¯s smile instantly faded after she said that. In fact, her argument was invalid. Given Harry¡¯s character, he would have surely divorced Yuliana even without Annabelle¡¯s interference. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After all, Harry could never have gotten with the daughter from the Lynch family if he had not divorced Yuliana. Annabelle shamelessly imed credit for it herself. Christopher kept the same expression and did not respond to what Annabelle said. They were both silent for a few seconds. Annabelle came back to her senses and said. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¡°Annabelle, don¡¯t be reckless and do something that you will regret in the future.¡± After that, Christopher ended the call. Annabelle stood outside for a while. She thought of what Christopher had said to her before ending the call and sneered. Then, she turned around and walked inside the bar, heading straight to her booth. Yvette was talking to a young man at that time. Upon seeing her, Yvette asked, ¡°Where did you go?¡± Annabelle said nothing and took a sip of the wine in her ss. Sensing that Annabelle was upset, Yvette sent the young man away and sat next to Annabelle, asking. ¡°Did anyone upset you?¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 ¡°Nobody,¡± Annabelle put down her wine ss and obviously did not want to say anything. Yvette knew Annabelle¡¯s personality very well. Annabelle liked to keep a lot of things to herself. She never even confessed to her best friends. Christopher was the only one she could rely on and feel safe with. But now that Christopher and Yuliana were married, Annabelle obviously could not bother them too much. At the thought of that, Yvette felt unworthy of Annabelle. Yvette and Annabelle knew each other from university. They were from different faculties and majors. When Yvette first entered her freshman year, she heard Annabelle¡¯s name on campus. Annabelle was known as the university¡¯s campus belle, and many guys were chasing after her. Even Yvette¡¯s new boyfriend at that time was full of praise for Annabelle whenever he mentioned her. Usually, girls could not endure their boyfriendsplimenting other girls on how pretty they were. At first, Yvette did not have a good impression of the rumored campus belle, Annabelle. Never did she expect that Annabelle would move to her dormitory within two months after the semester started. There were four beds in each dormitory, and Yvette just happened to have one avable dorm. space in her Although Yvette did not like Annabelle, she would not try to quarrel with thetter just after hearing. her boyfriend praising her. Therefore, after living peacefully for a period of time, they did not interact much, as Annabelle was not very enthusiastic and basically had no contact with the other people in the dormitory. The reason why they became friends was because of the foolish boyfriend she had. No, it was better to say he was Yvette¡¯s ex-boyfriend. She even forgot her ex-boyfriend¡¯s name and appearance, but thinking of it seriously, Yvette should thank that ex-boyfriend. If it were not for him, she would not have had the chance to be friends with Annabelle. Recalling the memories, Yvette curled her lips and came back to her senses. She looked at Annabelle and said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to talk about it, I won¡¯t ask further. But Annabelle, you missed the chance to be with Christopher. Do you really not regret it?¡± Although it was not difficult for Annabelle to find an excellent man to marry her with her looks, it was not easy for her to meet another man like Christopher, who had the best features and family background. The most important point was that Christopher treated Annabelle well. Annabelle was not young anymore. A woman¡¯s beauty could onlyst for a few years. Once she was over 30 years old, no matter how good-looking she was, she could notpete with a woman in her twenties. In the end, men still liked their women young. Annabelle snorted. ¡°It¡¯s pointless now whether I regret it or not. Besides, Christopher has never loved me.¡± Yvette smiled and said, ¡°Is him loving you that important? Wouldn¡¯t it be enough if he¡¯s good to you? Annabelle, you¡¯re just too greedy. Once you¡¯re greedy, you may end up with nothing in the end.¡± Yvette had been in a lot of rtionships. She thought it did not matter whether she loved someone after she had been in one too many rtionships. What mattered was whether she could live with someone together as lifepanions and live a life without worries in the future. Just like her mother, who pursued love unconditionally and still became the kind of person Yvette hated most because her mother was trapped in a life she did not desireter on. Thinking of her mother, Yvette smiled ironically and said, ¡°Annabelle, there are always trade-offs with anything. You can¡¯t just have all the good things for yourself.¡± Annabelle frowned and wanted to retort, but she could not say anything. Annabelle was speechless because Yvette was right. She was just greedy. For a while, she thought it would be nice if Christopher and Harry were the same people. ¡°Forget about what I said. Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡± Yvette stood up and dragged Annabelle. ¡°Let¡¯s go dance.¡± Annabelle felt a little tired and sat still. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll sit here for a while. I¡¯m tired.¡± Yvette did not force Annabelle to join her after seeing her fatigued face and went to the dance floor. The next day, Christopher returned to Oceanview Apartment for lunch and yed with Rowan for some time. He had not seen Rowan for a few days and thought his son had grown up a lot. When Christopher came back. Yuliana did not act strangely nor did she deliberately ignore him. The two of them would still speak to each other for anything as usual as they yed with their child together. Everything seemed to be the same as before. However, Hailey still noticed something strange, especially when Christopher was not at home these days. When Yuliana returned to her room, Hailey called Christopher aside and asked with concern, ¡°Mr. Sce, did you quarrel with Yuliana?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Christopher denied it. He paused for a while and added, ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busytely, so I don¡¯t have much time to stay home. Hailey, don¡¯t tell anyone at the Sce residence about this.¡± Hailey froze for a moment and reacted quickly. She hurriedly said, ¡°I cook and clean up the house every day. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡± Christopher nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Please take care of Ana and Roe. Inform me if there is anything wrong happening at home.¡± Hailey replied, ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Sce.¡± Christopher had an appointment this afternoon. When it was almost time, he handed Rowan to the maternity matron and went back to his room. Yuliana was curled up on the couch and reading a book. Christopher stood still and watched her quietly for a while. He did not say anything and gently closed the door and left. Hearing the sound of the door closing, Yuliana, who had been reading attentively, suddenly paused. The words on the page could no longer be read clearly, as all her attention was focused behind her. After a while, she put down her book and walked out of the room. She nced at the living room and then went to the nursery. Rowan had finished drinking milk, and the maternity matron was putting him to sleep. Yuliana left the nursery and felt empty in her heart. Christopher had an appointment with Yahir. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. The meeting ce was at Prestige Club. Yahir was well aware of the rtionship between Annabelle and the Sce family. Therefore, the people who entered Grand Ind Mansion that night just ced a whip down and didn¡¯t do anything to Annabelle because Yahir was worried that the Sce family would discover it. Things would be difficult to deal with then. No matter what, he had to show some respect to the Sce family. Yahir expected Christopher toe to him, but he did not think it would be this soon. Christopher crossed his legs and sat on a single couch. He curled his lips faintly and looked at the middle-aged man sitting opposite him. ¡°Mr. Hatfield, I¡¯ve heard so much about you.¡± Yahir was originally a gangster and was a famous figure in Juxshire in thest century. Later, he went to prison for more than ten years. After being released, he started some small businesses. He had many kinds of ¡°businesses¡± in his hand, and he was capable of doing anything he could. Many wealthy families in Juxshire had cooperated with him on these ¡°businesses.¡± If those families had issues they could not handle personally, they would contact Yahir and ask him to deal with them on their behalf. The Lynch family was one of his long-term partners. Of course, Yahir could not get all those connections alone, so those wealthy and influential families would give him some convenience. Both sides considered working together for mutual benefit while holding each other¡¯s weaknesses. That was the most secure type of rtionship and cooperation. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Yahir was a man who was in his forties. He was tanned, skinny, and had sunken eyes, looking like a skeleton covered with ayer of skin. His lips were also dark. When he stared at a person, his eyes seemed like the bottomless abyss with a bloodthirsty beast within that would jump out to bite the person in his throat the next second. Hearing Christopher¡¯s words, Yahir yed with his bracelet and uttered, ¡°I should be the one who says this. Mr. Sce. I heard about you long ago, but I never met you. So I was surprised when you took the initiative to meet me today. I wonder why you would invite me out.¡± The Sce family did not have contact with Yahir, so it was natural for them not to meet each other. Although the Sce family was prominent in Juxshire, they were still nothing in Yahir¡¯s eyes. After all. he did notck connections with powerful and authoritative people, and he also knew their weaknesses. Thus, it can be said no one in Juxshire could really catch his attention. Moreover, Christopher was just a young and immature man to Yahir. Even if it was the head of the Sce family instead of Christopher, Yahir still would not pay him attention. Christopher naturally knew what kind of person Yahir was. When he gathered his courage to meet Yahir today, he had expected thetter would not take him seriously. Yet, as long as they did not interfere with one another, it was not important whether Yahir took Christopher seriously or not. Christopher picked up the cup and took a sip of water to quench the difort in his throat. Then, he narrowed his eyes and said smilingly, ¡°Mr. Hatfield, a straightforward person does not resort to insinuation. You should know clearly why I asked for your presence today.¡± Yahir responded, ¡°Although I¡¯ve said you¡¯re very well-known, I still never met you until today. Mr. Sce. When you suddenly invited me to meet, I couldn¡¯t think of anything you wanted to discuss if it was not about negotiating a business with me.¡± ¡°Annabelle Johnson.¡± Christopher raised his eyelids and looked at Yahir coldly. Yet, Yahir¡¯s expression had not changed. He still wore that faint smile on his face. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Christopher asserted, ¡°Mr. Hatfield, since you¡¯ve investigated Annabelle¡¯s background, you must know that her father saved me in the past. I wonder if you can do a youngster like me a favor.¡± He paused and continued, ¡°I know you¡¯re a businessman who takes money to do things. Unless you refuse this deal, you can name your price.¡± Upon hearing that, Yahir¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at Christopher. Yahir didn¡¯t answer thetter¡¯s question right away. He stood up and slowly paced around the private room while ying with his shiny bracelet with his fingers rhythmically. Yahir seemed to be considering Christopher¡¯s words, yet he also didn¡¯t seem to be thinking anything but clearing his mind. After a while, he turned around, looked at Christopher, and proposed, ¡°Mr. Sce, as you said, I¡¯m a businessman. If I ept this business deal, I¡¯ll definitely help you to resolve your problem. But how can I stay in Juxshire in the future if I unterally break the contract? Instead of requesting me for a favor, how about we solve the source of this matter?¡± Even though Yahir didn¡¯t consider the Sce family a threat, he still didn¡¯t want to get into trouble. If something happened to Annabelle, he was worried the Sce family wouldn¡¯t let him off easily. Besides, the Lynch family cooperated with Yahir for many years, and they also provided him with a lot of conveniences. Therefore, it was hard for him to refuse to help any party this time. It would be best if he could resolve this matter peacefully without offending the two families. A person such as Annabelle was unimportant to him, so it wasn¡¯t worth putting himself in a difficult situation for her. Yahir voiced, ¡°Mr. Sce, what about Ms. Johnson? I have nothing to do with her.¡± Christopher instantly understood Yahir¡¯s words. He smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a straightforward person, Mr. Hatfield. I¡¯ll cooperate with you if I have the chance next time.¡± Yahir waved his hand politely and replied, ¡°No problem.¡± After sending Yahir away, Christopher took out his phone, opened the contacts, and flipped through it. When he scrolled all the way, a name shed across his sight. He stopped and then swiped down twice. He dialed the number. In July, the weather in Juxshire was very hot. The highest temperature for a week was nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit, which could almost make people melt like ice cream. Though Yuliana and Christopher had been separated for more than a month, they still seemed to be the same as before, except that Christopher didn¡¯t stay overnight in Oceanview Apartment. At first, Christopher woulde back for lunch or dinner, spend time with his son, and leave. Gradually, he returned around lunchtime. He would y with his son for a while after having his lunch. Then, he took a nap in the afternoon and went out to do something asionally, but he woulde back to apany Yuliana for dinner. If nothing happened in the house, he would leave until Yuliana and Rowan fell asleep. Yuliana knew what Christopher thought. He was waiting for her to ask him. Every time Christopher left during the night, Yulianay on the bed and thought over her situation. She nned not to ask him anything and to continue this life since he treated her nicely. But when she saw him the next day, she hesitated again and still couldn¡¯t ask a thing. Despite that, she doesn¡¯t want to give up either. However, before she could solve the matter with Christopher, a call was made from the Sce residence, informing them that Winnie was sent to the hospital. Meanwhile, Yuliana awakened from a nap, and the call was made to Christopher¡¯s phone. After learning the news, they rushed to the hospital. Only Joyce, Alex, and the housekeeper who looked after Winnie showed up in the hospital when Christopher and Yuliana arrived. Kendrick was abroad. Joyce used her phone to call him, but no one picked up the phone on the other end. At that time, La wasn¡¯t in Romdale, while Jared took their daughter, Zofia, to Jeahron, and the father and daughter would only be able to return at night. In the past few days, Joyce mentioned that Winnie had a bad appetitetely. Thetter couldn¡¯t even eat two spoonfuls of food a day, leading her to be so skinny that she was only skin and bones. Yuliana found Joyce¡¯s words exaggerated, but she was shocked when she saw the dying Winnie lying on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask. Thest time Yuliana saw Winnie was at Rowan¡¯s birthday party. At that time, even though Winnie looked thinnerpared to the time when Rowan was born, she still looked normal with that body shape. But now, her eyes and cheeks were sunken, and her skin was loose due to old age, looking like her body was only covered in skin. Aapier 203 Yuliana still remembered she first met Winnie, who looked elegant and noble. Yet, not longer than a year, she had changed a lot, as if her look now and back then were two different people. Yuliana came back to her senses and nced at Christopher. Thetter wore a depressed face, staring at Winnie on the bed for a long time without saying anything. Yuliana then looked at Joyce and queried, ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± Joyce¡¯s eyes were filled with worry. She answered, ¡°She went to the backyard today. She was probably exposed to the sun and suffered a heatstroke. Plus, she hasn¡¯t eaten much for nearly a week, so she¡¯s malnourished. We¡¯ll only know the other factors after the detailed examination report is released.¡± When the sky was getting darker, Winnie woke up. Joyce sent Alex back to the Sce residence. She also asked the home chef to prepare some light food for Winnie to eat after waking up. Only Christopher and Yuliana were left in the ward. Finally, Christopher relieved his expression when he saw Winnie awaken. He smiled and spoke softly. ¡°Mrs. Sce, you¡¯re finally awake.¡± Winnie still couldn¡¯t open her eyes. She only half opened them. When she heard someone talking to her, her eyes moved and her gaze fell on Christopher¡¯s face. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Her gaze lingered on Christopher for a while before focusing on his face. Then tears rolled out of the corner of her eyes. Her lips parted slightly and moved as if she wanted to say something to Christopher. However, she couldn¡¯t make a sound. When Christopher saw this, his eyes immediately reddened, but he still forced out a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve just woken up. If you have anything to say, let¡¯s wait until you get better.¡± Winnie shook her head lightly, and tears rolled down her cheeks again. Her fingers beside her body curled slightly as if she wanted to grasp something. Christopher noticed her movement and immediately held her hand tightly. As Winnie held Christopher¡¯s hand, a smile finally formed on her face. She almost exhausted all her strength as she uttered a single word, ¡°Chris.¡± Christopher swallowed with difficulty, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°Your son is here.¡± Winnie was very lethargic. She woke up for a while and then fell asleep again, holding Christopher¡¯s hand. The air conditioner in the ward was a little cold. Christopher ced Winnie¡¯s hand under the nket and sat silently by the bed for a moment. Then, without saying anything, he stood the ward. up and left Yuliana looked at the back of his figure but didn¡¯t go after him. After more than ten minutes, she saw that Christopher still hadn¡¯te back, and she went out to look for him. She couldn¡¯t find him on the floor where Winnie¡¯s ward was located. She went downstairs and went around looking for him. Finally, at a dimly lit corner that was not illuminated by the streetmps, she spotted a familiar figure. She didn¡¯t go over immediately. Instead, she stood in the distance and observed him for a while, watching the flickering sparks of his cigarette. Then she walked over. Seeing Yuliana, Christopher paused just as he was taking a long drag of the cigarette. Then, taking a puff of the cigarette, he suddenly went forward, pulled Yuliana over, pushed her against the wall, and kissed her roughly. The wall behind Yuliana¡¯s back was hot, and so was the man in front of her. Yuliana stood still and didn¡¯t move. She didn¡¯t cater to him, nor did she resist him. A short whileter, Christopher stopped. He merely pressed his lips against hers quietly, and Yuliana could taste something salty on her lips. Her heart ached as if it was being ripped apart. In the afternoon, Winnie¡¯s medical report came out, and her condition did not look promising. In fact, Winnie had undergone a general physical examinationst year. There were some problems at that time, but they were not too serious. As long as she took good care of herself, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to live another ten years or so. s, something happened to Zachary. Zachary and Winnie got married through an arranged marriage. They knew each other since they were little. They were married for more than 40 years, and their rtionship had always been good. Zachary¡¯s ident was a huge blow to Winnie. Over the past six months, she had been worried about Zachary¡¯s matters day and night. It was impossible for her to take good care of her own health this way. Instead, her health problems only became more and more serious with each passing day. Yuliana lifted her arms and wrapped them around Christopher¡¯s shoulders. She patted him gently, the same way sheforted the crying Rowan. After a while, Christopher let go of her. He raised his hand and touched her lips. When he touched the part of her lip that had split, he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Mmm, Yuliana mumbled faintly. Then she added softly, ¡°Yes, it hurts.¡± She sounded especially docile and gentle. Christopher didn¡¯t say anything more. He spread himself out against the wall beside her and looked up at the dark night sky. There was no moon or even half a star tonight, and the air was hot and dry. It was as if a fierce storm was brewing. Yuliana stayed with him quietly for a while. Seeing as they had been out for quite a long time now, she was worried about Winnie being alone in the ward. Thus, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Christopher remained rooted to his spot, still looking intently at the dark night sky. Yuliana looked at him for two seconds, turned around, and walked away for a few steps. Seeing that Christopher didn¡¯t follow her, she stopped and turned back around again. As Christopher was standing in a dark spot, she couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. She could only see a blurred figure. Yuliana called out to him. The man in the dark finally moved and seemed to look in her direction. Yuliana was standing under the streetmp. The light shrouded her, casting shadows on her face. Christopher couldn¡¯t see her face clearly either. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Standing over 30 feet apart, they looked at each other through the distance. After a while, Christopher came out of the dark and walked to Yuliana. She finally saw his face clearly. His eyes were very red and bloodshot. They were slightly swollen as well. Against the backlight, his dark eyes seemed especially sparkling, as if they had just been washed with water. Yuliana reached out and held his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When they arrived back in the ward, Joyce had arrived. She was sitting in a chair by the bed, looking down at her phone with a frown on her forehead. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she looked up and saw Yuliana and Christophering in. She immediately put away her phone and stared at Christopher for two seconds. Then she looked at Yuliana and said, ¡°I asked the kitchen to prepare some food. You guys should have some first.¡± ¡°Thank you, Joyce.¡± After saying that, Yuliana added, ¡°Mom woke up for a while just now, but she was too weak and went back to sleep again.¡± Joyce nodded and looked at Winnie on the bed. She sighed softly and said, ¡°You two keep an eye on Mom for a while. I have something to do and have to leave first.¡± Yuliana answered, ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce picked up her bag and left the ward. However, she didn¡¯t leave the hospital. She simply went to the outdoor area downstairs and took a seat on a bench. Then she took out her phone and called Kendrick again. She called Kendrick in the afternoon when Winnie was sent to the hospital, but the call did not go through. Kendrick had gone to a country in Alendor this time. The infrastructure there was not very good. saper 204 She thought the call didn¡¯t go through because of the poor signal. However, after she sent Alex back to the Sce residence in the afternoon, she called Kendrick again, and the call was still not connected. At that time, she didn¡¯t think too much about this. When she just arrived at the hospital, Christopher and Yuliana were not there, and Winnie was asleep. Since Joyce had nothing else to do, she tried to call Kendrick again, but the call still didn¡¯t go through. Therefore, she remembered the secretary and assistant who went with Kendrick on the trip and called them, but their phones were just like Kendrick¡¯s and couldn¡¯t be reached. Only then did Joyce feel something was wrong, and a bad feeling rose in her heart. However, it wasn¡¯t Kendrick¡¯s first trip to Alendor. Previously, she had also experienced losing contact with him, which was why she did not mention the matter to Christopher and Yuliana just now. Now that the Sce family was in a mess, and all kinds of things were happening one after another, she was afraid that she was merely overthinking and would cause unnecessary panic again. Kendrick had brought two senior executives along with him on his current trip to Alendor. However, Joyce didn¡¯t have the phone numbers of the two senior executives, so she could only contact. Kendrick¡¯s secretaries from the Secretarial Department to make an inquiry. As it was already past working hours. Joyce could only call the private number of the Secretarial Department. Fortunately, she had saved the phone numbers of several secretaries of the Secretarial Department before. She opened her contact list and searched for the contact number of Hazel Henderson, one of the secretaries from the Secretarial Department. As she scrolled through the list, her finger was trembling uncontrobly. There are too many numbers in the contact list. Joyce had to search for a while before she located Hazel¡¯s number. She dialed it. The call was picked up quickly. Joyce took a deep breath and said in a gentle tone, ¡°Hazel, this is Joyce.¡± ¡°Mrs. Sce!¡± greeted Hazel, who sounded extremely anxious on the phone. ¡°I was just about to call you. Earlier, Mr. Hernandez called and said that Mr. Sce had gone missing in Nardor.¡± She was referring to Hugh Hernandez, one of the executives who apanied Kendrick on the trip. Joyce¡¯s mind went nk at once, and her head began to buzz. Hazel continued to speak on the phone, but Joyce didn¡¯t hear a thing. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Joyce¡¯s mind went nk as though her soul had left her body, so to speak. After a while, Joyce slowly regained consciousness. All she could feel was that she had been in a short daze, so she was not sure whether she had misheard those words earlier. She interrupted Hazel, ¡°Sorry, Hazel, what did you just say? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly. Who¡¯s missing now?¡± When Hazel first heard the news, she was shocked. Right when she was about to inform the Sce family about it. Joyce called her. With that, she told Joyce the whole incident without hesitation, completely losing her usual calmness. Only after Joyce interrupted her did she calm down and realize what that piece of news would mean to Joyce. Hazel went silent for a while and regained her senses. After deliberating for a moment, she said, ¡°Mr. Hernandez called me a while ago and said that while Mr. Sce was on his way to the site, a car ident, and the car fell into the river valley.¡± he got into Hazel paused for a while on that note. She could not bring herself to continue saying what was on her mind. That would make sense, for Joyce was only in her early thirties. Not only was Kendrick the chairman of Sce Corporation, but he was also the patriarch of the Sce family, Joyce¡¯s husband, and the father of their son. ¡°What happened next?¡± asked Joyce stiffly. After all, Hazel did not follow Kendrick to Nardor, so she could not have known much about the situation there. She could only pass Hugh¡¯s words on to Joyce. Yet, the truth was way too cruel for Joyce. Hazel could not help but utter in a heavy tone, ¡°The car has been salvaged, and the driver¡¯s body was found in the car. Kendrick¡¯s assistants, Lloyd Fenton and Dn Fairwood, had also apanied Kendrick to Nardor. Their bodies were also found by the nearby river. Only Mr. Sce was nowhere to be found.¡± Judging from the message Hazel had gotten in Nardor, they learned that Kendrick had gone missing. Even so, everyone could more or less guess what the oue would be. The river valley was deep, and the river was turbulent during that season. Because of that, the car that had fallen into the valley was ripped apart, and even the driver¡¯s corpse was deformed. As for Lloyd and Dn, it was said that their corpses were gruesome to look at. Kendrick was only human, after all. He was made of flesh and blood, just the same as the driver, Lloyd, and Dn, so it would be pretty unlikely for him to have any chance of survival. Hugh, on the other hand, had not been able to limate himself to the environment over there, so much so that he had been vomiting and having diarrhea. He had even been admitted to the hospital for the past two days, so he could not join the group on the journey. Just like that, he managed to escape death and survive. After the incident, Hugh had been cooperating with the police and search and rescue personnel in Nardor, hoping to find survivors of the crash. Even after they had finally found the three men who had been with Kendrick along with the car, there was still no sign of Kendrick anywhere. It was then that Hugh decided to call back and inform people. Hugh had wanted to call La, but she never picked up the phone. Hence, he chose to call the Secretarial Department. La¡¯s son was sick, so she applied for a half-day leave in the morning to get her son to see the doctor Sull, she had yet to finish her work, so she worked overtime in the office, which was why she had not answered Hugh¡¯s call. Joyce clearly heard everything Hazel said at that time. However, she still could not ept the truth. ¡°How could this have happened? He was only at Nardor to survey an energy project. He¡¯d also been there not long ago and came home just fine. How could he have met with an ident this time?¡± she wondered. Joyce clenched her phone tightly and stared nkly ahead. She froze and kept mum for a very long time. Her blood seemed to have frozen, and her limbs were numb and painful. ¡°Mrs. Sce?¡± Seeing that Joyce had not spoken for quite some time, Hazel called out to her, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hazel¡¯s voice jolted Joyce back to reality. Thetter closed her eyes and furrowed her brows. Biting her lip, she suppressed the suffocating feeling in her chest and replied calmly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± After a brief pause, she went on. ¡°Find Mr. Sce. Even if he¡¯s dead, I must see his body. Tell Mr. Hernandez to continue the search at Nardor until they find him. Also, make sure the news is contained. The public should never learn about what happened to Mr. Sce!¡± Hazel immediately responded, ¡°Understood, Mrs. Sce.¡± After ending the conversation with Hazel, Joyce sat there motionlessly for a couple of minutes. The weather was so hot, but Joyce could only feel a chilly sensation in her bones, so much so that even her limbs were hurting. A couple of minutester. Joyce still rose to her feet on the spot. She stepped inside the building of the inpatient department and boarded the elevator upstairs. In the ward. Winnie had woken up. She looked much better than before. She could also converse better with Christopher and Yuliana. Joyce ordered the kitchen to prepare some oatmeal for Winnie. Somehow, the staff managed to serve it in yet delicious. When Joyce came back to the ward, Christopher was feeding Winnie one spoonful of oatmeal after another. Even so, Winnie had no appetite. After finishing half a bowl of the oatmeal, she shook her head and said. ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only taken half of it. Didn¡¯t we agree just now that you would finish all of it?¡± coaxed Christopher patiently. in Winnie began to act like a child, trying to talk her way out of it as she pushed away the spoon Christopher¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m so full already. I can¡¯t go on. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Don¡¯t tell me you want to force it down my throat?¡± She was still a little too weak to speak more. After saying those words, she was already panting Just then, Joyce came in and happened to see the scene. Her face turned pale, and her visage was icy. She was still holding the phone in her hand so tightly that even the pack of her hand became pale as well. ¡°Oh, Joyce, you¡¯re back.¡± Yuliana got up as she spoke. Just as she finished the sentence, she noticed that something was amiss with Joyce¡¯s mien. Stunned, she questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Joyce?¡± Upon hearing Yuliana¡¯s words, both Christopher and Winnie turned to look at Joyce. Joyce first met Christopher¡¯s gaze before shifting her attention to Winnie. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Looking at how skinny and feeble Winnie seemed, Joyce held back the words she had been meaning to say in an instant. ¡°I simply can¡¯t tell Mom the news. She¡¯ll be unable to cope. Dad¡¯s ident has already crushed her. If she knows about Kendrick¡¯s ident, nothing good wille out of it,¡± she mused. She mustered a smile at that thought. Yet, her lips curled upward without any emotions, and even her face appeared to be stiff. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Chris, why don¡¯t you let Yuliana feed Mom for a while? Come out with me. I need your help with something.¡± Yuliana and Christopher both noticed how strange Joyce was behaving. As for Winnie, she was a little perplexed but did not read too much into it. Since she really had no intention of continuing to eat, she was d that Christopher would be stepping out of the ward instead of trying to convince her to eat more. She hurriedly urged, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Christopher said nothing. After exchanging gazes with Joyce for a couple of seconds, he got up and handed the bowl to Yuliana before following Joyce out of the ward. Once outside the ward, Joyce stopped in her tracks. She turned her back to Christopher. Thetter could not see her face, but he could clearly see how stiff her thin shoulders and back were. At that time, she looked as though she would copse altogether if she ever rxed. Christopher had never seen Joyce like that before. He pinned his gaze on Joyce and asked in a calm voice. ¡°What happened, Joyce?¡± At that moment, Christopher¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated. Obviously, it was only the same sort of vibration from the phone, just like always. For some reason, though, he could feel that the call was particrly urgent at that point. Taking out his phone, Christopher checked the caller ID, only to find that it was La. He looked at the time and thought, ¡°She must have just gotten off the ne.¡± Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Christopher tapped on the ¡°answer call¡± button. Just as he ced his phone near his ear, he heard La¡¯s scratchy voice choking out, ¡°Christopher, something happened to Ken.¡± The moment La got off the phone; she received a call all the way from Nardor. The caller exined to her that Kendrick was involved in a car ident. The car that he was riding in had fallen into a river valley, but it was unknown if Kendrick was dead or alive. However, the rescuers in Nardor were able to retrieve the bodies of those who were in the same car as Kendrick from the valley. Even if the rescuers hadn¡¯t found Kendrick, the other three people who were in the car with him were unable to escape from death. Also, they died in a very gruesome manner, which meant Kendrick had an extremely low chance of surviving the crash. When La first found out about the news, she instinctively refused to believe it. After taking a few minutes to process the news, she inquired about the situation in Nardor carefully. It was said that a person in charge from Nardor was supposed to inspect the base together with the people that Kendrick brought with him. There were two cars in total. The person in charge from Nardor upied the car that led the way. However, Kendrick¡¯s car was unable to catch up with the first car for some reason. The person in charge from Nardor originally thought that Kendrick¡¯s car got dyed due to some unfinished business. After waiting for a while, the person in charge had yet to see Kendrick¡¯s car arriving at the site. At the same time, no one was able to get in contact with him. Hence, the upants of the first car decided to go through the same route to search for Kendrick¡¯s car. They discovered a set of tire tracks near the cliff belonging to a jagged and bumpy section of the road. The tire tracks were fresh, and they matched the tires belonging to Kendrick¡¯s car. The person in charge of Nardor knew that something must have gone wrong, so he contacted the police and the rescuers immediately. Soon, they were able to locate the wreckage of a car as well as the body of a local driver at the bottom of the valley. Some of the driver¡¯s limbs were torn away from his body. His head was so disfigured that it couldn¡¯t ¨C be pieced back together. The search and rescuested for another couple of hours. They managed to locate the bodies belonging to Kendrick¡¯s assistant and Dn, who had flown to Nardor with the group. Their bodies were as battered and disfigured as the driver that was found in the wreckage. However, the rescuers were unable to locate Kendrick at all. ording to the rescuers of Nardor, the country was going through a rainy season at the moment, causing the river currents to be extraordinarily powerful and swift. There was a chance that Kendrick got swept away by the currents. The terrain in which the ident had urred was winded andplicated, not to mention that the river was narrow and deep. It was very difficult to perform search and rescue in that area. As a result, the process was extremely slow. The bottom of the river was slightly wider, but manyrge carnivorous predators roamed around that area. That was why the chances of finding Kendrick there were very small. Everyone could only hope that Kendrick wasn¡¯t in the car when the ident happened. However, the probability of that happening was even lower. Kendrick nned to inspect the base together with Lloyd and Dn. Since the other men were in the car during the ident, it was impossible for Kendrick to get out of the car in a rural area, where there was no trace of civilization to be found. Also, Kendrick¡¯s personal phone was found in the car wreckage after it was retrieved from the valley. Once the messenger from Nardor was done reporting the incident, La felt that her soul had also fallen from the jagged and bumpy cliff all the way into the river valley, where the strong and fast underlying river currents washed her away. Ever since La was a child, she remembered Kendrick being the pir that supported the whole family. The moment she found out that Kendrick was in trouble, she felt lost for the first time in her life. Countless thoughts popped up in her mind. Because of them, she couldn¡¯t even think properly. At the same time, she didn¡¯t know what to do. The first person that came to La¡¯s mind was Zachary, but he was still unconscious in bed. Afterward, she thought of Christopher. La used to think that Christopher was still very immature that needed constant supervision from her and Kendrick. However, at that moment, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else that could help her deal with the crisis. Christopher was stunned for two seconds after hearing La¡¯s words. Then, he turned around to gaze at Joyce, who had her back turned on him. At that moment, she turned around while looking extremely pale, her eyes brimming with tears. ¡°Christopher. I¡¯m going to look for him in Nardor.¡± The next day. Christopher and Joyce chartered a flight to Nardor after dealing with the necessary procedures to leave the country. La opted to stay in Juxshire to keep everything under control. She knew she was unable to keep Kendrick¡¯s ident under wraps for too long. Once the employees. of thepany found out about it, all sorts of problems that hady dormant would arise immediately. The impact the ident had on thepany would be very deadly. Besides, someone had to watch over Winnie at the hospital. There wasn¡¯t anyone at hometely. Zachary would be all right since he had nurses and housekeepers watching over him at home, but on the other hand, Joyce couldn¡¯t let Alex stay in the Sce residence all by himself for long hours. La would be extremely busy during that period of time, seeing as she had to deal with thepany¡¯s matters. Meanwhile, Jared had to take care of Winnie at the hospital during the daytime. Hence, Joyce decided to send Alex to Yuliana¡¯s house before she left for Nardor. Oceanview Apartment only had three rooms. There was supposed to be a guest room in the apartment as well, but it was cleared out and refurnished as a nurseryter on. The storeroom in the apartment was also repurposed as a bedroom for Hailey and the maternity matron. It was a good thing that the nursery was pretty big. Rowan slept in his crib nowadays, leaving the other bed vacant, save for the times when the maternity matron needed to rest whenever she took care of Rowan at night. Yuliana asked Hailey to clean the bed so that Alex could sleep there. Then, she moved Rowan¡¯s crib to the bedroom that she and Christopher shared. That night, Yuliana and the maternity matron bathed Rowan. The baby soon fell asleep in the midst of drinking milk. As she was worried about Alex, Yuliana decided to go check on him in the nursery. It was almost ten o¡¯clock at night, and yet, Alex was still not ready for bed. d in a set of dark blue pajamas, he sat at the desk dutifully. With a pencil clutched between his fingers, he tackled the summer homework that his teacher had assigned to him. Yuliana approached Alex and asked softly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?¡± When he heard her voice, Alex lifted his head to look at her. Then, he replied, ¡°I want toplete the homework issued by my teacher as soon as possible. After that, I can finish learning the fourth- grade curriculum.¡± Before Alex became a first grader, he had already begun to learn the first-grade curriculum. When he became a first grader, he was already done learning the curriculum of the second and third grades. Truthfully speaking, based on his learning capabilities, he could always advance to the fourth grade right away. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. However, Kendrick made it clear that Alex should follow the educational schooling system ording to his age. Once the boy was done with his fourth-grade education at an appropriate age, he could opt to skip grades. Yuliana picked up the book that was ced on the very top of the book pile. Sure enough, that book was a fourth-grade subject. The pile consisted of various reference books of the same grade. She remembered hearing Joyce mention that Alex was already done learning the curriculum of the second and third grades. As a teacher. Yuliana didn¡¯t approve of speed learning. Formal education may be important to children, but was it really a good thing to transform them into studious robots while stripping them of their freedom to enjoy their childhood? However. Yuliana also knew that Alex was differentpared to the other children. He would have to support the Sce family in the future by carrying their burden. It could be due to the fact that Yuliana was now a mother, but when she noticed Alex doing his best to study everything, she was reminded of her own son. That thought made her heart ache. Yuliana said gently, ¡°You¡¯ve already done a good job. After all, you¡¯ve learned the curriculum of the second and third grades despite being a first-grader. It¡¯s alreadyte at night, so why don¡¯t you go to bed first? You can always resume your homework tomorrow.¡± Alex shook his head before replying stubbornly, ¡°No way. Daddy told me before that I need to finish the day¡¯s tasks and that I can¡¯t leave them till tomorrow. I¡¯ve already drafted a timetable for myself, so I must finish this exercise book by tonight.¡± Yuliana could feel grief grip her heart immediately. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 The adults didn¡¯t bring up Kendrick¡¯s ident in front of Alex. Before Christopher and Joyce flew to Nardor, they hade up with an excuse that they had work to do there, so they wanted Alex to stay with Yuliana during that period of time. Even though Alex was yful and mischievous, the private education he had received from Kendrick made him mature and wiser than regr children. He may not disy those traits most of the time, but his maturity and wisdom were evidently there. Even if none of the adults told Alex anything about Kendrick¡¯s ident, he had already developed an inkling of what actually happened. Ever since Joyce brought him to Yuliana¡¯s apartment that afternoon, Alex remained quiet and obedient, which waspletely different from his yful and carefree behavior. He even responded to Joyce¡¯s reminders seriously. Before Joyce left, Alex had taken the initiative to hug her and told her not to worry about him. He then promised toplete his homework on time, and that he would always study diligently. It was as if Alex had grown up overnight. However, he was only eight years old. Yuliana didn¡¯t persuade Alex anymore. Instead, she just smiled gently. ¡°How about I keep youpany while you do your homework?¡± Alex paused in writing for a moment. He tilted his head to nce at Yuliana in hesitation before he nodded. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Alex was able to answer the questions very quickly. Since he had alreadypleted the curriculum of the second and third grades, the summer homework meant for first-graders was obviously not a problem for him. However, there were many questions in the exercise book, so he still needed more than an hour toplete it. Finally, Alex went to bed at eleven o¡¯clock. Yuliana sat next to his bed while tucking him in. ¡°Sleep well.¡± Alex¡¯s eyes remained open as he stared at her unblinkingly. He stared at Yuliana for a while without saying anything. Thetter asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the bed too ufortable for you? Or is it because you¡¯re not used to sleeping here?¡± Alex just shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you staring at me without saying anything?¡± Alex had Kendrick¡¯s eyes. Whenever he stared at people without smiling, he was able to look intimidating despite not having any expressions on his face. Even though Alex was still young and didn¡¯t have a distinct aura, he would be able to look as intimidating as Kendrick once he grew up. The thought of Kendrick made Yuliana¡¯s eyes darken slightly. After finding out that Kendrick got caught up in a car ident in Alendor and had gone missing. Yuliana was left in a state of shock for a very long time. Even though she barely talked to him, the thought of Joyce and Alex suffering still made her feel distressed. Yuliana was never a superstitious person, to begin with. However, when she was reminded of the incidents that gued the Sce family that year, she couldn¡¯t help but suspect the involvement of a voodoo curse or a spell that endangered the whole family. First, Zachary was caught up in an unfortunate incident. Then, Winnie fell horrendously ill. Now, even Kendrick had gone missing. Suddenly, Alex asked a question, ¡°Aunt Yuliana, is my daddy dead?¡± Upon hearing that question, Yuliana turned to look at Alex immediately. His chubby face still seemed calm as ever. His eyes were clear and innocent as if they could see through everything in the world. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. At first, she wanted to skim over the whole thing with an excuse. She was about to speak up when she looked into Alex¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, she couldn¡¯t say anything at all After a long moment of silence, Yuliana selected her words very carefully before finally replying, ¡°No. He just got into an ident. That¡¯s all. We still haven¡¯t found him. Your mommy and Uncle Chris went to look for him. They¡¯ll definitely find him.¡± The moment Yuliana was done speaking, tears started rolling down Alex¡¯s cheeks. However, he didn¡¯t bawl loudly, unlike other children. He mped his mouth shut tightly, intending to hold his sobs back, but his tears continued to stream down his cheeks continuously. In the end, he lifted his hands and covered his eyes as suppressed sobs slipped from his lips. Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything. She averted her gaze aside to give Alex a moment of privacy as he released his pent-up feelings. A few minutester, Alex¡¯s tears gradually stemmed. He was starting to calm down. The truth was, he had overheard his mother, Joyce, talking to someone on the phone that afternoon. She happened to mention Kendrick¡¯s ident on the phone. Since Alex was a bright child who knew what death meant, he spent the afternoon in fear. However, the little boy didn¡¯t dare to ask what happened to Kendrick after spotting Joyce¡¯s condition. When she was on the phone, she held her tears back and tried her best not to cry, but it was obvious that she had cried earlier since her voice was all hoarse and scratchy. Alex had never seen Joyce looking that vulnerable. The gloomy atmosphere at home was the reason why Joyce decided to send Alex to live with Yuliana. That was the reason why the little boy thought that Kendrick was dead. Having heard Yuliana¡¯s reply, Alex let out a relieved sigh. At the same time, the pent-up stress and fear that was umted within him for so long finally found an outlet, hence his emotional breakdown. When Yuliana noticed that Alex had stopped crying, she grabbed a warm towel and started wiping his face. ¡°A little boy like you shouldn¡¯t think too much about life. Your mommy and Uncle Chris will definitely find your daddy.¡± Alex nodded obediently in response. ¡°Now, go to sleep.¡± Alex closed his eyes as instructed while Yuliana sat by his bed. Once he fell asleep, she got up and switched off the lights before exiting the room. In reality, Yuliana wasn¡¯t as optimistic as she sounded when sheforted Alex. The people who rode in the same car were already found, with Kendrick being the sole exception. A long time had already passed since the ident. If the rescuers were able to locate Kendrick in the first ce, they would have done so some time ago. However, if they were still unable to find him at this hour¡­ That meant his chances of survival were really slim. Meanwhile, Christopher and Joyce arrived in Nardor the next morning. They had to travel from the airport in a car for another few hours before they could reach the city where Kendrick carried out his work. That city was extremely rundown. Its overall condition was worse than a small county in the Sces¡¯ country. The energy project that Kendrick was in the middle of inspecting would have brought massive changes to that city if it was to be greenlit in the future. The duo didn¡¯t waste any time at all. The moment they arrived at the city, they quickly met up with Hugh before proceeding to meet the local police force and the rescuers. Since the city was in such bad shape, naturally, the quality of the search-and-rescue equipment they had was bad. When Christopher and Joyce came to the city, they had hired a professional search-and-rescue team from Nardor in advance. At the same time, they also brought over professional search-and-rescue equipment from their country. Once they arrived at the scene, they deployed the search-and-rescue team and their equipment to the river valley immediately to look for Kendrick. s, even after the rescuers devoted their efforts to searching for Kendrick in clockwork shifts. without stopping to rest for almost a week, they were still unable to find any traces of Kendrick. The rescuers spent the whole time searching all the way from the spot where the ident urred to the bottom of the river. They even fanned out andbed every inch of therge area meticulously, but they couldn¡¯t locate any of Kendrick¡¯s personal belongings at all. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Joyce and Christopher stayed in Nardor for half a month. Even though thetter followed the search- and-rescue team into the river valley many times, he was still unable to find Kendrick. By then, news of Kendrick¡¯s ident was already spread in the country. Back in Sce Corporation, those who harbored malicious intentions were itching to rear their heads. La was already married to another family, so she wasn¡¯t considered a member of the Sce family. The only one who could lead both the Sce family and Sce Corporation could only be the oldest son of each generation. Besides, La was a woman who had be the daughter-inw of another family, so she wasn¡¯t viewed as a member of the Sce family. When Kendrick was still present, no one dared to say anything. Now that he was gone, the sight of La taking his ce and issuing orders displeased everyone else to the point that they would never acknowledge her. They figured that if a married woman could issue orders in Sce Corporation, which meant the other members of the Sce family were entitled to the same privilege. La couldn¡¯t suppress the crowd at all. The higher-ups who used to call her ¡°Ms. Sce¡± in such a friendly way didn¡¯t hesitate to start arguments with her in the meeting once they found out about Kendrick¡¯s ident. In fact, they didn¡¯t mind humiliating La at all. Now, Christopher and Joyce must rush back to Sce Corporation to regain control of the situation. Otherwise, the wholepany would be thrown into chaos. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Having spent a week in the hospital, Winnie was adamant about getting discharged the moment she started recovering. After all, she cared about Zachary greatly. Unable to handle her mother¡¯s comints, La asked Jared to deal with the discharge process and drive Winnie back to the Sce residence. However, La was worried about Winnie being alone at home since Joyce was still absent. In the end, Yuliana took Alex, Rowan, Hailey, and the maternity matron back to the Sce residence. Thepany still had to continue operating, even after Kendrick went missing. La was the only one who could deal with work matters in his stead. La had to deal with work matters while duking it out with malicious people in thepany at the same time. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to describe her as an overworked worker bee that didn¡¯t have a second to rest. For the past half a month, she didn¡¯t go home at all. She took all of her meals in the company and even slept there. There were asions when La was too exhausted from work and allowed herself a brief moment to space out. When she thought of the events that had yet toe, she felt as if more weights were ced atop her head, making her unable to breathe. Unlike otherpanies, Sce Corporation was a family business. There existed a familyw where the eldest son of the first wife was always the one inheriting thepany in the past 200 years. Even though it wasn¡¯t properly established during the modern age, the Sce family still followed thisw out of propriety. No one broke thatw. Then again, no one dared to break it. About 20 years ago, something happened. After a series of events, the Sce family managed to restore order to their hierarchy. However, Zachary was still around at that time. As long as he was there, the other Sce members wouldn¡¯t dare to dream of usurping the position from him. However, Kendrick¡¯s whereabouts were still a mystery, whereas Zachary remained unconscious till who knew when. The only one who had the right to be the Sce family¡¯s heir was Alex. Alex was only eight years old. How could he manage a hugepany such as Sce Corporation? Kendrick¡¯s ident wasn¡¯t just spread throughout Sce Corporation. Everyone in the business circle also found out about it. Truthfully speaking, the Sce family¡¯s situation was considered a public secret at this point. Everyone watched the drama unfold with bated breaths, waiting for the chaos to erupt from within Sce Corporation. Once that happened, they would do their best to grab a slice of pie from the behemoth known as Sce Corporation. 16:05 The higher-ups of thepany could no longer suppress their desires. The meetings that urred over the past few days consisted of only demands toward La. The higher-ups wanted her to give them a straightforward answer; they wanted to know if something had really happened to Kendrick. The thing was, everyone knew the truth very well. All they wanted was a clear answer from La. If she were to provide them with what they wanted, they would be able to n out their next move. Since La was unable to keep the news under wraps, she could only announce the news to the public. However, her utmost priority was to figure out how she should announce the news while reassuring the other employees. The night before Christopher and Joyce returned to the country, La spent the whole night sitting in her office after she was done with everything work-rted. When it was almost dawn, she finally took a short nap on the chair. However, as soon as she closed her eyes, she dreamed of Kendrick. In that dream, La was submerged in icy water. The beasts had preyed upon her body, leaving her in disfigured chunks. She had lost half of her face to those beasts as well. Immediately after that, she woke up in fright. The sky looked hazy since it was only dawn. There were still a little more than three hours before it was time for work. La gulped down half a bottle of iced water and nned to continue sleeping since she had a rough day ahead. Unfortunately, she was still unable to rest fitfully, seeing as she started having numerous dreams. She dreamed that Sce. Corporation was in total chaos. Factions belonging to different higher-ups. appeared out of nowhere and divided the entirepany. In the end, the otherpanies split Sce Corporation up and engulfed them happily, leaving nothing behind. Sce Corporation was ruined all thanks to them. When La woke up again, she could no longer fall asleep. She stood by the window and watched the sunrise quietly. It was already half past nine when Christopher and Joyce arrived at Sce Corporation. Ast-minute meeting was held at ten o¡¯clock. The participants of the meeting included the higher-ups and important members of the Sce family. There was still half an hour before the meeting, so Christopher and Joyce hurried toward La¡¯s office. The trio was extremely fatigued, having to deal with countless matters over the past half a month. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before La finally opened her mouth. ¡°Christopher, now that Kendrick¡¯s missing, the familyw dictates that Alex should be the one inheriting the position as the head of th hapter 268 Sce family, but he¡¯s only an eight-year-old. It¡¯s impossible to demand him to take on the burden right now.¡± She paused for a moment as she gazed at Christopher. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can support the Sce family right now.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t respond to La¡¯s words. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He lowered his gaze while maintaining a poker face. No one knew what he was thinking. During the half-month period in Nardor, Christopher had followed the search-and-rescue team into the river valley countless times. He even dove into the water a couple of times in search of Kendrick. At first, he was filled with hope, but as time passed, that me gradually diminished and flickered to nothing. On the flight home, Christopher kept his eyes wide open, not wanting to rest even for a moment. He kept thinking about Kendrick¡¯s ident over and over again. How was it possible for everyone to not locate Kendrick? ¡°Chris,¡± La called out to Christopher, having noticed his prolonged silence. Christopher snapped back to reality as he looked up at her. ¡°What?¡± Taking note of Christopher¡¯s reaction, La paused for two seconds before continuing, ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, you¡¯ll be taking over Ken¡¯s position temporarily after I announce the news of his ident to everyone during the meeting.¡± After she was done speaking, La then looked at Joyce. ¡°What do you think, Joyce?¡± Joyce replied, ¡°I¡¯m okay with it.¡± It was a problem that affected everyone¡¯s reality. Sce Corporation was the product that the past generations of the Sce family had devoted their efforts to creating. It was also a destined duty that Kendrick had to ept the moment he was born. Even if he was no longer here, Joyce still wanted to help him protect what was left of his life. It was true that Alex was too young, as La said. Joyce couldn¡¯t bear to see her son being forced to handle everything during the present time. Hence, Christopher was the most suitable candidate in this case. Christopher frowned slightly when he listened to the women¡¯s conversation. He remained silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with Sce Corporation¡¯s current situation. Why don¡¯t you take over, La?¡± He was being truthful. The only time he spent analyzing Sce Corporation¡¯s situation was when he supervised the branch in Romdale. Other than that, he had. no idea what was going on in thepany. If he were to be forced into Kendrick¡¯s position, it would undoubtedly produce only detrimental results. La could only squeeze out a helpless smile. ¡°Chris, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to take on the responsibility. There¡¯s no way everyone would let an outsider like me lead Sce Corporation.¡± Even if society nowadays kept on emphasizing that gender equality was to be prioritized, there were still many times when there could never be equality among genders. For example, once a woman got married, she would automatically be a member of her husband¡¯s family and had to take on that family¡¯s surname. Besides, this was the Sce family La was talking about. No matter how modernized the family looked on the outside, their core beliefs were still outdated and restrictive. Joyce looked at Christopher and said, ¡°La is right. Chris, you¡¯re the most suitable candidate to lead thepany at the moment.¡± Sometimes, the most suitable thing might not be the one the situation needs. At ten o¡¯clock, Joyce entered the conference room with La and Christopher, followed by Hazel from the Secretarial Department. Kendrick¡¯s other vice-assistant and La¡¯s assistant also entered the room with them. The small group entered the conference room swiftly. The participants who had arrived at the conference room before all looked at them. Joyce walked to Kendrick¡¯s seat and sat down. Christopher and La went to their respective seats and sat there. Immediately after that, Joyce surveyed the conference room, soon spotting a few vacant seats. She ced her hands on the table andced her fingers together, a serious expression on her face. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± At that moment, she was no longer Mrs. Sce of the Administrative Department. She was currently Mrs. Sce, the chairman¡¯s wife who represented Kendrick in the meeting. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 As soon as Joyce¡¯s words fell, she heard the conference room¡¯s door being opened from the outside. Zavier led two assistants into the conference room, followed by his eldest son, Logan. Zavier shot Joyce a smile that was warm and gentle as usual before saying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joyce. I was caught up in business just now, so I¡¯m a few minuteste.¡± Joyce¡¯s expression remained impassive. She replied lightly, ¡°Take a seat, Zavier.¡± Hazel got up and pointed at a few empty seats for Zavier as a gesture for him to sit down. Zavier and his group soon took their seats. The former soon spotted Christopher in the conference room, so he smiled gently once more. ¡°Even Chris is here.¡± Christopher just nced at Zavier indifferently before greeting him. Christopher was always closed to his uncles and his aunts loved and pampered him a lot. But that was purely shown on the basis that none of their profits and privileges was harmed. That was because Christopher was neither Zachary¡¯s oldest son nor the future heir of Sce Corporation. On the other hand, Kendrick¡¯s case waspletely different. He never viewed his uncles as his elders and superiors. The two elderly men didn¡¯t dare to criticize him when they stood before him during private moments. The same applied to the rtionship Zachary shared with his brothers. The three brothers only grew closer together after Zachary retired from his position. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. The truth was, Kendrick had intended to make arrangements for Christopher to work at Sce Corporation when thetter was still a university student. However, Christopher turned that offer down straight away. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in any of Sce Corporation¡¯s affairs. Later on, Christopher started Glory Corporation just for fun. During the initial phase, which was very difficult, he turned down Kendrick¡¯s offer to help him out. They were brothers, after all. What Christopher feared the most was letting profits get in the way between the two brothers. A thick wall would be built over time between the two closest individuals in the end. Everyone was present at the meeting. Joyce wore a light blue dress with a smart cor. She sat on Kendrick¡¯s seat while maintaining a steady gaze ahead of her. Then, she started speaking. ¡°The purpose of this meeting is to make an announcement. I think everyone here has heard of the news regarding Mr. Sce¡¯s ident while he was on a business trip in Nardor. As of now, he¡¯s¡­ receiving treatment in a hospital there. He¡¯s incapable of moving at the moment, so he can¡¯t return to this country. I know that there are various rumors flying around thepany. I hope that you can stop spreading baseless rumors and just stick to your jobs.¡± Before returning to the country, Christopher, Joyce, and La had agreed to use that reason to pacify everyone. If Joyce were to tell the participants that Kendrick¡¯s whereabouts were unknown, more chaos would erupt in thepany. However, it would be apletely different story if they were to find out that Kendrick was being treated in a hospital. That reason would have provided Joyce and the others with a buffer period. At the same time, those who wished to act wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything before they could find out the truth of what happened. During that period of time, the rescuers would continue looking for Kendrick in Nardor. As Joyce had said before, she wanted to see Kendrick, dead or alive, with her own eyes. As soon as Joyce finished speaking, someone questioned her right away, ¡°Since he¡¯s unable to return to the country, he still should be able to host a video conference call, shouldn¡¯t he? Mrs. Sce, you mentioned that we shouldn¡¯t be spreading baseless rumors, but the best way to get rid of the rumors once and for all is for Mr. Sce to show his face in front of everyone.¡± The one who spoke up was Logan, Zavier¡¯s oldest son. He was currently a project director at Sce Corporation. Joyce looked at Logan while pinching the space between her thumb and her index finger with her fingertips. Just as she was about to reply, Christopher suddenly spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for Kendrick to do that at the moment. Once his condition has stabilized during thete stage of his treatment, we¡¯ll let him host a video conference call with you.¡± He gazed at Logan coldly. Logan and Christopher were cousins. Even though the age gap between them was huge, Logan used to be a fun-loving guy when he was young. The cousins hadpatible personalities, so they always hung out together. Only when he turned 30 did Logan finally settle down and be mature. Upon hearing Christopher¡¯s words, Logan shot him a look, a smirk already curled on his lips. Logan guffawed lightly before saying, ¡°Since when do you have the right to speak in Sce Corporation? If I remember correctly, you don¡¯t have a position in thispany. Isn¡¯t that right, Chris?¡± Even though Kendrick had arranged for Christopher to deal with the incident in Romdale a year ago, thetter had never gone through the official hiring procedure at Sce Corporation. hapter 269 Honestly, it didn¡¯t matter to Christopher if he had gone through the process or not. However, that only applied when Kendrick was still around. Now that he was not, the situation was no longer the same. Christopher leaned backward slightly, feeling his back pressing against the back of the chair. He nced at Logan, who sat across from him, with an impassive yetzy look on his face. ¡°Are you saying that only the employees of Sce Corporation can attend this meeting? If I remember correctly, Great-uncle Richard and Great-uncle Simon don¡¯t have positions at Sce Corporation as well. Does that mean they don¡¯t have the right to speak up too?¡± Richard and Simon Sce were Christopher¡¯s grandfather¡¯s brothers. They were currently in their 90s. When Christopher¡¯s grandfather retired from his position, the two brothers did the same. Even though the brothers¡¯ descendants continued working at Sce Corporation, they still kept to themselves. Truthfully speaking, Richard and Simon had been following the familyw of the Sce family faithfully. They didn¡¯t have the courage to step over the line. Christopher¡¯s retort shut Logan up sessfully. Logan dared to berate Christopher, but there was no way he would have the same courage to berate the great-uncles sitting at the table with him. After all, there were many members of the Sce family who were present in the conference room. Christopher noticed Logan holding his tongue, so he continued, ¡°I know what everyone¡¯s worried about. Don¡¯t worry. After all, Kendrick is the patriarch of the Sce family. He¡¯ll definitely live a long life under the protection of our ancestors. It¡¯s just that his condition is quite severe, seeing as he survived the car ident in Nardor. That¡¯s why it¡¯s inconvenient for him to meet everyone at the moment.¡± Christopher¡¯s tone remained neutral, but none of the people in therge conference room dared to question him anymore. La shot Joyce a look, silently prompting her to continue talking about the things they had discussed earlier. Joyce pursed her lips as she surveyed the conference room once again. Then, she continued the topic, ¡°Also, I¡¯d like to make another announcement. Since Mr. Sce is receiving treatment in Nardor, we won¡¯t be able to get much work done in thepany due to his absence. In order to make sure that Sce Corporation can function as usual, Mr. Sce would like to let Christopher rece him for the time being so that the matters can be dealt with. An official letter will be published soon. I hope that everyone can help the Acting Chairman out with As soon as Joyce was done speaking, everyone started talking among themselves in shock. Some time ago, many people were already displeased when Kendrick made the decision to let Christopher take over Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. After all, thetter was just a rich boy who appeared out of nowhere and had no idea how to run apany. What sort of capabilities would he possess in the first ce? Now that the same clueless kid was supposed to take over Sce Corporation, it was natural for everyone to doubt him. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little too hasty, Mrs. Sce?¡± The one questioning Joyce this time was Zavier, who had remained silent the whole time. He opted not to refer to ¡°Joyce¡± by her name, unlike the time when he entered the conference room. Instead, he addressed her as ¡°Mrs. Sce¡± as a reminder of her identity. There had never been such a case when the second son of the Sce family became the Acting Chairman of Sce Corporation in the past. If Christopher could do it, then why couldn¡¯t the other second sons do the same? What about the second sons who were more capable and experienced than Christopher? Zavier exined, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I doubt Mr. Sce¡¯s judgment. I know that he¡¯s always loved his younger brother and has ced high hopes in Chris, but managing Sce Corporation isn¡¯t child¡¯s y. Even if we were to choose an Acting Chairman, shouldn¡¯t we choose someone who¡¯s both capable and experienced?¡± Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Several senior executives agreed as soon as Zavier said this. Even some of the Sce family¡¯s most respected elders nodded after a brief moment of thought. In fact, Christopher had an excellent rtionship with the elders of the Sce residence. When he was a child, he was respectful of the elders. Having grown up as an adorable and smart child, Christopher has enjoyed a good rtionship with them ever since. Yet, as Zavier pointed out, the more than 200-year history of Sce Corporation couldn¡¯t be disregarded. Christopher hadn¡¯t grasped the circumstances surrounding Sce Corporation; let alone having the ability and experience. He couldn¡¯t afford to be Acting Chairman. Everyone in the meeting room went into frenzy at that moment. One side strongly disagreed with Christopher being the Acting Chairman and supported Zavier. Another side believed that Christopher should be given a chance and some time to prove his worth since he resolved the issue at Sce Corporation Romdale Branch perfectly. On the other hand, another side remained silent throughout the meeting and did not express any opinion regarding this topic. Bang! Bang! Bang! La pounded on the table a few times and cast a chilly re around the room. ¡°This is not a market. Get out of here if you want to fight.¡± Therge conference room became silent immediately. La¡¯s rank in Sce Corporation was slightly lower than Kendrick¡¯s but was still on par with Zavier and Zaiden. Although they were in charge of different duties, Kendrick and La remained close since they were brother and sister. Previously, La handled everything crucial when Kendrick was away on business. As a result, La¡¯s deterrence in Sce Corporation remained powerful. La¡¯s eased up slightly. She grinned at Zavier and said, ¡°I¡¯m wondering who the experienced person that you are referring to is. Why don¡¯t you call them out, and we¡¯ll see whether they¡¯re any better.¡± Zavier looked at La¡¯s smiling face. He was frozen and could not say anything. After a moment, Zavier replied slowly, ¡°Can¡¯t we find a more capable and experienced person in Sce Corporation, which has been in operation for almost 200 years?¡± La just smiled at him and didn¡¯t answer. This was a routine that happened practically every day for these past two weeks. Although La and Zavier never openly fought, their tension was so intense that any trigger could start a battle between them. Everyone else averted their gaze and remained silent. No matter how often they fought, they were still family. In contrast to them, as outsiders, if they messed with any of the two, they would be dismissed right away. Even if they got to remain in thepany, they would definitely suffer as a consequence. However, some were not afraid of the consequences and wanted to try their luck. A plump executive with ck-framed sses stated, ¡°In my opinion, the second vice-president is an excellent candidate for the role. He has been with Sce Corporation for over 40 years and is highly familiar with thepany¡¯s operations. Furthermore, everyone is aware of his expertise and experience. There should be no issues if he leads Sce Corporation in the future.¡± Zavier was the second vice-president that the executive was referring to. Zavier, Zaiden, and La were all deputy presidents. In order to differentiate between them, La was called Ms. Sce. Meanwhile, Zavier and Zaiden were referred to as the second deputy president and third deputy president, respectively. La smiled after hearing those words. She looked at Zaiden and the elders of the Sce family with darkened eyes. ¡°If Zaiden and the other elders are okay with this, I also agree for Zavier to take over as the Acting Chairman of Sce Corporation.¡± The elders of the Sce family remained silent. Yet, they were clearly skeptical of Zavier taking over as the Acting Chairman of Sce Corporation. Zavier and Kendrick were not of the same generation. Zachary and his two brothers had been living apart for quite some time. Kendrick was the head of the Sce family for this generation. Although Zavier had the ability and experience to take on this role, doing so came with many risks. After all, most people could not resist the temptation of profits and power. ¡°Zavier, I know you¡¯ve devoted your entire life to Sce Corporation, but we¡¯re bing old. We should delegate our responsibilities to the next generation. Even though Chriscks both ability and experience, you and I both know this child is intelligent. There should be no problem as long as we assist him. Additionally, Joyce stated that Chris is just the Acting Chairman. Sce Corporation will need to rely on them in the future,¡± Zaiden, who had remained silent, remarked with a smile. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Hearing this, the family elders came to their senses and thought his remarks were quite sensible. Despite Christopher¡¯sck of experience, many tasks could bepleted without his presence. Nothing should go wrong as long as he has someone to guide and assist him. Richardmented, ¡°Zaiden¡¯s right. As elders, you should assist Chris. We must not vite the ancestral system.¡± This was not only a reminder to Zavier, but also to Christopher. Simon quickly agreed with Richard to make Christopher take over Kendrick¡¯s position temporarily and take care of Sce Corporation. However, he also emphasized that this was only temporary and that Christopher should not have any hidden motives. Simon even used the case that happened 20 years ago to warn them. After most of the elders voiced their opinions, those of Sce Corporation who agreed with Christopher¡¯s session as the Acting Chairman followed. Plus Zaiden and his subordinates, in an instant, Zavier and his subordinates were put at a disadvantage. Zavierughed, ¡°You¡¯re all right. It¡¯s my bad for not thinking about this!¡± He looked at Christopher and said, ¡°Just tell me if you need any help in the future. I will help you to take care of thepany.¡± After a few rounds of debates, the meeting ended with everyone agreeing that Christopher should be appointed as the Acting Chairman. Soon after, La sent off the elders of the Sce family, and only Sce Corporation staff remained. She requested that all departments report to Christopher before going through some future work arrangements. The meeting didn¡¯t end until three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. After the meeting, Zavier took the lead and left the conference room, followed by a few senior executives. Zaiden walked up to Christopher and looked at him thoughtfully. With a sigh, he patted him on the shoulder, ¡°Zachary is in aa now, and something bad happened to Ken. From now on, the whole family will rely on you. You must not be as carefree as before, Chris.¡± Christopher nodded slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Zaiden.¡± Zaiden asked about Kendrick¡¯s situation in Nardor again before leaving the. meeting room. Logan and Jayden, as well as Zaiden¡¯s subordinates, were gathered in Zavier¡¯s office at that moment. ¡°How can he take over the position as the Acting Chairman?¡± It was the executive who suggested that Zavier take over the position in the conference room. ¡°Because he is Mr. Sce¡¯s youngest brother?¡± he retorted. He mmed the table and nced at Zavier, who was sitting in the chair with his eyes closed. ¡°The second vice-president should take over this position.¡± Chapter 271 Chapter 271 After saying that, he pped his hand on the table and nced at Zavier, who was leaning on the chair with his eyes closed. ¡°The second vice-president should take this position.¡± Zavier lifted his eyelids and looked at him with an unpleased expression. In a cold voice, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t do such stupid things again!¡± He thought, ¡°If this idiot didn¡¯t say I¡¯m suitable for the position in the meeting, Zaiden wouldn¡¯t have the chance to let Christopher be the Acting Chairman.¡± The senior executive paused for a moment and said, ¡°I was just hoping that you could get promoted. With your ability, you can handle being the chairman, let alone the Acting Chairman.¡± When he said thest sentence, he kept observing Zavier¡¯s expression, and he lowered his voice subconsciously. Zavier sneered and nced at the senior executive. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of going overboard with your ttery? In the future, don¡¯t talk nonsense like this. Be careful not to get yourself in trouble.¡± The senior executive smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Sce. I¡¯ll watch my words when I¡¯m out of this room.¡± Logan was frowning. His face was gloomy, and he didn¡¯t seem happy at all. He looked at his father and said, ¡°Dad, are you really going to let Christopher ride above you?¡± Logan couldn¡¯t bear just the thought of it. Zavier had spent his whole life working for Sce Corporation. However, in the end, Zachary and Kendrick had taken all the benefits. This matter couldn¡¯t be helped. Some things were imprinted in the culture of the Sce family. Logan thought, ¡°However, something has happened to Kendrick now. Why has Christopher, who has never contributed to Sce Corporation and only knows how to have fun, be the Acting Chairman? Why can¡¯t those who have worked hard for thepany take the position?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Jayden couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He continued, ¡°We have been working hard for Sce Corporation. We can¡¯t let uncle and his family reap all the benefits when we don¡¯t even get anything, right?¡± Zavier didn¡¯t speak. He stared somewhere with his eyes drooping and was thinking about something. After a while, he picked up the coffee cup in front of him and took a sip of it. He smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°Do you really think the position of the chairman of Sce Corporation is that good?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t have any connections. It would be impossible for him to be like Kendrick. Besides, Zavier had been contributing enough to Sce Corporation throughout his life. He had been holding it back all those years. The original regtions had been broken at this time, so there was no need for him to hang on to it anymore. He thought, ¡°The second vice-president?¡± Whenever the others addressed him that way, he felt extremely irritated. After the meeting, Joyce returned to the Sce residence, while Christopher went to the office with La. As Zavier had said, Christopher did not know much about the situation of Sce Corporation at this time, so he needed to hurry up adapt to Kendrick¡¯s working style. and Yuliana knew that they hade back on that day. Hence, she asked the kitchen staff to prepare a meal at noon. However, she didn¡¯t expect that they would go to Sce Corporation first and didn¡¯t go back to the Sce residence directly. In the past half a month, Yuliana knew about Christopher and Joyce¡¯s situation abroad. However, she knew about it from La. She didn¡¯t have much contact with Christopher. They had gone abroad in a hurry that day. She and Christopher hadn¡¯t been talking much. Also, she had been worrying about him because of his condition then. After lunch, Yuliana apanied Winnie back to her room and chatted with her for a while. After she fell asleep, Yuliana went to check on Alex. He was doing his homework obediently in his study room. A teacher came to teach him in the morning and assigned him some homework. Yuliana only stood at the door for a while and didn¡¯t go in to disturb him. She went downstairs and was about to call Christopher when she heard a noise. outside. She saw the housekeepers helping Joyce with her suitcase and entering the house. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Joyce,¡± Yuliana called. She looked behind Joyce and didn¡¯t see anyone else. Joyce saw through Yuliana¡¯s mind. Joyce said, ¡°Chris is still in thepany and will only be able to come back at night. He is the Acting Chairman of Sce Corporation now. He should be very busy in the future.¡± Yuliana had seen how busy Kendrick was. He basically went out early and returnedte at night every day. He couldn¡¯t spend much of his time at home. Yuliana nodded faintly as she noticed Joyce¡¯s face was tired. Joyce had only gone away for half a month, but she already looked much thinner and tanned. It seemed that she had had a tough time at Nardor. Yuliana said, ¡°Joyce, go back to your room and rest. I¡¯ll ask the kitchen staff to cook some food for you. Have a good sleep after eating.¡± Joyce smiled faintly. ¡°Yuliana, thank you for your help.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do much.¡± Yuliana actually did think that way. No matter what happened to Zachary or Kendrick, she didn¡¯t do anything much to help them. The only thing she could do was to help look after Winnie and Alex. However, there were many housekeepers in the Sce residence. Hence, she didn¡¯t have much to do. Joyce went back to her room. However, she didn¡¯t take a rest. As soon as she entered and smelled the familiar scent in the room, her eyes became blurry and moist. For the past half a month, she had been forcing herself not to copse, thinking that as long as she didn¡¯t see Kendrick¡¯s body, he must still be alive. However, the days passed, and she became more and more depressed. Until this time, looking at the traces left by Kendrick in the room, she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Joyce fell onto the ground and cried with her mouth covered. Hearing the news of Joyce¡¯s return, Alex ran over excitedly. When he was about to turn the doorknob and enter, he found that the door couldn¡¯t be pushed open. He thought, ¡°Why can¡¯t I rotate the doorknob?¡± ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± Alex shouted from outside, ¡°Are you inside? Let me in!¡± Hearing Alex¡¯s voice, Joyce immediately wiped away her tears and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then, she got up and opened the door. Looking at her son standing outside the door, she forced a smile. ¡°Aunt Yuliana said you were doing your homework.¡± Alex looked into her eyes and didn¡¯t say anything. Then, he jumped into Joyce¡¯s arms and hugged her tightly. After a while, he came out of her embrace with his eyes reddened. ¡°I know you went to find dad with Uncle Chris. Mom, don¡¯t cry and don¡¯t be sad. Even if Dad can¡¯t be found for the time being, it doesn¡¯t matter. You still have me. I¡¯ll study hard. When I grow up, I¡¯ll help you find Dad.¡± Hearing this, Joyce burst into tears again. She squatted down and hugged Alex while sobbing. Yuliana saw this scene when she went upstairs to check on Joyce. It was the first time she had seen Joyce crying like this after knowing her for so long. She didn¡¯t disturb them and went downstairs silently. Half an hourter, the kitchen staff made some food. Yuliana sent some of them to Joyce¡¯s room. Christopher didn¡¯te back untilte at night. The lights in the room were still on. Yuliana was sitting at the head of the bed with a novel in her hand. Rowan had fallen asleep in the crib. The light in the room was dim. Christopher opened the door and saw the scene. He held the doorknob and stood at the door. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Yuliana didn¡¯t pay much attention to the book. She noticed the noise at the door, but she didn¡¯t look up at once and continued to be engrossed in her book. After a while, she only raised her head when she noticed there wasn¡¯t any movement. Yuliana was sitting on the bed, and Christopher was standing by the door. The room was quiterge and there was some distance between them. Plus, it was dark with only a little lighting from the head of the bed, so they couldn¡¯t see each other clearly. After staring at each other for a few seconds, Christopher walked in and went straight to the bed. He looked at Yuliana without saying anything. His gaze was deep and tinged with fatigue. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for half a month. Christopher wasn¡¯t that much thinner than before, unlike Joyce, but he was much darker. His previously pale skin had turned into the color of wheat. But the biggest change seemed to have happened from the inside. The arrogant Christopher seemed to have been taken out of his body and reced by another person. Yuliana felt like he was a stranger and yet couldn¡¯t help but feel pained by all that he had gone through. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Yuliana put down the book in her hand and got up from the bed. Christopher grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She tilted her head to look at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll fill up the bathtub for you so you can take a bath.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he walked behind Yuliana, wrapped her tightly in his arms, and buried his head in her neck. After a while, he let go of his hand and went straight into the walk-in wardrobe. Yuliana stood there and stared in the direction of the walk-in wardrobe for a while. She suddenly felt a little ufortable. She had the feeling that she and Christopher would never go back to what they used to be. She snapped out of her trance and went into the bathroom to fill up the bathtub for Christopher. Christopher didn¡¯t let Yuliana go even while he was taking a bath. He was arrogant and domineering, and they did it twice. After that, theyy silently in the bathtub. Only then did Yuliana notice that Christopher had a lot of wounds all over his body-old yellow and recent purple bruises ovepping with each other and the many cuts peppered all over his body, most of it concentrated on the soles of his feet and his lower legs. It was a shocking sight to see. Yuliana stroked a 1.5-inch cut on his calf. Several days must have already passed as the cut was already scabbing, though the wound was still slightly turned out. ¡°How did you get this cut?¡± asked Yuliana. Christopher opened his eyes and looked at where the cut was, and then he spoke to Yuliana, ¡°I was cut by a stone when I went down to the river valley.¡± He couldn¡¯t remember exactly what happened. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t painful,¡± said Christopher, as if anticipating what Yuliana was going to ask next. At that time, it seemed like there was something under the river valley. In a hurry to see what it was, Christopher didn¡¯t pay attention to his safety, and that was how got hurt. But at that time, he only had Kendrick in his mind; he didn¡¯t care about anything else. He didn¡¯t even realize he was hurt. he It was only when he got to the bottom of the river valley and someone pointed out that his legs were covered with blood did he realize that he was hurt. Maybe the pain was too much, and it had sent him into a numbing shock, but he really didn¡¯t feel too much of it. Christopher put his arm on Yuliana¡¯s shoulder and wrapped his fingers around her neck until he was leaning on the other side of her shoulder. He kissed her ears as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of it, stirring up the desire in Yuliana¡¯s body. Yuliana ducked down and reminded him, ¡°It¡¯ste. It¡¯s time for you to rest. There¡¯ll be lots of things waiting for you to do tomorrow.¡± Christopher paused and was silent for a long time before he finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it one more time.¡± Thest time was the most aggressive. Yuliana was so tired that she didn¡¯t know how she fell asleep in the end. When she woke up, it was already the next morning, and she was alone in bed. She opened her eyes and remained dazed for a moment. Yuliana picked up her phone to check the time. It wasn¡¯t even eight o¡¯clock yet. The crib wasn¡¯t in the room either. Vague memories shed through her mind. Yuliana remembered Rowan was cryingst night, probably because it was time for his milk. She was about to get up in a stupor due to her tiredness but was pulled back into bed by Christopher. He said something to her, and then she immediately fell back to sleep. Yuliana immediately got up from the bed and went downstairs after washing up. She searched all over but didn¡¯t see Christopher. She asked Sofia and learned that Joyce had called Christopher to Kendrick¡¯s study. Yuliana pondered what she should do next and decided to leave them to it while she went to see her son, Rowan. Christopher woke up at dawn. He had only slept for three hours. He went to the guest room to wash up because he didn¡¯t want to wake up Yuliana, who was still sleeping soundly. After that, he went downstairs and bumped into Joyce, who was standing in the yard. Nobody knew how long Joyce had been there. ording to Sofia, Joyce was already standing in the yard when they got up in the morning. ¡°Joyce!¡± shouted Christopher as he walked over. Joyce looked back at him and turned around again. She kept staring straight ahead and judging from her expression, it wasn¡¯t because she was worried or sad about Kendrick. It was more like she was giving some matters serious thought. After a while, Joyce said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe your brother¡¯s death was caused by an ident.¡± Kendrick had always been the cautious type. He would have died at least 800 times in the past 40 years of his life if he could be so easily killed by an ident. Christopher knew what Joyce meant, and he felt the same way as her. He frowned and said, ¡°I ordered someone to dig up some information on the driver in Nardor. He has a daughter who¡¯s severely ill, and he used up most of his ie to treat her. However, around a month before Kendrick¡¯s ident, his wife and daughter were suddenly sent to the top hospital in Epea.¡± The information wasn¡¯t that hard toe by. He already found out about it not long after he arrived in Nardor. It was just that the driver in Nardor was dead, and Christopher knew he wouldn¡¯t find out anything from the driver¡¯s wife or daughter. But it was definitely not an ident. It was just that at that time, he was so anxious to find Kendrick and make sure he was safe that he couldn¡¯t think about anything else. But he couldn¡¯t find Kendrick¡¯s body, not even a trace of it, after searching for half a month. On the contrary, Christopher thought that Kendrick was very likely still alive. If they really wanted Kendrick dead, they could have killed him the same way as the others in the car who were now all dead at the bottom of the river valley. Joyce shuddered after hearing what Christopher said. ¡°Did the driver do it for the money?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Christopher looked at her. Although he still couldn¡¯t figure it out, his intuition told him that it couldn¡¯t be that simple. An ordinary driver in Nardor couldn¡¯t do such a thing. Moreover, his wife and daughter went to Epea a month before Kendrick¡¯s ident. It was more like someone had predicted that Kendrick would go to Alendor on a business trip and set up the trap in advance. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened a little at the thought of that. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s another thing.¡± Joyce suddenly remembered that she also went to Kendrick¡¯s study last night. She wanted to see the items he used and found the surveince video on Kendrick¡¯s computer. It was she who made a copy of that video for Kendrick. Previously, Kendrick had asked her to check the surveince video when Zachary had an incident. She didn¡¯t find anything wrong, so Kendrick asked her to make a copy for him. However, the surveince video on Kendrick¡¯sputer had been tampered with. It certainly wasn¡¯t the one Joyce gave to him. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Christopher looked at Joyce. ¡°Come with me.¡± After saying that, Joyce turned around and entered the room. Christopher stood there for two seconds before he followed. They went straight to Kendrick¡¯s study. Joyce walked to the huge desk and turned on Kendrick¡¯sputer. She then found the video Kendrick tampered with and turned it on for Christopher to watch. The video was not long and only a few minutes, but the video content was not recorded over a continuous period of time. Rather, it was abination of footage from several dates, and the interval between each date was about half at month. The first date was October 20 ofst year, and itsted until the New Year. Christopher immediately saw that the surveince video was aimed at Zachary and Winnie¡¯s room. After watching it for the first time, he did not notice problem and consequently looked up at Joyce. any It was normal for Christopher not to notice anything amiss for the first time, for Joyce herself had taken a long time to detect the problemst night. Joyce took the mouse and dragged it a little more. Then she clicked the pause button and reminded Christopher, ¡°Take a closer look at it in the next few seconds.¡± After saying that, she clicked the y button again, and the video continued to y. After being reminded by Joyce, Christopher looked at the video for the first time and found nothing wrong again. When he watched the video for the second time, he noticed the time change on the video and suddenly frowned. He quickly tapped on the keyboard, and the video yed more than ten seconds backward and reyed again. There was something wrong with the time on the video recording. One ce clearly showed that it was 17:43:24 on November 21, 2022. The next second was the 25th second. However, the interval between the 24th and 25th second was obviously longer than what it was supposed to be. Christopher took out his phone and opened the timer for fear of inurate perception. Byparison, it was indeed longer than the normal second interval, about 0.5 seconds longer. ¡°Has this video been tampered with?¡± Christopher straightened up and looked at Joyce before looking at the time on the video again. He quickly figured out what was going on. Joyce said, ¡°When something happened to Dad, your brother asked me to check the surveince video. I checked it myself, but I didn¡¯t see anything wrong. Afterward, your brother asked me to send him a copy.¡± It was not surprising that Joyce did not notice such a tiny difference, as it was hard for most people to detect it. Besides, the video Joyce copied was footage from three months before Zachary¡¯s ident. The time gap was too long. Evenst night, when she saw the video that was cropped andbined by Kendrick, she had to watch it several times before she noticed the problem. Christopher¡¯s expression was cold and dark. After being silent for a long time, he said, ¡°Ken has long noticed that something was amiss with my father¡¯s ident, right?¡± He was the only one who did not know about anything and was totally unaware that someone was behind his father¡¯s ident. Joyce nced at Christopher and guessed that he was feeling ufortable deep down, but she still said truthfully, ¡°He just doubted it back then. I¡¯ve checked thest modified time of this tampered video. Your brother saved it on hisputer a few days before his business trip.¡± This implied that Kendrick only confirmed that someone was behind Zachary¡¯s ident not long ago. Joyce added, ¡°I referred back to some records at homest night. Two housekeepers resigned at the end ofst year, one of whom was responsible for cleaning, while the other was responsible for managing all kinds of equipment at home, including all the surveince cameras.¡± Leaving a job was normal, but leaving a job at the end of the year in the Sce residence was considered somewhat abnormal. The treatment given to housekeepers had always been generous in the Sce residence. Not to mention, the host family was easy to get along with. As long as they fulfilled their duties, working in the Sce residence was considered to be a good job. In addition, there would be New Year¡¯s mary gift and extra bonuses for rework after the New Year. Even if they wanted to resign, it wasn¡¯t reasonable for them to choose the end of the year. It was more reasonable for them to at least wait until the beginning of the new year, after they collected the mary gift and bonuses. The two housekeepers seemed to have nned everything perfectly, so they left earlier, knowing that Zachary would soon be met with an ident. Usually, specific people would be assigned to clean the room of Zachary and Winnie. This was to take into ount the fact that they were already old, lest the neers would not know about their living habits. Therefore, Joyce dared not let neers take charge of things inside Zachary and Winnie¡¯s room. But after all, the room of Zachary and Winnie was not locked. It was impossible to send someone to guard the room 24 hours a day. Thus, it was not impossible for someone to sneak in. Moreover, it would be more convenient if someone could help deal with the surveince video. Joyce didn¡¯t sleep all night after seeing the video. She looked through a lot of records, including the housekeepers¡¯ situation at home and the daily medication taken by Zachary. Shepared them one by one and could match every record. year, ¡°However, the two housekeepers are unrted. The person in charge of all kinds of electronic equipment in the house entered the Sce residencest the other person only entered half a year afterward. Besides, they never crossed while paths during their daily work.¡± The fact that two people who were unrted could work together made Joyce and Christopher ponder. After listening to Joyce¡¯s words, Christopher was silent again. Apparently, everything that happened was aimed at the Sce family. They first made a move on Zachary and made him end up in a vegetative state. Then, they switched their target to Kendrick. If the two leaders of Sce Corporation met with an ident one after another, Sce Corporation would be in a leaderless situation. Sce Corporation was a family business. Unlike otherpanies, only the eldest son of the family¡¯s main branch had the right to seed. Once Sce Corporation got into this situation, it was impossible to find another leader whom everyone could agree upon and trust. Christopher came back to his senses and looked at Joyce. When he was about to say something, he saw her staring at a photo frame on the table in a daze. young In the frame was a family photo of Kendrick, Joyce, and Alex. Alex was still and only three or four years old at that time. In the photo, Kendrick held him and let him sit on hisp, while Joyce was sitting beside Kendrick. It was a very typical family photo. Christopher would never look at it in the past, but when he saw Kendrick in the photo now, he felt tightness in his chest. He quickly withdrew his gaze from the photo and looked at Joyce again. This time, he noticed how pale she looked. She was in Nardor for half a month, and although Joyce hadn¡¯t followed the search and rescue personnel, she was certainly not in better condition than him. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher said, ¡°Joyce, go back to your room and have a rest. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± Joyce¡¯s eyes were hot and damp. She quickly turned back and wiped away the tears. Then she came back to her senses and smiled at Christopher. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself too much. You can discuss more with La if there¡¯s anything. She knows more about the company than I do. As for Zavier and Zaiden¡­ As you could see today, family rtionships mean nothing in the face of their personal interests. You have to be careful with them in the future.¡± Joyce shouldn¡¯t have said thest sentence, but she was afraid that Christopher would suffer in silence. Christopher didn¡¯t know anything about the headquarters of Sce Corporation, except for the matters of Sce Corporation Romdale Branch. Christopher used to have a close personal rtionship with his two uncles, so there was nothing wrong back then, but once personal interests were involved, that intangible rtionship would be of no use. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 After all, Christopher had no one to rely on except La. On the other hand, Zavier and Zaiden had worked at Sce Corporation for over 40 years. Hence, their connections within thepany were wide and deep. In the past, with the presence of Kendrick, the two parties could maintain a bnce, but now this bnce had been broken. Within thepany, those who had chosen a side had long made their choice. Those who hadn¡¯t chosen a side were probably still on the lookout. One could say that Christopher was surrounded by wolves. Since they could hurt Zachary and Kendrick, they could hurt Christopher too. No one could tell what would happen next. Christopher answered, ¡°I know, Joyce.¡± Joyce nodded and was about to leave. She halted and looked at Christopher again. ¡°Are you publicly announcing your brother¡¯s medical treatment in Nardor today?¡± Christopher only hummed in reply. Although Sce Corporation was not a listedpany and could not exin everything to the public, many of its projects involved many enterprises and even government departments. That had to be exined to them. But once Kendrick¡¯s ident was made public, one could imagine the sheer amount of opinions on the matter. Joyce looked at Christopher worriedly and said, ¡°Chris, you have to be mentally prepared. The public opinion may not be so easy to deal with this time.¡± Christopher replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can handle it.¡± He had already informed the Public Rtions Department and contacted the best public rtions team in the industry. Once the news of Kendrick¡¯s ident was made public, he would control the direction of public opinion and minimize the impact. However, he knew that public opinion was the most uncontroble thing. Especially now that Kendrick was incapacitated, other enterprises would view it as a great opportunity for them and would not let the chaos end in a hurry. Moreover, the internal administration of Sce Corporation was in disunity, and they wouldn¡¯t let Christopher be the Acting Chairman that easily. Therefore, as soon as the news of Kendrick¡¯s ident became public, a financial influencer posted an article about the family behind Sce Corporation-the Sce family who founded thepany more than 200 years ago and continued up until Christopher¡¯s current situation. The article revealed information about every chairperson of Sce Corporation. The financial influencer concluded that only the main house¡¯s eldest son was qualified to take over Sce Corporation. Then the article continued with some of thepany¡¯s achievements during its heyday and details of that era¡¯s prominent family, the Sce family. These days, people were already curious about the inner workings of a wealthy family, and they were even more curious about the Sce family now. Therefore, as soon as the article was published, it immediately attracted manyizens who liked gossip to join the discussion. At first, they treated it like a joke. After all, it was none of their business. But soon, someone shared the article and left an insidiousment, using a way of speaking that seemed like they were an insider in the circle. Thement started by mentioning the ex-chairperson and the current chairperson of Sce Corporation, who had been sessively involved in an ident. Then, thement ended in an envious tone, where thementer said Christopher was too lucky. The seemingly ordinaryment aroused the suspicion of manyizens. Soon, thement was viewed so many times that it became a trending topic. The subsequentments made by thementers changed from a joking tone to a darker one as the situation escted to infighting between brothers in a rich and powerful family. They made conspiracy theories about whether Christopher was the one who hurt his father and brother to take over thepany. Then someone began to dig up Christopher¡¯s past. As a student, Christopher had disciplinary problems, as he fought with others and bullied his ssmates. Later, he was involved in debauchery and became an irresponsible yboy. He abandoned his girlfriend, who had been with him for many years, and cheated with a third party. He got her pregnant, and she had his child. All of his past misdeeds were making the public angry. Then, theizens figured out the third party who was involved in Christopher¡¯s rtionship with his girlfriend of many years+Yuliana. They dug up everything about Yuliana, from her birth, her parents, to her ex-husband and their divorce. Theizens maliciously guessed that Yuliana¡¯s divorce was because she cheated on her husband with Christopher during her marriage. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Moreover, Yuliana¡¯s father made people even angrier. Public opinion on the inte had gone entirely out of control. The online verbal attacks against Christopher and Yuliana were nasty. They cursed them with words like ¡°a bitch and a son of a bitch is a pair made for each other¡± and ¡°scummy adulterous couple.¡± Some even cursed their newborn child. For three days in a row, the online verbal attacks did not stop. ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡± Looking at the online abuse, Xandria was so angry that she almost cried. ¡°It was Annabelle who seduced Harry first. Why would they call you a mistress and a bitch? Shouldn¡¯t the bitch be Annabelle?¡± After seeing the abuse online, Xandria specifically went to the Sce residence to apany Yuliana. Yuliana neverpeted with others for anything. Even if Yuliana had someone like Damian for a father, she did not use privileges. She had been relying on her achievements and had moved step by step any of her to get where she was right now. Yuliana was in a daze these days because she had not been subjected to such abuse before. Especially when she saw how they cursed Rowan on the Inte, she had the urge to retort for the first time. However, when she picked up her phone and typed a few lines, she suddenly calmed down and stopped. ¡°It¡¯s useless to say anything in response. After all, they¡¯ll continue their abuse, and they can even do it more fiercely,¡± Yuliana reasoned inwardly. One was powerless against public opinion. Once people set their minds on a certain perspective, it was hard to sway them. Even if they find out they were wrong after some time had passed, they would be ashamed to admit it. Instead, they would distort the truth to prove that they were right. Yuliana said, ¡°Christopher called for thepany to collect evidence. When things cool down a little, he will sue severalizens.¡± Legal means may not bepletely effective for cyber violence, but at least they could deter it. Xandria replied, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll use an alternate ount to have a go at them. Just watch while I roast these online trolls!¡± So, Xandria created an alternate ount before fighting with theizens. Unfortunately, Xandria did not be happier after she joined the fight. Instead, she became increasingly angrier, and rage surged through her entire body. From the get-go, theseizens pointed out that Xandria¡¯s ount was, in fact, Yuliana¡¯s alternate ount. Not only did they attack Xandria more fiercely, but they also kept ridiculing her. She had identally made a typo, and theizens said she was illiterate and uneducated due to that mistake. Xandria was so angry that her heart pounded intensely in her chest. Finally, she flung her phone away. ¡°Why are these online trolls so unreasonable?¡± Xandria was so angry that she was. about to cry. ¡°Yuliana, you did nothing wrong. Why did you get scolded the most in the end?¡± Seeing Xandria like this, Yuliana¡¯s eyes were also wet. Yuliana turned around and held back her tears. ¡°Yeah. Why did I get the most scolding in the end?¡± Yuliana wondered despairingly. Yuliana couldn¡¯t figure it out, but there were too many things in the world that couldn¡¯t be figured out. Xandria left the Sce Residence at night. After she left, Joyce came over and talked to Yuliana for a while. The former advised thetter not to read thements of the recent matter on the inte, lest thetter feel upset. The Public Rtions Department of Sce Corporation was already trying to remove the trending topic, block rted topics, and suspend the ounts of some online trolls. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 In fact, Joyce had been busy for the past few days. She was in charge of the administration and logistics of Sce Corporation. Although much of her work could be passed on to other people and was considered an idle job, Joyce still needed to deal with certain important matters herself. Moreover, there was chaos within Sce Corporation recently. Public opinions on the Inte kept appearing because someone within thepany obviously did it. Otherwise, the article would not be so detailed. Joyce was also afraid that Christopher would not be able to cope with things in thepany. Even if the former had nothing to do, she would stay in thepany every day and discuss with the Public Rtions Department how to deal with online public opinion. When Joyce got home at night, she had to look after Winnie. Even after Winnie returned from the hospital, she was still not recovering. She could not even go downstairs, so Winnie could only rest in bed. Moreover, Winnie could not bear to leave Zachary. Thus, the family could only set up another bed in Zachary¡¯s room. Sofia and the nurse cared for Zachary and never left his side, even for a moment. It had been nearly a month since Winniest saw Kendrick. In addition, this time, she was very sick, and thetter did not even show up to check on Winnie. She gradually became suspicious and asked about Kendrick from time to time. But of course, with Winnie¡¯s current situation, no one dared to tell her. They could only stall it day after day. Everyone was hoping for Winnie to recover so that by the time she heard the news of Kendrick¡¯s ident, she could handle it. At night, Christopher had a business meeting. He asked directors from several banks out for dinner. After learning about Sce Corporation¡¯s situation recently, Christopher realized that Sce Corporation did not have much money at all. Thepany had spent all its money on various projects outside. However, starting in thest two years, many projects were not doing well. It was either Sce Corporation Romdale Branch that dyed the project, which caused the return of funds to be slow, or thepany lost the money it invested, causing losses. Sce Corporation was now in a situation where they were robbing Peter to pay Paul. Kendrick was still around, he had good rtionships with all the banks. Hence, there was basically no problem with getting a loan. However, things were different with Christopher. The outside world knew what had happened to Sce Corporation. With the recent public opinion that appeared, banks were naturally. not confident in the new Acting Chairman. No one dared to loan Christopher any money. Late at night, after being asked to drink a lot, someone helped Christopher get into the car. ¡°Mr. Sce, are you okay?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. The person who asked Christopher was Kendrick¡¯s assistant, Harvey Walker. Afterpleting his post-graduate studies, Harvey started to work for Kendrick. He was older than Christopher by more than a decade, so La arranged for Harvey to help Christopher with his work. Christopher sat in the back seat with his eyes closed and his brows furrowed. He was obviously very ufortable, which was why he did not answer Harvey¡¯s question. Christopher loosened his tie irritably, and there was a hostile expression on his face. All night long, the bank directors beat around the bush. They made things sound nice but still refused to lend Christopher money. They gave him a lot of excuses. It was evident that they did not take Christopher as the Acting Chairman seriously. Since young, Christopher had always been the center of attention. He would receivepliments everywhere he went and did not need to ask for anything he wanted. Other people would take the initiative to send whatever Christopher wanted to him. There was not a time when Christopher needed to beg in a humble way. However, the world is a real ce. It was true that everyone would hit a man when he was down. The Sce family had lost Kendrick; so naturally, no one would take a useless man like Christopher seriously. Unfortunately, at that moment, Christopher was just like a monkey in the zoo. Everyone just wanted to watch a show and see how he would end up. Seeing that Christopher did not say anything, Harvey did not ask any more questions. Harvey saw everything that happened during the dinner that night. In his eyes, Christopher was a golden boy and had always been a prideful person. Even though he was being teased during dinner, he still had to smile. How could Christopher endure it? It was considered a miracle that he held it back and did not lose his temper in front of the bank directors. Harvey closed the door, returned to the passenger seat, and ordered the driver, Jack, to send Christopher back. By then, it was already early in the morning. The road was empty, and only a vehicle would asionally speed past them. Christopher closed his eyes and rested in the back seat. He had drunk too much liquor. Thus, he was experiencing stomach cramps, and his head was dizzy and painful. Whenever Christopher opened his eyes, he would feel dizzy. He raised his hand and pressed his stomach while gritting his teeth. Harvey drank a lot, too, mainly to help Christopher. After getting in the car, the former also closed his eyes to rest. Jack was the only one driving seriously. Suddenly, the car turned abruptly. Christopher was flung to the side and hit the right window. Before he realized what was going on, he heard a bang. Immediately afterward, he was hit hard once more. In an instant, Christopher sobered up. He raised his hand, touched his forehead, and opened his eyes to look at his hands. Christopher¡¯s fingers were dyed red. He looked up and saw that the airbag hade out. Jack shook his head hard. He was obviously somewhat dizzy from the crash. The windshield had shattered, and the car hood had flown open. The car had hit a wall on the side of the road. ¡°Mr. Sce, are you okay?¡± Harvey was knocked unconscious for a moment. When he returned to his senses, he could not care less about his injuries and turned around subconsciously to check on Christopher. Christopher pressed the wounded part of his head and sat up. His expression darkened, and he answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After that, Harvey checked on Jack¡¯s situation. It was simr to his situation. There were some scratches on Jack¡¯s skin due to the broken pieces of the windshield. There were no life-threatening injuries. After making sure that Jack was okay, Harvey looked around. Thene was quiet as if nothing had happened. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Harvey asked Jack. Both Harvey and Christopher closed their eyes to rest just now. Hence, they did not know how the car hit the wall. When Jack returned to his senses, he looked at the quiet streets around him. He could not help but suspect that he had an illusion just now. However, he still told Harvey and Christopher truthfully, ¡°A car coming from the opposite direction was about to hit us. I could only hit the wall to avoid it.¡± Jack wondered if the other driver had too much to drink and was driving directly at them as if the driver did not want to live anymore. At that time, Jack had no time to react, so he could only turn the steering wheel sharply. Just as he was about to hit the wall, Jack mmed on the brakes, but it was toote. Due to the momentum, the car still hit the wall. After listening to Jack¡¯s exnation, Harvey then came back to his senses and exchanged looks with Christopher. However, neither of them spoke. After a long silence, Harvey contacted someone and got another car to send Christopher back while he and Jack stayed to deal with the rest of the matter. It was already two o¡¯clock in the morning when Yuliana returned to the Sce residence. Yuliana had not been sleeping well recently. She would wake up even at the slightest signs of activity in the residence. She knew Christopher had returned, but after waiting a while, she still did not see him enter the room. Yuliana lifted the nket and went downstairs to look around. Then she saw him in the lounge. Yuliana saw that Christopher had found a medicine box somewhere and was clumsily trying to apply medications to his wound. Yuliana stood there quietly and did not walk over to him. Christopher could not control his hand because he was not thoroughly awake. He would either miss the wound or apply too much pressure, causing it to hurt. At that moment, Christopher¡¯s frown deepened. After a while, he noticed something. Christopher lifted his head and saw a figure standing under the dim light. Only then did Yuliana walk over to him. She saw the wound on Christopher¡¯s forehead. It looked like he was scratched by something. However, it was not a deep wound. The length of the cut was a bit long. Yuliana nced at the clothes on Christopher¡¯s body and saw that his white shirt was stained with a few drops of blood. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Yuliana silently took the cotton swab from him. She helped apply the medicine to his wound before putting a Band-Aid on it. While packing the first aid kit, she asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I identally bumped into something.¡± Christopher seemed unbothered. He observed Yuliana tidying up the first aid kit with a profound gaze as if he was thinking about something. As Yuliana nced at him, the couple made eye contact. She remained silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Liar.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. From Christopher¡¯s gaze before, it was clear to her that he was contemting. He wouldn¡¯t have shown such an expression if he unintentionally bumped into something. Besides, that wouldn¡¯t have resulted in him sustaining such a wound. Instead, it looked like his forehead got cut by something. Yuliana took off her shoes and curled up her legs on the couch. She stared at Christopher quietly with a pair of limpid eyes. Christopher gulped twice as he noticed her gaze. Eventually, he extended his lengthy arm and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ana.¡± He sounded hoarse and grating. There was a hint of frustration and helplessness in his tone too. At that moment, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but be softhearted. She raised her hand and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say it. I won¡¯t force you. You don¡¯t have to say sorry to me too.¡± She knew why Christopher apologized. He felt that the Sce family¡¯s dispute caused Yuliana to be dragged into the mess, resulting in her past getting exposed online. Currently,izens even raised reports by calling the Education Bureau, hoping that the school would fire her. Theseizens even wanted to check whether it was legal for Yuliana to be admitted to Juxshire Primary School and whether she had used any special privileges throughout her life. Over the past two days, the school contacted her to discuss this matter. Although the school didn¡¯t say it explicitly, it wasn¡¯t hard toprehend what they meant. They hoped Yuliana would voluntarily resign. After all, she got admitted into Juxshire Primary School with her own ability and didn¡¯t use any backhanded methods. One could not find fault with her in other aspects too. Yuliana also exined to the school that her being the so-called homewrecker and how she cheated on her spouse were entirely fabricated. Yuliana didn¡¯t immediately respond about the resignation. She felt that since she didn¡¯t do anything wrong, she didn¡¯t need to quit her job. However, she also clearly understood that the school had no choice but to make such a decision. Otherwise, people would call and harass the school daily. They even received a lot ofints. The teachers in the school would also have their personal information posted on the Inte, and people would try to uncover if there were any problematic issues with them. It wasn¡¯t like everyone had an immacte past. Everyone would be at risk. Then, it would be impossible for them to teach. their students in ss as usual. Christopher didn¡¯t reply to Yuliana¡¯s remarks. Afterpsing into silence, he abruptly tilted his head and kissed her on the cheek before proceeding to kiss her on the lips. His actions gradually became more aggressive. His mouth reeked of alcohol. Yuliana subconsciously pushed Christopher away a few times, as she disliked the smell. However, the man backhandedly gripped her wrists and pinned her to the couch behind them. Yuliana struggled. ¡°Not here.¡± What they were doing was as though they were trying to numb the nerves temporarily in exchange for a brief moment of rxation. Christopher didn¡¯t intend to stop his actions at all. Realizing that she couldn¡¯t persuade him, Yuliana said anxiously, ¡°Go back to our room!¡± Christopher paused for a moment. He brushed away the hair on her face before cupping her chin to kiss her lips. He stood, carried her upstairs, and headed straight into the bathroom. The next day, Yuliana was already awake when Christopher woke up. She grabbed his arm. Christopher turned around and looked at her. ¡°Did I disturb your sleep?¡± Yuliana shook her head as she stared at the wound on his head. She reminded him, ¡°Go downstairs and apply some medicine to your woundter. Don¡¯t use iodine, as it will leave a scar.¡± Christopher uttered a soft acknowledgment. He ced his palm on the back of her head and leaned over to lick her chapped lower lip. ¡°You should sleep a little longer. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to settle the matter with the school. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yuliana remained silent for a while. She looked up at him and rubbed the newly grown stubble on his chin with her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to resign. You don¡¯t need to get involved in this.¡± Sce Corporation was targeted by rivals on every side now. Although Christopher didn¡¯t mention anything, she could roughly guess it based on his and Joyce¡¯s recent reactions. Besides, Yuliana didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble to the teachers and students in the school because of her. ¡°Resign?¡± Christopher stared at her. ¡°Why should you quit?¡± Yuliana grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not going to work for the time being. Roe is still so young. I want to take care of him for two more years. I can resume working when he grows older. Why? Do you think you can¡¯t support us?¡± A glint shed across Christopher¡¯s eyes. He stayed quiet for a while before chuckling. ¡°Ana, I thought I could give you happiness, but it seems things don¡¯t always go as I wish.¡± His words stunned Yuliana momentarily. When she regained her senses, she noticed the other party had curled his lips self-deprecatingly. Christopher looked at Yuliana with a warm gaze. His fingers glided before Yuliana¡¯s eyes andnded on her soft cheeks. He caressed her face. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Take a nap. I¡¯ll ask Kylie to watch over Roe.¡± Yuliana blinked and hummed in acknowledgment. Christopher rose to his feet to freshen up. Afterward, he headed to the walk-in wardrobe to change his shirt and trousers. The man came out with a coat and a tie in his hand. Noticing that Yuliana was staring at him, he beamed. ¡°It seems like I wasn¡¯t aggressive enoughst night.¡± Yuliana¡¯s cheeks flushed as she red at him. After Christopher left, Yulianay on the bed for a while. Although she couldn¡¯t sleep, her body felt limp and powerless. Hence, she didn¡¯t want to move. Many things surfaced in her mind. That morning, she informed the school that she was willing to resign. She would send the relevant materials regarding her resignation to the school soon. As for the formalities that needed to be followed up subsequently, she would find time to go to the school to settle them. Less than an hour after her conversation with the school ended, there was a post on the school¡¯s official website concerning Yuliana¡¯s resignation. After the announcement was released, it soon became a trending topic on Twitter, and there was another heated discussion. Manyizensmented: [I knew it. Sure enough, there¡¯s something fishy about her. Otherwise, the school wouldn¡¯t have fired her.] Yuliana didn¡¯t pay attention to the biased or unbiasedments on the Inte anymore. The commotion finally came to an end after over ten days. She only knew about the car incident that Christopher had gotten into when Joyce shared it with her a few dayster. The car ident wasn¡¯t a mistake, but a premeditated murder attempt. The other party wanted to kill Christopher. Even if the person failed to do so, he wanted him to be crippled. Fortunately, Jack reacted quickly and avoided the car in time. The car and its owner were found the next day. The owner of that car was still in deep slumber when he was discovered. There was the stench of alcohol all over his body. The man imed that he couldn¡¯t remember what urred the previous night. However, he couldn¡¯t refute it once he saw the video recorded by the dashboard camera. Although the driver was guilty of drunk driving and escaping, he hadn¡¯t caused a major ident. The driver was willing topensate Christopher, and the former would be sentenced to a maximum of a few years. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Even if he dodged it that time, what about next time? Who knew what else they would be facing in the future? Joyce thought that Yuliana should know better than to be like her. The former had been married to Kendrick for almost ten years, but she still did not know what her husband was thinking. It was only recently that she found out that Kendrick was hiding so much from her. In fact, when Christopher came back that night, Yuliana already had some spections. If he was hurt identally, he would not need to make up an excuse and lie to her. She knew that Christopher did not tell her the truth because he did not want her to worry. Therefore, even if Yuliana knew about the truth from Joyce, she did not mention it to Christopher. Nheless, when Christopher came home slightlyte sometimes, she would call him from time to time, asking him when he woulde home because she wanted to make sure that he was safe. At the beginning of August, it rained for several days, and the weather finally cooled down. Annabelle was going to hold an art exhibition at the end of August. Recently, she had been so busy that she had no time or intention to focus on something else. However, she still knew about what happened in the Sce family. When Sce Corporation announced to the public about the car ident Kendrick was involved in abroad, and that Christopher would be the Acting Chairman, Yvette called her immediately to inquire about the situation. No one would believe that she did not know anything about that. However, Annabelle was stunned for a while after knowing the news of Kendrick¡¯s ident. After talking to Yvette on the phone, she called Joyce and asked about Kendrick¡¯s condition. During her stay in the Sce residence over the years, although she was not close to Kendrick, the latter treated her politely. Because of Christopher and Yuliana, she was a little dissatisfied with Kendrick. Despite that, she had been treating him as her elder brother for so many years. However, Joyce obviously did not want to say anything more. Her statement was consistent with that of Sce Corporation. She only told Annabelle that Kendrick had a car ident and was now being treated in Nardor. Annabelle was not a fool. Naturally, she could understand the hidden meaning, so she did not probe further. Unexpectedly, after Sce Corporation released those two pieces of news to the public, some people in the financial circle started to gossip about Sce Corporation, and finally, the public opinion turned to Christopher, Yuliana, and Annabelle. People were always attracted to scandals that happened in rich families. As public opinion began to spread virally, it went out of control, especially those that targeted Yuliana. Theizens found out about where Yuliana worked and reported it to the school and the Education Bureau. Annabelle felt that Yuliana was wronged. Annabelle knew that those people seemed to be targeting Yuliana, but in fact, they were targeting Christopher. They wanted to nder Christopher¡¯s reputation and make him unable to take the position of Chairman of Sce Corporation. She thought about rifying for Yuliana for the sake of the Sce family, but she was afraid that she would add fuel to the fire. Therefore, shemunicated with. La and Joyce beforehand. The two felt that the most important thing at that critical time was to cool the matter down. If she responded to that matter again, it would only lead public opinion to a higher level, and maybe it would be more difficult to solve in the end. As such, it was better to do nothing and say nothing. The public¡¯s attention was time-bound. As long as the heat passed, no one would pay attention to that matter anymore. Unexpectedly, it took nearly half a month to let the matter pass. Annabelle had not been out for a week in a row. That day, Yvette invited her to go to the beauty salon for facial and body care. She did not get up until noon. After she ordered some takeout, put on her makeup slowly, and changed her clothes, she drove to the beauty salon. It was three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Yvette was already waiting for her in the VIP lounge. When thetter saw hering, she could not helpining sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re so punctual!¡± They were supposed to meet at half past two, and Annabelle was half an hourte. In order to wait for Annabelle so that they could do it together, Yvette had no choice but to give up the scheduled slot to others and dy theirs. Annabelle did not sleep until it was almost dawn. If she had not made an appointment with Yvette, she would not have wanted to go out. She would just sleep until evening. It was hard enough for her to get there before three o¡¯clock. At that time, she did not look very energetic. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Sitting down in the chair, she had to fight against the urge to doze off. She yawned and replied, ¡°You should be grateful that I agreed to go out with you.¡± Looking at her, Yvette knew that she must have stayed upte against night. Her dark circles could not even be concealed under her makeup. It was fortunate that she looked pretty regardless. Sheined, ¡°Can¡¯t you sleep early at night? Let me tell you. Don¡¯t stay upte just because you¡¯re still young now. In two more years, your skin will be sagging and swollen, looking sallow. You¡¯ll regret it by that time.¡± Hearing that, Annabelle was shocked. She subconsciously touched her face and frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll let the beautician do some treatmentster.¡± Of course, she knew about the theories, but she could not help it. While they were talking, the manager of the beauty salon led the two distinguished guests into the lounge. Annabelle subconsciously raised her head and looked at the person behind the manager for a moment. The person was talking to the manager. When she noticed that someone was also in the VIP lounge, she looked over and met Annabelle¡¯s gaze. They looked at each other. Annabelle twitched the corner of her lips, averted her gaze, and continued to talk to Yvette. The manager took them to have a seat, and the staff brought in two cups of coffee. The manager handed the coffee to the women and smiled respectfully. ¡°Ms. Lynch, Ms. Pope, please have a rest in the VIP lounge first. I¡¯ll arrange it for you immediately.¡± Scarlett smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± The manager replied politely, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. It¡¯s our job.¡± Then, he went out of the VIP lounge and left his staff to serve the guests there. The coffee and desserts served were all exquisite. Yvette and Annabelle looked at each other and smiled mockingly. ¡°It seems that there is a different kind of treatment among the VIP members!¡± They were not treated like that when they arrived just now. Hearing that, the staff of the beauty salon looked embarrassed and hurriedly asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Do you need anything else?¡± Ms. Lynch and Ms. Pope mentioned by the manager earlier looked in their direction immediately. Yvette just said it casually. She did not really want to make a fuss, as she knew very well that the beauty salon was a top-notch beauty salon in Juxshire. It was obvious that people who were weed respectfully by the manager in person did note from families with simple backgrounds. They could not afford to mess with certain groups of people. She shot a sidelong nce at the staff. Just when she was about to say, ¡°Forget it,¡± Annabelle suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Whatever you serve them, give it to us too.¡± Hearing that, the staff¡¯s expression was frozen, and they looked embarrassed. Serving them the same coffee was not an issue, but the dessert was specially prepared for Scarlett as she ordered before she came. There was only one serving. An ordinary VIP member generally did not have that kind of treatment. All the desserts they served were the same. Scarlett smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Johnson, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll give this to you. Don¡¯t put the staff in a difficult situation.¡± Chapter 278 Chapter 278 ¡°Did I?¡± Annabelle faked a smile and then looked at the staff. She asked kindly, ¡°Did I put you in a difficult situation?¡± The staff was only doing her job and dared not offend Annabelle. She hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°No, no. However, the dessert for Ms. Lynch and Ms. Pope is thest. Ms. Johnson, can I get another one for you?¡± Annabelle was still smiling, but her gaze looked a little aggressive. ¡°But I just want to eat what Ms. Lynch is having.¡± When Yvette heard Scarlett call Annabelle ¡°Ms. Johnson,¡± Yvette was a little confused. Yvette realized that the two should know each other. When Yvette heard what Annabelle saidter, Yvette figured out that there was something unusual between those two women. Although Annabelle did not seem easy to approach, she was actually quite easy to get along with, and she did not like to embarrass others on purpose. Unless someone provoked her, she would settle that resentment sooner orter with her revengeful personality. Obviously, it could not be the staff of the beauty salon who offended Annabelle, so it could only be Ms. Lynch. ¡°Ms. Lynch¡­¡± Yvette was pondering about the surname. Something seemed to cross her mind suddenly. ¡°Isn¡¯t Harry¡¯s fianc¨¦e also from the Lynch family?¡± she thought. The staff looked at Annabelle and did not know what to do. Scarlett said again, ¡°I haven¡¯t touched this yet. If Ms. Johnson doesn¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll give it to her.¡± She was saying that to the staff. The staff calmed down a little. She expressed her gratitude to Scarlett with her eyes. Then, she asked Annabelle carefully, ¡°Ms. Johnson, Ms. Lynch would like to give this to you. Is it okay?¡± Annabelle smiled and said, ¡°Thank you then, Ms. Lynch.¡± The staff immediately delivered Scarlett¡¯s dessert to Annabelle. Scarlett asked with a smile, ¡°Ms. Johnson, do you always like to snatch things from others?¡± Her tone was gentle without any aggressiveness. No one else could hear anything unusual from her words, but Annabelle and Yvette understood what she meant. She was satirizing Annabelle. Annabelle picked up the spoon and randomly poked at the dessert on the te. but she did not eat it. Then, she looked up at Scarlett and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who gave me this, Ms. Lynch? How did I snatch it?¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°There are certain things that can¡¯t be taken away unless they don¡¯t belong to you.¡± After saying that, she smiled meaningfully, but Scarlett¡¯s face turned gloomy. Annabelle picked up the dessert and looked at it. She said to the staff, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look tasty. I¡¯m not going to eat it. You may throw it away.¡± No matter how silly the staff was, she could notice the problem. It was the grievance between Ms. Johnson and Ms. Lynch, and she was just an unlucky person who happened to get between them. ¡°Sure, Ms. Johnson.¡± After receiving Annabelle¡¯s order, the staff took the dessert that was ruined by Annabelle and went out quickly. The air seemed fresher outside, and she took a deep breath of relief. She threw the dessert into the trash can and immediately reported to the manager about what happened at the VIP lounge. After the staff went out, Yvette kept shooting meaningful nces at Annabelle to signal her not to mess with Scarlett anymore. However, Annabelle did not seem to notice it. She deliberately took out her phone and called Harry. At that time, Harry was working in the office. Seeing the name appear on the screen, he did not answer it immediately. Annabelle was not in a hurry. She waited patiently. After Harry finished, he picked up his phone and answered it. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked. Annabelle supported her chin with her hand as she looked at Scarlett in the distance and saidzily, ¡°Busy?¡±, The person on the other end of the phone did not answer. Annabelle did not care and continued, ¡°Pick me up after work. Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight. I¡¯ve booked a restaurant.¡± Harry was silent for a while and asked, ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Beauty salon.¡± Harry frowned slightly and thought of something. He clicked on WhatsApp and checked the message. Just two hours ago, Scarlett sent him a message saying that she had an appointment with her friend toContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. go to the beauty salon for body care in the afternoon and asked him if he had time to have dinner together. He did not return her message. hapter Recently, he seldom replied to Scarlett¡¯s messages. Even if he did, he usually did not reply until a long time after receiving her messages. Seeing that Harry had not responded to her yet, Annabelle clenched her fingers that were holding the phone tightly. Then, she muttered in disappointment, ¡°Why? Are you going to turn me down?¡± Harry rubbed between his eyebrows. After a while, he answered faintly, ¡°Send me the address.¡± Annabelle could not help smiling. ¡°Okay. You go back to work then. I¡¯ll leave alone. You¡¯ll receive the address shortly.¡± After that, she hung up the phone. you Just then, the manager of the beauty salon came in. He nodded at Scarlett and Ms. Pope first, and then said to Annabelle and Yvette, ¡°Ms. Johnson, Ms. Stille, it¡¯s your turn now. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± The two got up and followed the manager out. Annabelle did not look at Scarlett again, but she could clearly feel that Scarlett was looking at her all the time. Her gaze was so sharp that if it was a knife, Annabelle would have been sliced hundreds of times by Scarlett already. ¡°Why did you mess with her?¡± Yvette asked Annabelle while they were lying in bed and doing body care. Annabelle did not tell Yvette that Scarlett had asked someone to break into her house, and she did not intend to say anything about it. Seeing that Annabelle did not answer, Yvette asked, ¡°Do you really like Harry?¡± Annabelle slowly let out a deep breath, opened her eyes, and stared somewhere ahead. She asked, ¡°Yve, do you think I¡¯m a bitch? At first, Harry was a simp who always followed behind me. I enjoyed his wholehearted affection while trampling on his dignity. But now, I suddenly miss those moments again.¡± In this world, except for Daryl, Harry was the only one who was really kind to her at that time. He treated her so well that he was willing to give everything to her. When Harry came, Annabelle and Yvette just finished their treatments. Yvette drove, so she left as soon as Harry arrived. Annabelle got into Harry¡¯s car. Scarlett stood by the window of the beauty salon and watched Annabelle get on Harry¡¯s front passenger seat. She grabbed the edge of the window and almost snapped her nails. She once thought that the woman Harry loved was Yuliana, but not long ago, she realized that she was wrong. Annabelle was the woman Harry truly loved. Rowan was almost five months old. He was supposed to be vinatedtest month, but Rowan was a little ufortable due to the hot weather. Besides, it was dyed by the matter of the Sce family. It was until public opinion on the inte subsided recently that Yuliana nned to take Rowan to get the vine. Yuliana had not been out for more than half a month. She took the maternity matron Kylie and went out with Christopher early in the morning. Christopher had a meeting in the morning, so the driver sent Yuliana and Rowan to the Community Medical Center, where Rowan would be vinated, before sending Christopher to thepany. Then, he would turn back to the Community Medical Center to pick them up and send them home after Rowan got vinated. Kylie went to line up, while Yuliana and Rowan waited by the side. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 There were a lot of people in the vination hall. Most of them took their children to get vinated so it was very noisy. Children were afraid of getting injections, so they cried when they saw the needle. The voices were loud and ear-piercing that the adults coaxed them patiently by their sides. Rowan was a little sleepy, and the surroundings were too noisy. He almost started crying. Yuliana could only carry him in her arms and talk to him, trying to distract him and get his attention. Rowan, who was almost five months old, had grown a lot. He was no longer like a newborn, pinkish- fluffy doll. Hisplexion was very fair; his eyes were big, and his pupils were dark and bright. They looked so bright and clear as though they were just washed with water. At the same time, he also resembled Christopher even more now. She saw a photo of Christopher when he was a child in the Sce residence. The simrity between the father and son was as high as 70%. However, Rowan¡¯s face was more like hers, His hair was not as brown as Christopher¡¯s when thetter was a child. Rowan¡¯s hair was ck, and his hair was very straight. Both Kylie and Haileymented that his hair looked like hers. Meanwhile, Rowan bit his fist and gazed at Yuliana with tears in his eyes. It looked like he was about to cry. Yuliana felt her heart melt. She gently took his tiny fist out of his mouth and said, ¡°Mommy told you that you can¡¯t eat your hands. It¡¯s unhygienic.¡± However, her words did not work at all. As soon as she pulled his fist away from his mouth, he immediately put it back again. Yuliana pulled it away once again. Rowan was irritated. The tears in his eyes rolled down instantly and started crying. The skin on his face also turned red immediately because of crying. Before giving birth to Rowan, she had thought about being a slightly stricter mother. At least, she had to be principled. But at that moment, seeing Rowan crying, all the principles were left behind. She took out a disinfectant wipe and cleaned Rowan¡¯s hands. Then, she let him do as he pleased. After queuing up for nearly half an hour, the vination was done atst. Yuliana handed the baby to the maternity matron and said, ¡°Kylie, you wait here with Rowan. I¡¯ll go to the restroom.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kylie sat down with Rowan in her arms on the chair in the hall and said kindly to him, ¡°Come on, Roe, let me hug you.¡± Rowan was fine with strangers. He usually did not cry when anyone hugged him, but when he was sleeping at night, he only wanted Yuliana and Kylie. Others could not coax him sessfully. Even Christopher could only y with Rowan. until he was tired and fell asleep naturally. It was impossible to force him to sleep. Yuliana stroke Rowan¡¯s hair, took a tissue from her bag in the stroller, and walked to the restroom. There were a lot of people in the restroom, so everyone needed to queue up. There were three or four people in front of Yuliana. After waiting for a few minutes, it was finally her turn. Yuliana came out of the restroom and washed her hands by the sink. Suddenly, she heard Kylie calling her hurriedly. ¡°Yuliana!¡± Hearing the sound, Yuliana looked up subconsciously and saw Kylie running over with an anxious look. Yuliana¡¯s face darkened and she immediately had a bad feeling. Without drying her hands, she grabbed Kylie¡¯s arms and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Roe?¡± Kylie looked guilt- ridden and helpless. She looked at Yuliana¡¯s face, hesitated for two seconds, and stumbled, ¡°J-Just now, a girl in a nurse¡¯s uniform asked me to take something from the vination window. She said we forgot to take it just now. I went there and left Roe in the stroller. While I was collecting the things, my hands were on the stroller all the time. However, in the blink of an eye, Roe is nowhere to be seen in the stroller.¡± Kylie was anxious and scared. She was worried that something bad might happen to Rowan, who was a baby less than half a year old. Also, she was afraid that he would be abducted and suffer. When she came to find Yuliana just now, she made various spections in her heart. At the same time, she was afraid that she could not handle the consequences. After all, she lost the child. Yuliana¡¯s face darkened. She looked at Kylie coldly. She even regretted for a brief moment that she handed Rowan over to Kylie just now. She could just hold back and not go to the restroom. Yuliana tried her best to suppress the waves of emotions that stirred up in her heart. Without saying a word to Kylie, she hurried to the vination hall. Kylie had to jog a little to keep up with her pace. In the vination hall, there were still many people inside, just like when she was waiting with Rowan earlier. Nheless, she was in apletely different mood. A woman with a child in her arms passed by in front of her. Without thinking about it, Yuliana immediately grabbed the woman and stared at the child in her arms. The woman was probably frightened. She reflexively protected her child in her arms, looked at Yuliana defensively, and asked loudly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yuliana came back to her senses and was stunned for a moment. She apologized awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The woman looked at her as though thetter was a psycho, and then, she immediately walked away with her child in her arms. Yuliana took in a deep breath. Her mind was still a mess. She could not calm down and think about it at all. She kept taking deep breaths to calm herself down and suppress her fear. Half a minuteter, she picked up her phone and called Christopher while walking to the reception desk in the hall. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Hello, my son is missing. Can you show me the footage of the surveince cameras?¡± Chapter 280 Chapter 280 As soon as Yuliana finished speaking to the staff at the reception desk, Christopher answered the phone. At that moment, he was still in the meeting. His phone rang suddenly. He should not have answered it, but when he saw the name on the screen, he still handed the meeting over to Harvey for the time being. After walking out of the meeting room, he pressed the answer button. ¡°Ana.¡± The moment she heard Christopher¡¯s voice, Yuliana could not suppress her panic anymore. Her tears seemed to be out of control as they rushed out. She said chokingly with a sullen voice, ¡°Christopher, Roe is missing.¡± The staff at the reception desk was a little confused when they heard what Yuliana said just now. Seeing Yuliana crying, the staff finally realized the seriousness of the problem and hurriedly asked, ¡°Where did the baby go missing? How old is the baby?¡± Yuliana held her breath, controlled her emotions, and replied, ¡°It happened in this hall. He¡¯s five months old. The child was in the stroller earlier, and in the blink of an eye, he just disappeared.¡± The staff at the reception desk replied, ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll inform the surveince room to retrieve the footage of the surveince cameras.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. After saying that, she called the surveince room. Then, she asked about Rowan¡¯s clothes and appearance and asked the security guards to help them look around nearby. Aftermunicating with the staff, Yuliana was in a daze. At that moment, her mind went nk. It was Kylie who was talking beside her that made here back to her senses. Then, she realized that she was still on the phone with Christopher. Yuliana searched around the hall while sticking her phone to her ear. Suppressing her tone, she said in a nasal voice, ¡°Christopher.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Christopher replied in a low voice. ¡°Ana, wait for me at the Community Medical Center first. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± When he heard Yuliana say that Rowan was missing, he immediately turned back to the conference room, told Harvey about the situation, and asked thetter to continue to preside over the meeting and send him a copy of the meeting minutes to his mailbox afterward. They would discuss other things sometimeter. Then, he rushed his way there. The result of the surveince cameras came out soon, but the surveince equipment of the Community Medical Center was a little old, and the image was not very clear. Even the vination hall had blind spots. All they saw was Kylie pushing the stroller to the window. She bent down and talked about something to the nurse. Then, a woman who was wearing a nurse¡¯s uniform and a mask picked up the child from the stroller and hurried away. At that time, there were many people around, but no one noticed the problem. The woman in a nurse¡¯s uniform disappeared at the end of the footage of the surveince cameras in the hall with Rowan in her arms. She appeared in the footage of the surveince cameras in the corridor next to the hall and then disappeared at the exit passageway. There was no surveince camera in the exit passageway, and the woman in a nurse¡¯s uniform did not come out of there after that. The medical center checked all nurses who worked at the center and found that the woman who took Rowan away was not someone working there. That meant the woman in a nurse¡¯s uniform was a fake nurse. It was obvious that the purpose for her to disguise as a nurse was to take Rowan away. Moreover, the management of the medical center was rather ck, and the surveince cameras in the center were only located in crowded ces. There was none in ces like the exit passageway. The person who did it must have familiarized theyout in advance before taking action. After talking to Christopher, Yuliana called the police. The police then arrived soon and checked the footage of the surveince cameras and learned about the situation from Yuliana and Kylie. Several police officers took action separately and immediately helped Yuliana find the child. Yuliana was not idle. After telling the police about the situation, she and Kylie also looked everywhere at the Community Medical Center. They searched every floor and did not miss any corner. They climbed up each floor from the exit passageway. Yuliana climbed back and forth about two or three times, trying to figure out how the woman disappeared from there. However, there was still no clue. Her legs were so tired that she had no strength left at all. When she came down thest time, she copsed on the staircase of the exit passageway, feeling a sense of despair. ¡°What should I do if I can¡¯t find Rowan?¡± she thought. Just then, the door of the exit passageway suddenly creaked. Yuliana looked up and saw the door open. Then, a familiar figure walked in. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Yuliana wiped her face and was about to continue the search when she heard a creak. The door of the exit passageway opened, and a familiar figure walked toward her. She stopped and looked at him in a daze. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone?¡± Christopher stopped at the door of the exit passageway, and there was a distance of around 6.5 feet between them. When he arrived, he called Yuliana, but she didn¡¯t answer. He only knew Yuliana was at the exit passageway after he met Kylie, the maternity matron, outside. Yuliana opened her mouth and wanted to exin, but she couldn¡¯t find a proper reason. When her phone rang just now, she just did not feel like answering it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yuliana apologized to Christopher. She mused, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t take good care of Roe and let him get kidnapped before my eyes.> ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Yuliana lowered her head and kept apologizing. Christopher couldn¡¯t see her expression. He only saw her wrapping her arms around herself with her fingers sping tightly to her arms. Her thin shoulders were trembling. He stepped forward and squatted down in front of Yuliana. Then, he held her in his arms. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer the phone, ignore it. It¡¯s not your fault our son is missing, so you don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault!¡± Yuliana retorted and grabbed Christopher¡¯s clothes tightly. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t handed over Roe¡¯s clothes to Kylie, then Roe wouldn¡¯t have gone missing.¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart was filled with self-remorse and regret. If she could go back in time, she would hold her son tightly and not let go for a moment. In this way, he would still be with her. ¡°Christopher, I miss him so much. I want to hug his soft body, and I want him to be in my arms and smile at me now.¡± After suppressing her emotions for so long, Yuliana finally broke down at that moment. Christopher tightened his grip. At the same time, his chest slowly tightened along with Yuliana¡¯s cries, as if his heart was being crushed till he could not breathe. ¡°Ana, I¡¯ll find our son. Trust me.¡± Yuliana suddenly raised her head from his arms and looked at him, her eyes filled with hope. ¡°When and how long will it take?¡± Christopher was stunned by her eyes, which suddenly sparkled. He moved his lips, but he didn¡¯t answer Yuliana¡¯s question. Seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything, the spark of hope in Yuliana¡¯s eyes went out again. She lowered her head and was silent for a while. Then, she quickly got hold of her emotions and got out of Christopher¡¯s arms. ¡°I want to look around.¡± Christopher swept away the sweaty hair on her face and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for a while?¡± Yuliana was wearing a yellow dress, which was amonly seen style. After she gave birth to Rowan, her fashion taste seemed to have changed, and she would choose clothes with brighter and livelier colors. When she went out in the morning, she was fresh and clean. Yet, her hair and skirt were all sweaty now, and her face and lips were a little pale. She looked as if she was about to faint. Yuliana¡¯s gaze was firm and determined. ¡°I don¡¯t need to rest.¡± After saying that, she stood up, holding to the handrail of the stairs. However, when she got up, she suddenly felt dizzy. Yuliana held on to the railing tightly and closed her eyes, standing still with the fear of moving. Christopher seemed to be talking to her, but she couldn¡¯t hear him. After ten seconds of dizziness, Yuliana slowly opened her eyes and saw Christopher holding her back and looking at her anxiously. Yuliana shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m all right. Let¡¯s go find our son.¡± She pushed Christopher¡¯s hand away and hurried out of the exit passageway. She had searched every corner of themunity health center and was confident that Rowan was no longer there. ¡°If he¡¯s not here, where should I find him?¡± she wondered. Yuliana stood at the door and looked at the passing vehicles on the street. For the first time, she felt that Juxshire was so big. She had no idea where to go to get Rowan back. Christopher apanied Yuliana to look around nearby aimlessly for a few hours. He even drove to a farther ce to look for another few hours. During the process, Yuliana didn¡¯t speak. She did not even drink the water Christopher gave her. At lunchtime, Christopher went to buy some food for her, but she didn¡¯t touch it. She wandered her gaze around and immediately rushed over when she saw a child about the size of Rowan. Only at that moment did she seem to be alive. At about three in the afternoon, the police called and told them about a discovery they found from the surveince video of themunity health center. So they asked Christopher and Yuliana to go to the police station. They rushed to the police station. ¡°Today, our men at the police station looked back and forth several times and finally found something off.¡± The police officer in charge of this case pointed to the monitor and said, ¡°Look at this man holding the child.¡± age. He The man on the screen was an ordinary middle-aged man in his thirties or forties. The surveince video was unclear, so one could not be sure of his was a little obese and was wearing a brown T-shirt with a pair of loose shorts and a pair of slippers. He was holding a child in his arms when he swaggered out of themunity health center. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. At first nce, it looked like there was nothing wrong with him. No one would feel suspicious about his outfit and looks. They could not see the face of the child in his arms clearly, but the clothes the child was wearing were different from what Rowan was wearing today. The police said, ¡°We have looked at the surveince video. No male workers wore that outfit to work at themunity health center in the morning. Besides, look at the nurse¡¯s feet and the man¡¯s calf.¡± The nurse was wearing a pair of leather shoes, and it could be seen that the size of the leather shoes was toorge, which did not look like a woman¡¯s feet. Moreover, the man who carried the child had a big belly, but his calves were thin. The time between the man leaving themunity health center with the child. and Rowan going missing was less than ten minutes. After the police told them about the discovery, he asked them to go back first. As he had reported the case to his superior, he gave them his word that the police would follow up on the case. Moreover, with the Sce family¡¯s influence in Juxshire, the police dared not dy it. On the other hand, when Yuliana called Christopher and told him that Rowan was missing, Christopher also found someone else to find out where Rowan was and track down the matter as soon as possible. In fact, without needing to investigate, Christopher knew well who would hurt his son at this timing. When they came out of the police station, the sky suddenly darkened. A rainstorm wasing. After the two got into the car, Christopher said, ¡°It¡¯s almost five o¡¯clock. How about I send you home first, Ana?¡± Yuliana looked at the sky quietly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to return. I want to keep looking for Roe.¡± She didn¡¯t dare to let herself stop for a moment. She feared Rowan would encounter something unexpected if she found him one secondter. She would not dare stop whenever she thought of that possibility, even if her body had reached the limit. In the end, Yuliana couldn¡¯t hold on. After she fell asleep, Christopher took her back to the Sce residence. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Christopher carried Yuliana into the house. She had a heatstroke and was too tired. Since Rowan disappeared, she didn¡¯t eat or drink, so she fell unconscious in the car. La and Jared hurriedly arrived at the Sce residence and waited for them to return with Joyce. Seeing Christophere in with Yuliana in his arms, Joyce asked with concern, ¡°Is Yuliana okay?¡± Christopher looked expressionless, and his gaze was cold. He replied, ¡°Nothing major. She¡¯ll be fine after a good rest. I¡¯ll carry her up first.¡± Then, he carried Yuliana upstairs. Looking at his back, La was in aplicated mood. In the past, she always wished for Christopher to be mature and reliable. Yet now, he could remain calm even if his son had gone missing. Seeing Christopher like this, La didn¡¯t feel happy. Instead, she felt sorry for him. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Christopher carried Yuliana back to the room and gently put her on the bed. However, Yuliana seemed to be very uneasy. She subconsciously wanted to grab something as soon as shended on the bed. Her eyebrows were deeply knitted together, and her pale lips moved slightly. Christopher held her hand andforted her softly, ¡°It¡¯s all right. Have a good sleep. Leave this matter to me. I¡¯ll get him back safely.¡± Yuliana gradually calmed down in Christopher¡¯s appeasement, but her eyebrows were still not rxed. Christopher sat by the bed for a few minutes and looked at Yuliana quietly. Then, he called the family doctor to have a look at Yuliana. Isaac Larson, the family doctor, asked about Yuliana¡¯s situation and performed some checks on her before giving her an IV drip. ¡°Dr. Larson, please stay here and take care of her. Call me if anything happens.¡± Isaac replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Christopher fixed his gaze on Yuliana, who was on the bed, then turned around and went downstairs. There was a pin-drop silence in the hall downstairs as no one spoke. La answered a few phone calls before starting to reply to her emails. Joyce was rtively free, but she didn¡¯t wish to speak. She just sat there and looked somewhere nkly. Those at Nardor were still looking for Kendrick¡¯s whereabouts, but there was still no news. Joyce initially had high hopes, but she was calm now after experiencing countless disappointments. But whenever she was idling, she still couldn¡¯t help wondering whether Kendrick was alive, dead, or currently in any corner of the world. Jared was sitting next to La, thinking about something quietly without saying a word. The three of them looked up at the sound of the steady footsteps. Christopher went to the couch and sat down. La put away her phone and asked, ¡°Did Dr. Larson have a look at Yuliana? What did he say?¡± Christopher rubbed the spot between his eyebrows and said, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not a big deal. She had a heatstroke, and she¡¯s having an IV drip now. She should be fine.¡± La nodded and felt a little relieved. She kept silent for two seconds and asked about Rowan. Christopher briefed them on the leads they had now. La looked solemn. She pursed her lips briefly and opened her eyes to look at Christopher. ¡°Who do you think the mastermind is?¡± Although themunity health center was not that safe, ordinary traffickers would not choose to kidnap a child in the vination hall. Moreover, it was apparent that the mastermind wasing for Rowan. They were prepared and also ready to retreat anytime. Christopher didn¡¯t answer La¡¯s question. Instead, he tilted his head and turned his neck. His face was still calm, but his eyebrows furrowed deeper. After a while, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet Zavier.¡± The other three were all stunned. La came back to her senses and asked, ¡°When?¡± ¡°Now.¡± It was already eight o¡¯clock in the evening, and it would be almost ten when he arrived at Zavier¡¯s house. La said, ¡°Jared and I will go with you.¡± Christopher lifted his gaze and said, ¡°No need. You can go back with Jared first. I still need your help to keep an eye on thepany these days.¡± Then, he looked at Joyce and said, ¡°Joyce, please take care of Ana for me.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be here.¡± Christopher hummed in response and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, he got up from the couch and left the Sce residence. When he arrived at Zavier¡¯s house, only Christopher¡¯s second aunt Isabe was at home. Zavier had a business meeting at night and hadn¡¯t returned yet. Logan, Jayden, and Xander didn¡¯t live with them. Logan and Jayden moved out after getting married, and Xander also moved out to live alone several years ago. They would only return home asionally during family gatherings to have a meal with Zavier and Isabe. Isabe, Christopher¡¯s aunt, had the family name of Sullivan before getting married. Isabe ordered her housekeeper to serve Christopher coffee and fruit. Then, she sat aside and talked to Christopher for a while. During their conversation, she asked about Zachary and Winnie¡¯s current condition, followed by Kendrick¡¯s issue. One could tell that Isabe was asking the question out of concern. After talking for more than half an hour, Zavier had not returned yet. However, Christopher still sat there patiently, without calling Zavier or urging Isabe to make a phone call. Isabe thought Christopher had changed a lot recently. He seemed to be mature and steady in an instant. But recently, her eldest and second sons often returned home to talk with Zavier. They avoided her by talking in the study room and always spoke for a few hours. She was not an idiot, so she could tell something was off. However, those issues were not of her concern. She was only a housewife, who had no power to interfere. Moreover, she did not wish to interfere in their matters. However, she was unsure why Christopher came to see Zavierte at night. After some consideration, Isabe said, ¡°How about I call Zavier and ask him how long till hees back? Then, if it¡¯s toote, why don¡¯t you go to thepany and see him tomorrow?¡± Christopher said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait for Zavier to return.¡± Isabe¡¯s face stiffened, but she found an excuse to leave and secretly called Zavier. 16.22 ¡°How long till youe back?¡± Her tone was serious. ¡°What? If you¡¯re sleepy, go to bed. Don¡¯t wait for me. I¡¯m not done here.¡± Isabe¡¯s face darkened, and she said, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re done. Come back rig now.¡± Zavier was stunned and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Isabe paused and replied, ¡°Chris is here. He has been waiting for you for more than half an hour.¡± Zavier was silent for a while and muttered, ¡°Why is he herete at night?¡± Isabeughed sarcastically. ¡°Who knows what bad things you father and son have done?¡± After that, she hung up the phone. Zavier didn¡¯t arrive home until half-past-eleven at night. Isabe had already gone upstairs to rest, so Christopher sat downstairs and waited. The lights in the living room looked serene and cold. Christopher leaned forward and lit a cigarette to smoke. There were already two or three cigarette butts in the ashtray before him. Zavier looked at Christopher and took off his coat to hand it to the housekeeper. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Christopher greeted Zavier and pressed the unfinished cigarette on the ashtray. Then, he said, ¡°I need your help.¡± Zavier smiled gently and walked to a couch next to him. He sat down and lifted his hand to loosen his tie. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. Christopher stared at Zavier, his gaze darkened. ¡°Roe was taken when they went to themunity health center for his vination today. Please help me find him.¡± Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Hearing that, Zavier paused and stared at Christopher, scrutinizing him. With a frown, Zavier said, ¡°How did someone take him away? Is it a human trafficker? Are there any clues now?¡± With worry and anxiety on his face, Zavier seemed to be genuinely worried about Rowan¡¯s safety. Christopher did not change his expression. He picked up the cup on the table and casually took a sip of coffee. The coffee had turned cold. Perhaps it was left aside. for too long; the taste was too strong and astringent, losing its original vor. Christopher frowned slightly and replied faintly, ¡°There is no clue yet, so I want your help.¡± Lowering his gaze, Zavier nced at Christopher from the corner of his eyes. He smiled and said, ¡°Even you don¡¯t have any clues. How can I find him?¡± Christopher did not reply immediately. He took out a pack of cigarettes and handed a cigarette to Zavier. Then, he lit one for himself and took a puff. The cigarette was between his fingers. Instead of looking at Zavier, Christopher looked somewhere in the air and slowly puffed out the cigarette smoke. Zavier took the cigarette from Christopher and did not light it. He held it in his hand and yed with it. However, he was not thinking about it at all. Instead, Zavier thought of the purpose of Christopher coming to him. He had held Rowan before. He was very simr to Christopher when thetter was a child. Rowan was very likable, unlike his grandchildren, who looked dumb and were not energetic at all. Zavier wondered, ¡°The baby is missing. Why does hee to me and ask for the baby thiste at night?¡± Zavier¡¯s face darkened and he had some assumptions. ¡°Zavier, I remember when I was very young, Mr. Sce was not at home because of a business trip. Mom was in the hospital, while Ken and La were having their final exams. They didn¡¯t have time to care about me. You brought me to your house and let me live there for a while.¡± Christopher seriously recalled those days. With a faint smile, he continued, ¡°When I was a child, I was not in good health. I would easily catch a cold and didn¡¯t like to exercise. In those days, you took me jogging every morning. If I couldn¡¯t jog, you would put me on your shoulder and jog. You also told me to exercise more and sweat more to get better. Back then, you had a dog. When you got home every night, you took the dog and me for a walk. You would shower me and tell me a bedtime story before I went to bed.¡± Christopher was only about five years old at that time. Christopher smiled. ¡°Even my Dad hasn¡¯t done those things for me. At that time, I thought it would be great if you were my dad.¡± Zavier¡¯s unlit cigarette was a little deformed. Pursing his lips and tightening his jaw, Zavier did not answer. Christopher looked at him and said, ¡°Zavier, although you¡¯re not my dad, there is no difference between you and my father in my heart. I¡¯ve always regarded you and Zaiden as my closest family members for all these years. I¡¯ve never changed that thought. I know our rtionship has changed a little because of some things recently. But I think they¡¯re two different things. Business matters are different from our private lives. I don¡¯t want to reach the point until things are irreparable, Zavier.¡± When Christopher spoke again after a pause, his voice sounded cold with a hint of indifference. ¡°Not only do I have a family, but you also have a family. If something happens to Roe, I¡¯ll let the person pay back twice as much no matter who he is.¡± Christopher nced at the partially burned cigarette, flicked the cigarette ash above the ashtray, and stuck the cigarette that had not burned out into the ashtray. Then, he got up and said, ¡°Please look out for Roe. I won¡¯t disturb your rest anymore. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± After that, Christopher got up. He picked up the coat on the couch¡¯s armrest and strode toward the door. When the sound of closing the door came, Zavier nced in the direction of Christopher¡¯s departure. He scrunched the cigarette and threw it with a stern gaze. Isabe draped a coat over her and came over. She looked at her husband coldly and questioned, ¡°Did you do it? No matter what, you¡¯re also Roe¡¯s great-uncle. He¡¯s so young. How can you bear to hurt him? Are you still human?¡± ¡°Who told you that I did it?¡± Zavier red at Isabe angrily. Isabe was stunned by his stare, and a trace of doubt appeared on her face. After decades of being with Zavier, she still knew his personality. Looking at his expression earlier, Isabe thought it was probably not Zavier who did it. ¡°But, if it¡¯s not you, why did Chrise here thiste at night?¡± asked Isabe. Zavier¡¯s expression became more solemn. ¡°You should ask what your sons have done!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Isabe¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the number on the screen and found it was from Xander, her youngest son. She calmed down and answered immediately, ¡°Hello, Xander-¡± Before she finished speaking, an unfamiliar voice interrupted, ¡°Is this Xander Sce¡¯s mother? This is Hillden Hospital¡­¡± In the early morning, Zavier and Isabe hurried to Hillden Hospital. When Isabe got the phone call, she was scared to death. She looked at the doctor in front of her eagerly. ¡°How¡¯s my son?¡± Although Zavier lookedposed, his gaze was not as calm as it used to be, showing a hint of anxiety. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Like Christopher, Xander was born when Zavier and Isabe were in their 40s. They usually looked after him carefully and doted on him very much since he was young. They would give Xander whatever he wanted. It could be said that Xander had much better treatment than his brothers. The doctor said, ¡°There are different degrees of fractures on both legs. There are also many scrapes and bruises on his body. We just ran some examinations on him and found no internal injury. His life is not in danger for the time being. You don¡¯t have to be too nervous.¡± Isabe took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s good. Thank goodness his life is not in danger!¡± Zavier also felt relieved. Soon, he realized something and asked, ¡°Doctor, how did Xander get injured?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact situation. It was the passerby who found him at the entrance of the hospital. At that time, Xander was already in aa. The nurse rushed over and sent him to the emergency department before informing you. ording to his injury, he must have been beaten.¡± Hearing that, Zavier frowned and lowered his gaze, thinking about something. The doctor left after telling them about Xander¡¯s situation. Xander¡¯s legs had fractures of different degrees. The severe injury needed surgery. Although there was no need to worry about his life, he would take months to recover. Doctors and nurses had treated all the injuries that could be handled on Xander and already issued a hospital admission form. After Zavier and Isabe arrived, Xander was transferred from the emergency department to the inpatient department. After settling down, Xander woke up. Looking at her son¡¯s bruised and swollen face, Isabe felt distressed. ¡°Xander, are you okay? Let me know if you feel unwell. I¡¯ll ask the doctor to check on you.¡± Xander was still a little confused. He looked at Zavier and Isabe and looked at the surroundings before realizing that they were in the hospital. Zavier asked, ¡°How did you get these injuries?¡± Chapter 284 Chapter 284 After a brief pause, he said sternly, ¡°Did you have a fight with someone?¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Xander¡¯s eyes shot daggers at Zavier as he hissed angrily, but he seemed to have overdone it and hurt the wound on his face with all that movement. So instead, he donned a weak grin and pointed at his face with a trembling hand. ¡°Does this look like I fought with someone? Besides, I¡¯m not a child anymore; I¡¯m done fighting with other people!¡± Feeling pain was his greatest fear. He would rather kneel and beg for mercy than try to start fights he knew he wouldn¡¯t win. Zavier¡¯s face softened a little at that. ¡°Then, tell me. Just¡­ Just what in the world happened to you?¡± ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m even more confused than you right now.¡± Xander was dumbfounded. But he went through the sequence of events in his head again and said. ¡°Just as I got off the car, someone hit me from behind, and I fainted. I have no memory of anything that happened after that.¡± Xander continued, ¡°When I woke up, there were injuries all over my body, and everything hurt.¡± As he thought about that, he started to cry again and turned toward Isabe. ¡°Mom, you have to help me. Look at what they did to your son; you can¡¯t just let the culprit go.¡± Isabe was as furious as she was worried. ¡°How can I help you like this? You don¡¯t even know who hit you.¡± Zavier looked at the two of them wordlessly, then turned around and walked out of the ward. After thinking for a bit, he took out his phone and was about to make a call when it suddenly rang in his hand. When he saw the name of the caller, his eyes flickered with emotion. He stared at his phone for a brief moment before raising it to his ear. ¡°Chris.¡± Christopher merely said, ¡°I heard Xander was admitted to the hospital. Is it serious?¡± Zavier snorted and chuckled drily. ¡°You¡¯re well-informed, Chris. In such a short amount of time, you managed to sniff out that Xander had been admitted to the hospital.¡± To that, Christopher replied, ¡°Can¡¯t I be worried about my rtives?¡± Zavier didn¡¯t say anything more. He already had a vague idea of how Xander got hurt. Christopher continued, ¡°I¡¯ll wait until dawn, Zavier. If Roe¡¯s still not home by 8 a.m. tomorrow, it wouldn¡¯t be just Xander¡¯s legs that are broken.¡± And before Zavier could speak, Christopher had already hung up the phone. As soon as Zavier heard the phone call ended, his expression darkened horribly. and his contorted features trembled with anger. ¡°First, he came to my house to say some nice, sincere words. Then, with a turn of his head, he ordered someone to break my son¡¯s legs. What a perfect disy of deference before violence,¡± Zavier mused. Zavier paced back and forth in the quiet corridor with a gloomy face. Finally, he whipped out his phone again and called his eldest son, Logan. On the other side, Logan was lying on his bed. However, he was unable to fall asleep due to overexcitement. Although he noticed the iing call, he didn¡¯t answer it immediately. He turned around and looked at Josie, who was fast asleep. Only then did he pick up his phone, lift the nket, slide out of bed, and walk out of the bedroom to answer Zavier¡¯s call. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s sote¡ª¡± Before Logan could finish his words, Zavier interrupted him, ¡°Is Roe with you?¡± Sensing that Zavier¡¯s tone was off, Logan didn¡¯t speak immediately. After a while, he leaned against the handrail in the corridor and asked casually, ¡°Dad, you called me sote at night for this?¡± Zavier ignored all that and sternly ordered his son, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you were nning to do to him; send Roe back to the Sce residence right away!¡± Logan frowned, confused about his father¡¯s words. So, he exined his ns to Zavier, word by word, and said, ¡°Dad, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As long as Christopher¡¯s son is in our hands, he won¡¯t be able to do anything!¡± He didn¡¯t believe Christopher would dare to do anything when his son¡¯s safety waspromised. ¡°You idiot!¡± Zavier cursed, loosening his necktie as his anger red. Pacing back and forth impatiently, he continued, ¡°Why did I give birth to such a useless son like you? If you were half as talented as Kendrick, I wouldn¡¯t be doing things so passively now!¡± Hearing that, Logan¡¯s face darkened immediately. Zavier had beenparing him with Kendrick since he was a child. As Kendrick was a few years older than him, he was always living in his brother¡¯s shadow when he was growing up. In Zavier¡¯s eyes, he was a useless piece of trash-a person who couldn¡¯t do anything. He bit back at his father immediately, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not as good as Kendrick. But half of it is your responsibility, no? If my father¡¯s genes weren¡¯t even good, to begin with, what could I do as his son? If I could, I¡¯d choose another father!¡± After saying that, Logan calmed himself down and said, ¡°If you have nothing better to do, you should just sleep earlier!¡± ¡°Sleep?¡± Zavier sneered coldly. ¡°How do you expect me to sleep when both of your brother¡¯s legs are broken due to your stupidity?¡± Meanwhile, Isaac had added some sleeping medicine to Yuliana¡¯s cup of salt water, letting her sleep for hours on end. And as the effects of the medicine faded away, she fell into a dream. In the dream, Yuliana heard Rowan crying. His sobs went on and on, the sound breaking her heart each time it rang out. Although Rowan¡¯s crying seemed toe from nearby, she couldn¡¯t find any trace of him even after searching through every corner. Only the sound of his crying was present. The anxiety she felt was soul-crushing. Soon, the sounds of crying slowly faded away, which stunned her momentarily. Then, a deeper fear rose from the depths of her heart. That prompted her to run around again, continuing her crazed search for Rowan. And finally, she found him. Rowan was lying in a crib wearing a light blue shirt. She tiptoed over and stared lovingly at Rowan¡¯s chubby face, her whole heart seemingly melting in that instant just by looking at her baby. ¡°Oh, Roe. Mom¡¯s little Roe.¡± Yuliana smiled and touched Rowan¡¯s face gently. However, her expression shifted in the next second. A thought crept into her mind, ¡°Why is he so cold?¡± Yuliana quickly ced her palm t on Rowan¡¯s face, which was as cold as ice. She panicked and tried to press her forehead against Rowan¡¯s. And that was when she realized that Rowan wasn¡¯t breathing at all. Time seemed to stop at that instant. Yuliana seemed to have frozen as well. After a while, she carefully backed away and ced a finger under Rowan¡¯s nose¡­ And at that moment, Yuliana¡¯s mind broke down. She picked Rowan up and held him tightly in her arms. The pain in her chest was unbearable, and her mouth gaped open in a soundless scream. She felt like crying, but she couldn¡¯t. The veins on her forehead bulged as if her head was about to explode. A momentter, a wet, tearing sound ripped out of her throat, and tears began to fall from her eyes. After Christopher returned, he sat by the bed and watched Yuliana quietly, his mind filled with many thoughts. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. But suddenly, the woman on the bed burst into tears. Her small face became contorted, and her arms were tucked in front of her chest tightly. She seemed like she had just experienced an extremely dreadful dream. Christopher grabbed her hands and whispered softly, ¡°Ana.¡± Yuliana tried to escape from his grasp, struggling fiercely in her sleep. Christopher simply pulled her up from the bed and held her tightly in his arms wordlessly. He didn¡¯t move a muscle, even when she scratched and wed at him, and a sad cry erupted from her mouth. Christopher raised his eyes from her and stared at the head of the bed. Clenching his teeth, he raised a hand and gently stroked the back of Yuliana¡¯s head. He murmured gently, ¡°Wake up, Ana. It¡¯s just a nightmare. Just wake up, and it¡¯s all going to be all right.¡± Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Yuliana seemed as if she was stuck in a nightmare, unable to wake up. Not long after she settled down, she mumbled and wept. Yuliana would cry loudly, sometimes quietly. In the middle of the night, she began to have a fever. Christopher took a thermometer to take Yuliana¡¯s temperature. Since the fever was not severe, and it was the middle of the night, he did not summon Isaac over. He only got some cooling patches for Yuliana and wiped her body with a wet towel. When it was almost dawn, Yuliana¡¯s body temperature returned to normal, and she finally slept soundly. Christopher had stayed by the bed all night. Only after Yuliana settled down did he lie sideways beside her, wrap his arms around her, and close his eyes to sleep. At dawn, Yuliana opened her eyes. She did not move or speak but looked out the window until the sun shone brightly. Christopher woke up after he had only slept for two hours. Since Yuliana had her back against him, he did not notice that she was awake. He picked up his phone and checked the time. It was already past seven o¡¯clock. Then, he reached out and touched Yuliana¡¯s forehead to see if she still had a fever. When the edge of his palm touched her eyes and his palm gently brushed across her eyshes, he stopped his hand. Shortly, he touched Yuliana¡¯s forehead again and whispered inwardly, ¡°It¡¯s colder than my palm. The fever should have subsided.¡± He withdrew his hand before he asked gently, ¡°When did you wake up?¡± ¡°It has been a while,¡± Yuliana replied indifferently. After a while, she asked, ¡°Have you found Roe?¡± Christopher turned silent for a moment. ¡°Not yet. But don¡¯t worry. I can assure that Roe wille back soon, Ana.¡± you Yuliana did not react too much to his words, as if she had already expected the answer. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Silent ensued in the room for a moment. With tears flowing from the corner of her eyes, she said calmly, ¡°I had a lot of dreamsst night. I dreamt that Roe was lying quietly in the crib, and his body was cold. No matter how I called out at him, he wouldn¡¯t respond. Later, I dreamed of someone hurting him, and he was covered in blood. He kept crying until his voice cracked, but I couldn¡¯t find him, no matter how hard I tried¡­¡± Christopher felt his chest tighten. He hugged Yuliana tightly from behind and said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Roe will surelye back to us safely.¡± Yuliana took a deep breath and choked with sobs. ¡°Why Roe? He¡¯s just a baby!¡± Christopher did not say anything but only held her in his arms. After a while, a knock came on the door. Christopher got up to open it and saw Joyce standing at the door with a bowl of oatmeal. ¡°Joyce¡­¡± ¡°Is Yuliana awake?¡± Joyce asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Christopher replied. Joyce said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked the kitchen to prepare some oatmeal. Please get Yuliana to have some. She hasn¡¯t eaten anything since yesterday morning. Her body will not be able to stand it.¡± Christopher took the oatmeal and expressed his gratitude. Joyce said nothing much. As a mother, she could understand Yuliana¡¯s feelings at that time. If the same thing happened to Alex, she would also break down. Christopher returned inside the room with the oatmeal and saw no one on the bed. Although, there was a subtle noiseing from the bathroom. He put down the oatmeal and waited for a while. Soon, Yuliana came out after washing up. Christopher asked cautiously, ¡°Joyce asked the kitchen to prepare the oatmeal. Would you like to have some?¡± He had asked Yuliana to eat something the day before. Yuliana barely swallowed it, but soon vomited it all out. Thus, he did not dare to force her to eat anymore. Yuliana brushed the hair off her face, went to the couch, and sat down. She picked up the oatmeal on the table and ate it. However, she ate too fast and almost choked after a few mouthfuls. She finished the oatmeal rather quickly. When Christopher saw that she could finally eat normally, he felt a little relieved. ¡°Do you want more?¡± he asked. Yuliana shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll go and get changed first.¡± She put down the bowl and headed to the walk-in wardrobe. Christopher frowned slightly, followed behind Yuliana, and grabbed her arm. ¡°Ana, please rest at home. You had a feverst night, which didn¡¯t subside until the morning. You should rest at home and leave Roe¡¯s matter to me.¡± ¡°Are you asking me to sit at home and wait for the news?¡± Yuliana stared at him with her clear eyes. ¡°Roe is my son, and he¡¯s missing now. Do you think I can have a good rest at home?¡± Christopher did not want Yuliana to make useless efforts, as she would never find Rowan even if she searched every corner of Juxshire. However, there was no way he could tell Yuliana that, and he tightened his grip on Yuliana¡¯s arm unconsciously, Yuliana nced at his hand holding hers and then at the expression on his face. Suddenly, she became suspicious and asked, ¡°Do you know where Rowan is?¡± As she thought about it, Yuliana found things were getting strange. Since Rowan went missing the day before, Christopher¡¯s reaction was unusual. Although he had apanied her to find Rowan¡¯s whereabouts, he did not seem anxious. She thought it should not be his normal reaction, at least. ¡°Ana.¡± Christopher fixed his gaze on her and said in a low voice, ¡°Let me handle Roe¡¯s matter. I¡¯ll make sure hees back safely, okay?¡± In the next few days, problems were found in several projects Logan was in charge of, and Christopher highlighted andmented on them during the high-level business meeting. He showed no mercy and decided to demote Logan. He then handed over the projects to another project director of thepany. The project director was also a Sce. He was not directly rted to Zavier but a distant rtive. Technically speaking, he was promoted by Zaiden. Immediately after, irregrities were found in the coborations between Sce Corporation and the family of Josie, Logan¡¯s wife, and the coborations were suspended in the end. In truth, issues or problems would always exist in such coborations between family businesses. As long as it was not fatal, everyone would always turn a blind. eye to such a thing. Otherwise, Kendrick would not have ignored that. However, thepany run by Josie¡¯s family had been relying on several orders from Sce Corporation to survive in recent years. Once Sce Corporation called off the coboration, it would be a fatal blow to them. Josie¡¯s parents flooded her with calls every day. They wanted Josie to ask Logan and find out why the coborations were suddenly terminated. Although Josie was annoyed by her own family, she was still concerned about them. Even if she knew Logan was in a bad mood because of the demotion and vented his anger on the children, she still tried to get information from him. After Logan showered and went to bed at night, Josie put down the tablet, kneeled behind Logan, and massaged his shoulders. ¡°Honey, have you offended Christopher recently?¡± she asked. Logan¡¯s face darkened at Josie¡¯s words. He pushed her away and red at her coldly. ¡°Just get straight to the point, and don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Josie stared at him for a while. Then, she sat back and leaned against the headboard. She pondered before saying, ¡°My parents and brothers have been calling me every day in the past few days. They want you to go to thepany to find out why Sce Corporation suddenly suspended its coboration with Vaal Corporation.¡± Logan did not answer Josie¡¯s question. Instead, he lit a cigarette and smoked on the bed. Josie waited for a while and began to feel a little impatient. She nced at Logan from the corner of her eye again and spoke more anxiously. ¡°You should know that Vaal Corporation depends on the projects with Sce Corporation to survive. Once Sce Corporation calls off its coboration with Vaal Corporation, Vaal Corporation will go bankrupt.¡± Logan was a little annoyed and red at her. ¡°So? Just let that meagerpany go bankrupt, then.¡± Josie sneered, ¡°Vaal Corporation may be a meager and inconspicuouspany to you, but my family relies on it to make a living. I wonder if you will support them if Vaal Corporation goes bankrupt.¡± She paused before continuing sarcastically, ¡°I know what¡¯s on your mind. I never ask what you are doing and ept whatever the oue is. I just ask for one thing. You should never drag the York family into the mess. They were the ones who gave birth to me and raised me, allowing me to marry you and give birth to your children. They did not get the coboration with Sce Corporation from you. They owe you nothing.¡± ¡°Fuck! Are you done talking?¡± Logan swept the things on the bedside table to the ground as he spoke. He widened his eyes at Josie as if he wanted to devour her. Josie¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw the expression on his face. She pursed her lips and dared not to continue. Both looked at each other for a while. Then, Logan got up and strode out of the bedroom. As silence ensued in the room, Josie could only hear her heartbeat. She had been married to Logan for more than ten years. Although he was not a gentle and considerate husband, he still respected her. They would tolerate each other whenever there were minor conflicts between them. It was the first time he had spoken to her with that look. Not longter, a noise came from downstairs. Josie walked to the window and saw it was Logan¡¯s car heading out. 16:28 | More than half an hourter, Logan parked his car in the underground parking lot of a high-end condominium and went upstairs by elevator. Once he exited the elevator, he stood at the door and rang the doorbell. When no one opened the door after a while, he became impatient and rang the doorbell a few more times. Realization dawned upon him the next second, and he opened the door with his fingerprint. When he entered, he saw Shirley dressed in a white silk spaghetti-strap nightgown at the door. She quickly stepped forward when she saw Logan enter and helped him. put on the house shoes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you won¡¯te over tonight?¡± she asked gently. Logan ignored her and went straight into the room. When he heard the baby crying from the bedroom, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Why is the baby crying again?¡± With an aggrieved look, Shirley said, ¡°I can stillfort the baby during the day, but not at night.¡± Logan replied, ¡°Think of something, then!¡± Shirley pouted. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already done whatever I can.¡± Logan¡¯s face darkened. The baby¡¯s cry worsened his headache. He walked back and forth in the living room before he entered the bedroom. He stared at the baby in the crib. It had turned red from crying. He snorted quietly and bent down to pick up the little one from the crib. He was a little rough when he wiped thetter¡¯s tears and warned, ¡°Shut up, or I¡¯ll throw you out!¡± Probably frightened by Logan¡¯s tone, the little one stared at the former with his mouth half-open, and his eyes were still wet. Shirley walked over, leaned against Logan, and gently tapped the little one¡¯s cheek with her fingers. She joked, ¡°Sure enough, you¡¯re his uncle. Look. He stops crying when you hug him.¡± Logan¡¯s expression turned gloomier at her words. He turned around and passed the little one to Shirley before he headed to the living room and sat on the couch. With the little one in her arms, Shirley followed and sat beside him. She yed with the little one for a while. She thought the baby was adorable when he was not crying. ¡°How long do I have to keep this baby?¡± Shirley pretended to have no intention of asking and nced at the expression on the man¡¯s face from the corner of her eye. Logan leaned back on the couch, stared at the light above, and said casually, ¡°Don¡¯t you wish to have a child? I got you one now. Are you not satisfied?¡± Shirley pursed her lips. ¡°I want a child, but it has to be a child I give birth to myself, not others.¡± She had been with Logan since she was a sophomore, and it was almost five years now. Because of Logan, she did not have to worry about her living expenses while attending university. Her ssmates were envious of her. At present, her university ssmates are either working or married. Some of them had even given birth to children. They always shared their interesting and joyful life on Instagram. On the contrary, Shirley felt trapped. She was imprisoned in a small corner of the world and could only peep at the sunlight outside through the cracks. Logan gently stroked her hair with his palm. ¡°Shir, you already knew I was married since the day you got into a rtionship with me. I can¡¯t promise you anything except money.¡± Regardless of the rtionship between him and Josie, they would never get divorced. The Sce family would never allow the existence of an illegitimate child, too. Shirley smiled bitterly. With misty eyes, she tilted her head to look at Logan and asked, ¡°What if I¡¯m pregnant?¡± Logan¡¯s expression momentarily froze, and he looked at her abruptly. A hint of malice shed across his eyes. Shirley¡¯s heart sank at the sight. She quickly held back the tears in her eyes and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m joking with you. Although I really want a child, I don¡¯t have the courage to do that at present.¡± Logan looked at her for a while before he shifted his gaze away. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Rowan had gone missing for a week, but there was still no clue of his whereabouts. The police checked the road surveince footage to trace the person¡¯s movement after the person had left themunity health center with Rowan. However, the person did not use any vehicle but walked to the blind spot of the surveince camera and disappeared. The police then carefully checked the surveince footage in the vicinity. Yet, they still didn¡¯t find anything after a week. That was to say, the person who had taken Rowan away had disappeared with Rowan in his arms. Instead of listening to Christopher¡¯s advice to wait for the news at home, Yuliana went to themunity health center every day and searched for Rowan blindly. When she got tired, she went to the vination hall to rest and reminisced about the feeling of Rowan in her arms when she took him for vination that day. When the sky turned dark, she returned to the Sce residence, eating and sleeping as usual. However, she never had a good night¡¯s sleep. She had nightmares every day, and Rowan always appeared in her dreams. It made Yuliana reluctant to wake up, even if it was a nightmare. She was willing to go through the nightmare as long as she could see Rowan and hug him in the dream. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 But one would always wake up from a dream. Yuliana knew she still had to face reality as soon as she woke up. Again, that day, darkness had fallen as soon as Yuliana came back from outside. The massive mansion was quiet. Under a nket ofplete darkness, it stood like a lifeless and dreadful decapitated building. Yuliana had never felt like this before. She had no idea when she started to feel that the house was unsafe for her anymore and would copse at any second. ¡°Mrs. Sce is back.¡± The housekeeper greeted her with a gentle smile as she saw hering back. Yuliana was fully immersed in her thoughts. She went upstairs as if she did not hear the housekeeper¡¯s greetings. After returning to her room, she sat still on the couch like a wooden puppet. She finally came to her senses when she heard the knocking on the door. Then, she got up to open the door and saw Hailey standing at the threshold. Hailey stared at Yuliana before her eyes suddenly turned red. She eximed concernedly, ¡°Yuliana, what do you want to eat tonight? I will go and cook it for you.¡± One week had just passed, but Yuliana was so thin now that she was all skin and bones. After she gave birth to Rowan, Yuliana managed to nurse her body back to good health. But, now, in a short time, she became so thin that all the clothes that used to fit her perfectly now looked baggy on her. Besides that, she now had sharper facial features, as excess flesh was no longer on her cheeks. ¡°Has Mom taken her meal?¡± Yuliana inquired. Hailey replied, ¡°Mrs. Winnie Sce and Alex already had dinner. But, unfortunately, Mrs. Joyce Sce and Mr. Christopher Sce haven¡¯t returned They informed me over the phone that they will be busy with their work tonight, so they are not returning home for dinner.¡± yet. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Yuliana nodded and said, ¡°I see. I have no appetite now. Hailey, don¡¯t worry about me. Just go and proceed with your work.¡± Hailey was about to speak, but she said nothing in the end. Yuliana closed the door behind her before she could say anything. Yuliana took a shower and went to lie down on the bed. She hoped to meet Rowan in her dreams sooner. She missed Rowan so much. However, the harder Yuliana forced herself to close her eyes, the harder it was to fall asleep. Yuliana felt dizzy and drowsy, and she could not sleep well. She did not dream of Rowan as she wished. Instead, Yuliana could not help but start to weep. She was unaware of the time until she heard someone open the door. Yuliana was awakened from her slumber. She knew that Christopher was back. However, shey still on the bed and did not open her eyes. She had not spoken to Christopher since that morning. Christopher went to an event again just now. He was drunk and reeked of alcohol. The housekeepers assisted Christopher upstairs. When he arrived at the doorstep, he waved and gestured for them to leave him alone, as he could walk without assistance. Christopher stumbled toward the bedside and sat down. Yuliana was sleeping with her back facing him. He stared at her and said, ¡°Hailey said you didn¡¯t eat anything the whole night?¡± Yuliana opened her eyes, but she did not answer his question. The room was dead silent. Christopher sat by the bed, while his gaze fell heavily on an empty space. After a while, he got up and left the room. Then, Christopher went downstairs and told the housekeepers to cook a te of spaghetti for Yuliana. After that, Christopher held the te and went upstairs again. Finally, he lifted Yuliana from the bed despite her struggle. Yuliana bit him hard in resistance. Christopher frowned, but he did not push her away. He allowed her to bite him but said, ¡°If you take another bite, you¡¯ll have to eat more.¡± Yuliana bit his shoulder and did not let go of it. Instead, her eyes turned red. Then, after a while, she loosened her teeth and started crying while burying herself in Christopher¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You lied to me. You told me Roe woulde back soon, but you lied!¡± Yuliana felt like her heart had been ripped out. She had never felt so down in her whole life. ¡°I miss him. I miss him so much¡­ Christopher, I miss him.¡± Chapter 288 Chapter 288 It was heart-wrenching for him to hear her crying. Christopher¡¯s heart ached as daggers were stabbing his chest. He felt hurt as if he was suffocating andpletely out of breath. He raised his hand and stroked Yuliana¡¯s head gently without saying anything. Yuliana cried for a while. Finally, she was weary and soon fell asleep in Christopher¡¯s arms. In the end, the te of pasta got mushy and sticky. Christopher carried Yuliana up and put her back to bed. She looked tired and worn, as she had not slept well these days. Christopher wiped away the tears on her face gently and brushed away the hair stuck on her face. He sat by the bedside for a while before taking the te of pasta downstairs. Christopher made his way to the yard outside and lit a cigarette. He stared at the sky, which was covered inplete darkness. There were neither stars nor a moon tonight. The darkness, coupled with the hot and stuffy air, made him feel suffocated. When Christopher finished smoking, he was about to head upstairs to deal with his work. Suddenly, he caught sight of a car driving into the Sce residence. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. He stayed until Joyce got out of the car and walked straight to him. Joyce looked smart and gorgeous in her white suit. She halted her steps in front of Christopher. Her eyes were puffy as if she had cried before. Christopher frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Joyce?¡± Joyce lowered her head and avoided Christopher¡¯s gaze. She clenched her handbag nervously and fell silent for a while. Then, she said coldly, ¡°Chris, I hope you can leave Sce Corporation. Don¡¯t bother with any matter rted to Sce Corporation anymore, just like before.¡± Christopher stared at her face and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± don¡¯t Joyce took a deep breath. She looked up and met his gaze while she responded, ¡°Just literally. A car almost hit you because of what¡¯s happening in Sce Corporation. Roe has been kidnapped, and he is still missing. As long as you take charge of Sce Corporation anymore, you and Yuliana will live happily as before. Roe may evene back safe and sound.¡± Christopher thought momentarily before he asked, ¡°How about Sce Corporation?¡± ¡°Sce Corporation?¡± Joyceughed and answered sarcastically, ¡°Your brother has spent most of his life contributing to Sce Corporation, but we have no idea whether he¡¯s still alive. Do you want to end up like your brother? Besides, your parents, Yuliana, and Roe are still counting on you. Without a job in Sce Corporation, you can still raise them for the rest of their lives. So, Chris, would you please listen to my advice? Just forget about Sce Corporation.¡± Christopher stared at her with a scrutinizing gaze after Joyce finished her words. However, Joyce didn¡¯t look into his eyes. Christopher pouted his lips and asked, ¡°What happened, Joyce?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just suddenly figured it out,¡± Joyce replied swiftly. Christopher glimpsed at her coldly and eximed, ¡°I won¡¯t leave Sce Corporation until I find Ken.¡± Joyce was not surprised by Christopher¡¯s response. She threw him a cold-eyed stare. ¡°Chris, don¡¯t forget that you are only the Acting Chairman. I have the right to dismiss you from Sce Corporation. Please quit. I don¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it.¡± After all, Joyce was Kendrick¡¯s wife. Without Kendrick around, she had every right to decide on any matter regarding Sce Corporation. Christopher gazed deeply at Joyce. Joyce looked away and pursed her lower lips. She did not continue talking but walked past Christopher and entered the room. Christopher stood on the ground. He looked up into the dark sky. His expression was so bitter that no one could know what he was thinking. Christopher lit another cigarette and started to smoke again. After that, he went upstairs and headed to Kendrick¡¯s study room: It was already 2 a.m. when he had finished his work. However, he was not sleepy at all. He had not slept much since Kendrick was involved in the ident. He was exhausted, but he could not sleep too. If he managed to fall asleep, he could only have two to three hours of light sleep. It was hard for him to sleep again after he woke up. Christopher was weighed down with many things that had happened recently because no one went well. Ever since he was little, Christopher could do anything with ease. Others had to study hard for three years before furthering their university studies. However, he managed to get into the university within one year. While others encountered many challenges in their business journey, he found it effortless to do so. The only thing he did to start his business was spending a lot of money on it. Afterward, the business just ran smoothly. He could always do whatever he wanted with ease. However, now, he realized that everything was different from before. The two men who murdered his dad had not yet been revealed, and their whereabouts were still a mystery. It had been a while since Kendrick was involved in the incident, yet no one could find him until now. He did not even know he was dead or alive. He used to believe that Kendrick must still be alive. However, now, he could not help but doubt his guess. Besides that, he could not even protect his son. He was unable to do anything but watch Yuliana cry in pain. Sce Corporation was also facing financial problems. Thepany would copse sooner if the problems could not be solved quickly. Christopher pressed his eyebrows with his fingers, which were holding the cigarette. He put the cigarette into his mouth and took two drags from it. The smoke flowed from his nose and dissipated gradually in the air. The next morning, Christopher was having a meeting in his office when his phone suddenly rang. He immediately picked up his phone and marched out of the conference room as he saw the name on the screen. ¡°Mr. Hatfield.¡± ¡°Mr. Sce, I may have thetest info about your son. You maye here when you are free.¡± Chapter 289 Chapter 289 When Rowan was kidnapped this time, Christopher immediately thought of Mr. Hatfield because he had some interactions with him during the incident with Annabellest time. Mr. Hatfield had a vastwork of connections, and his men were from all walks of life. He could find anyone he wanted; it was just a matter of time. Although Christopher knew who the culprit behind the kidnapping of Rowan was, he was in a passive situation without evidence. Christopher could only suppress and warn Logan and Jayden by grasping their mistakes and omissions. but he couldn¡¯t do too much. Sce Corporation was already in a troublesome state for now. Zavier had a deep foundation in Sce Corporation. Not to mention that Christopher was the Acting Chairman of Sce Corporation, even if Kendrick was there, Kendrick couldn¡¯t do much as well. Nearly one-third of the executives of Sce Corporation was promoted by Zavier. Over the years, Logan and Jayden also won a lot of people¡¯s hearts. On the other hand, Christopher was worried that his actions might scare the other party if he did too much. This might lead to the other party trying to hurt Rowan. For more than a week, Christopher and Zavier¡¯s side had been in aplicated situation. Zavier was very dissatisfied with Christopher¡¯s decision to demote Logan. In particr, Logan¡¯s several important projects were handed over to Zaiden. Zavier and Zaiden were brothers who looked very harmonious on the surface. They had never fought in thepany and had always been very nice to each other. In reality, they would usuallypete with each other behind the scenes. Kendrick knew these things very well, but he just chose to ignore them. Thepetition between them for interests was not necessarily bad, as it could bnce everything out. But after Kendrick¡¯s ident, the bnce was slowly broken. Now, both sides were waiting to see if Christopher had the ability to sit firmly in the position of Acting Chairman. Christopher had to be cautious about everything. He couldn¡¯t even show his weakness or push things too hard. Mr. Hatfield sent an address after Christopher finished the phone call with him. Christopher frowned when he saw the address. It was a high-end apartment developed by Sce Corporation. This apartment was mainly for people who had high privacy requirements. Many stars and public figures lived there. Christopher then put away his phone and went into the conference room. The conference room was very quiet. Some were looking at their phones and some were staring nkly at something. Obviously, the meeting didn¡¯t continue during his departure. Christopher looked at Harvey and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you continue the meeting?¡± Harvey looked at Christopher, but he hesitated to speak. Before he could say anything, a man in his forties spoke up. ¡°Mr. Sce, your phone rang twice in the meeting today, and you left the conference room to answer your call. We were waiting for you.¡± Christopher nced at the man who spoke. He was the head of the marketing department of Sce Corporation, and he was also a Sce. Christopher should address him as uncle based on his seniority. He was considered a distant branch of lineage. Recently, because of Logan¡¯s demotion, he had tried to pick on Christopher in meetings several times. He might sound fair and just, but in fact, he was penalizing Christopher. Christopher checked this man¡¯s profile from the HR Department. This man¡¯s name was Renly Sce. When he first joined Sce Corporation, he worked under Zavier. Several yearster, Renly was transferred to the marketing department. When Logan joined Sce Corporation, he also worked in the marketing department for around one to two years. Christopher stood at the conference table, holding the table with both hands, and looked at the man. ¡°So? Do you mean I can¡¯t go out and answer when my phone rings?¡± Renly said, ¡°Mr. Kendrick Sce has explicitly requested that the phones should be muted at high-level meetings, and we can¡¯t leave halfway to answer the phone unless there are special circumstances. Mr. Sce, do you have a special situation?¡± Renly was referring to Kendrick when he talked about the rules. Renly was using Kendrick to suppress Christopher. Christopher stared at Renly coldly for a long time. The atmosphere in therge conference room was tense. Some people were watching the scene, but some didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. Although there was such a rule, it was not that strict. There were many people who would go out to answer their phones at ordinary meetings. But Kendrick had always been a responsible person. During meetings, he would usually pass his phone to his assistant, who would only hand the phone back to Kendrick under urgent circumstances. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Renly wasn¡¯t scared of Christopher. He just looked at Christopher and smiled coldly. Christopher suppressed the anger at the bottom of his heart, and his expression slowly faded. He looked at everyone and said, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my issue. It won¡¯t happen again. I will receive three times the punishment ordingly.¡± Nobody expected Christopher, who had always been arrogant, would put aside his pride and apologize to everyone. It was even under the circumstance of Renly refuting him in public. The meeting then took another half an hour and ended in a hurry. Christopher didn¡¯t go back to his office. Instead, he informed Harvey about some things and went straight to the underground garage. He then sped back to North Course Apartment. That was the address sent by Mr. Hatfield. When he arrived, Mr. Hatfield and his men had already been waiting for a while. Christopher got out of the car and walked to Mr. Hatfield and the others. Then, he found a young woman standing in front of Mr. Hatfield. Mr. Hatfield introduced Christopher and said, ¡°This is Mr. Sce.¡± The woman stared at Christopher and smiled at him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Sce.¡± Christopher looked at her and nodded as a way of greeting her. Then, Mr. Hatfield said to Christopher, ¡°This is the news from her, Ms. Torres.¡± Christopher nced at Ms. Torres again, and his gaze changed. Ms. Torres smiled again and said, ¡°I heard from Mr. Hatfield a few days ago that he was looking for a five-month-old baby, so I¡¯ve been paying attention to this issue for a long time. I didn¡¯t expect that someone in the chat group would ask about how to deal with a baby¡¯s feverst night. I happened to know the youngdy who asked. She didn¡¯t have a child, so I kept an eye on her and talked to her privately. I taught her how to reduce the fever and what medicines to use. I found some news by investigating around. The baby is just five or six months old. I suggested that she take the child to the hospital, and she also hesitated, which made it seem like she didn¡¯t dare to take the child to the hospital.¡± After a pause, Ms. Torres said, ¡°I thought it was suspicious at that time, so I went to thedy¡¯s house with the excuse of delivering medicine to the child to see the child, but she was very cautious and didn¡¯t intend to let me in at all. Otherwise, I could have been able to take a picture of the child secretly. Originally, I was worried that this might be a mistake, so I nned to talk to Mr. Hatfield after I was sure. However, I was afraid of dying the time, so I decided to talk to Mr. Hatfield after thinking about it all night.¡± Ms. Torres had a daughter who was three years old, and she had a lot of imported children¡¯s medicine at home. When she talked to that womanst night, she was in a hurry, so she probably wasn¡¯t prepared and had no supply of children¡¯s medicines. As soon as she mentioned bringing some medicine over, the woman immediately agreed. But unexpectedly. Ms. Torres could only send the medicine to the door. The woman asked about the usage and dosage, and she couldn¡¯t wait to drive Ms. Torres away on the grounds that the child was sick. Ms. Torres couldn¡¯t really stay as it would make that woman suspicious, so she had to leave first. But when Ms. Torres left, she heard the child crying in the room, which sounded very miserable. However, the woman didn¡¯t show any nervousness or anxiety. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 However, the woman did not show any nervousness or anxiety on her face. On the contrary, her expression was full of irritation and impatience. Ms. Torres thought, ¡°What kind of a mother would treat her child impatiently? Even if the baby was a rtive¡¯s, she shouldn¡¯t treat the crying baby like this.¡± At that moment, Ms. Torres quickly nced into the room. The woman was also cautious and subconsciously used her body to block Ms. Torres¡¯ sight. Ms. Torres felt sorry for the baby and asked casually, ¡°Why is the baby crying so hard? Has he been crying for a long time?¡± The woman looked distressed and said, ¡°He loves to cry, as always.¡± Ms. Torres thought, ¡°How can a months-old baby cry without any reason?¡± If a baby cried, it was either physically ufortable or cold and hungry. Moreover, if a baby cried often, it might be because he was in an unfamiliar environment or surrounded by strangers, which was difficult for the baby to adapt. Although a months-old baby knew nothing, he was sensitive and intuitive. Adults could control their difort with the environment, but a baby could not. He could not speak, so he could only cry. Ms. Torres did not ask any more questions and returned to her home. Ms. Torres knew this woman because they lived in the same apartment. She had met thetter in the elevator. Sometimes they would bump into each other when Ms. Torres brought her daughter to the yground downstairs. As time went by, they got familiar with each other. They would greet each other whenever they bumped into each other. That woman liked Ms. Torres¡¯ daughter. Whenever she saw her daughter, she praised Ms. Torres¡¯ daughter for her beauty. Ms. Torres even joked a few times that the woman could give birth to one if she likes children. Ms. Torres thought, ¡°It¡¯s easy to tell whether a woman has had a baby.¡± It was almost noon when Ms. Torres returned home after delivering the medicine. She thought about it while lying on the bed and felt something was wrong. So she called Yahir early in the morning the next day. On the way here, Christopher asked Harvey to investigate the situation in North Course Apartment. The North Course Apartment project waspleted five or six years ago, and Logan was in charge of it. Then, Christopher asked someone to investigate the woman Ms. Torres Content ? N?velDrama.Org. mentioned. He found that she came from an ordinary family and graduated from university three years ago. She had never worked before and after graduation, nor had any intimate rtionship with anyone. That woman only shared something rted to food, fitness, and travel on social media. But she liked and reposted many videos of dogs. It could be seen that that woman liked dogs, but she did not own one. Christopher remembered Winnie teasing Logan that a dog had bitten Logan before. That dog was raised by Kendrick when he was a child. Logan had fought with Kendrick over something when he came to y in the Sce residence. The loyal dog probably wanted to protect its owner. So it threw itself at Logan and bit him. However, the dog was well-trained. It did not even break Logan¡¯s skin with the bite. However, it was a large dog. When it roared fiercely and rushed over to Logan, it frightened him. Since then, Logan has been traumatized by dogs. When he saw slightlyrger dogs, he would walk around them. Logan also felt disgusted toward the unthreatening smaller dogs. Christopher and Yahir took their men upstairs, but Ms. Torres did not follow them. She thought, ¡°It is awkward for me to go with them. No matter whether the baby is the one Mr. Sce is looking for, I still live in the same apartment as her. I will bump into her in the neighborhood anytime. If I followed them to see her, the woman could immediately guess that I¡¯m the one who told them.¡± After going upstairs, Yahir asked hisckeys to ring the doorbell. They waited for a while. It seemed like no one was inside. Christopher raised his head and nced around. There were cameras in different corners of the area. He observed around and noticed that one camera was enough in this area outside the elevator, but there were two. Moreover, the two cameras did not seem to be the same. Christopher took out his phone to find the contact of the North Course Apartment¡¯s management office. He called to ask about the condition of the cameras in the corridor. The management office responded, ¡°Only one camera was installed on each floor. The owner should have installed the one you mentioned.¡± After talking to the management office, Christopher continued staring at the two cameras. Then he walked under the newer camera and looked up at it. He stared at it with cold, dark eyes as if staring at the person behind the camera. Meanwhile, Logan sat in the office and looked at the magnified face of Christopher on the screen. His heartbeat suddenly raced. Logan thought, ¡°How did Christopher find it?¡± No one knew about the rtionship between Logan and Shirley besides him and Shirley. After so many years, even Josie did not know about it. Except for that night when Logan had an unpleasant quarrel with Josie and Logan drove directly to Shirley¡¯s ce, he would use another car that was registered under Shirley¡¯s name every time he went there. But after that night, Logan asked someone to eliminate the recording of the surveince cameras from that night. That was why Logan dared to put Rowan in Shirley¡¯s house. Logan thought, ¡°After all, who will find out about my rtionship with Shirley?¡± Initially, Logan thought about kidnapping Christopher¡¯s son to force thetter to leave Sce Corporation. However, during this period, Christopher did not suffer the slightest impact from Rowan¡¯s kidnapping and even intensified his efforts to target Logan and his son, causing Logan to be passive. On the contrary, Logan did not know how to threaten Christopher after kidnapping Rowan. When Logan returned to his senses, he immediately took out another phone from the drawer and called Shirley. However, Logan did not expect that Shirley had turned off her phone. Logan¡¯s forehead twitched a few times. His expression darkened, and he had no idea what to do. He could not go to Shirley¡¯s house at this time. If Logan went now, he would bump into Christopher face-to- face. Then Logan would inadvertently admit that he was involved in Rowan¡¯s kidnapping, and the rtionship between him and Shirley would be exposed. Logan¡¯s mind was spinning fast with ideas, but his eyes were staring at the door of Shirley¡¯s house. At the moment, he only hoped Shirley would not open the door. However, the next second, his hope was ruined. Logan saw a man from Christopher¡¯s side take a toolbox and walk to the door. The man fiddled around with the tools, and soon the door was opened. Christopher also walked away from the camera and followed him into the room. Logan kept calling Shirley, but it was the same-her phone was always off. Shirley was not at home at the moment. After entering the room, Yahir stood in the living room and nced around. Yahir¡¯sckeys searched around the house. There were some items, food, and toys for the baby in the room. But they did not see the owner of the house and the baby. Christopher went into the bedroom and saw a new crib. It looked like it had only been bought recently. Other baby supplies were also new. There were cooling patches and bags of medicine used by a baby in the garbage can. Suddenly, Christopher¡¯s gaze stopped on the corner of the quilt on the crib. He bent down to take something out from the corner of the quilt. It was a lucky charm. Winnie was superstitious. When a child was born into the family, she would ask someone to make an inexpensive lucky charm for the child as a blessing. They usually wore it until they were three or five years old. Kendrick, La, and Christopher had lucky charms as well. So did Alex and Zofia. Rowan was born prematurely, so Winnie did not have time to prepare charm for him. She waited for Rowan¡¯s birthday party to put it on him. the lucky Christopher suddenly gripped the lucky charm tightly. He stood on the spot coldly for a moment and turned to leave the bedroom. Yahir smoked while sitting on the couch. When he saw Christopher return to the living room, he asked with a smile, ¡°Have you found anything?¡± Christopher replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s my son.¡± Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Those people didn¡¯t look like good people in her eyes. Shirley was a very obedient girl. She behaved herself after being together with Logan, just like a princess being pampered in her life. She had never been in contact with this kind of person. At that instant, the baby in her arms suddenly moved. A small frown was shown on his face. The infant then pouted and grunted twice, looking like he was about to cry again. Christopher withdrew his sharp gaze from Shirley¡¯s face and gently patted Rowan¡¯s back with his broad palm,forting him for a while. After seeing that Rowan became quiet, Christopher looked at Yahir and said, ¡°I want to go to the hospital first. Mr. Hatfield, I¡¯ll leave Shirley to you.¡± Yahir nodded. ¡°Take the little baby to the hospital first. I¡¯ll take care of the matter here.¡± When Christopher was ready to leave, he red at Shirley again, and the gaze made thetter feel a chill run down her spine. But soon, Christopher left with Rowan. Christopher took Rowan to a private hospital. When they arrived, the doctors and nurses examined the baby. While waiting, Christopher called Yuliana. Yuliana felt like a ghost floating under the hot sun. Her consciousness seemed to have separated from her body. Sometimes, she even had an illusion that she didn¡¯t know who she was. She was holding some printed photos in her hand. The photos of Rowan were taken by her with her phone not long before he had gone missing. In the stupidest and most primitive way, she asked the people in the street for Rowan¡¯s whereabouts while showing the photos. There were not many people on the street at this time. She had to walk a long way to meet one or two people. Yuliana gradually could not feel her legs and was unable to walk anymore. She also did not force herself to keep going on the search and went to a tree by the side of the road. She sat down under some steps and looked at the passing traffic in a daze. The phone in her bag was still ringing. Yuliana heard the ringing this time. She took out her phone and checked on it. She looked at the screen for two seconds and put it back in her bag. After a while, the phone stopped ringing. The whole world seemed to have quieted down. Yuliana took out the dozens of printed photos from her bag. She looked at them one by one and observed them many times every day. She could remember Rowan¡¯s expression and movements clearly in each photo. She brushed Rowan¡¯s face in the photo with her fingers. Rowan was smiling and grinning in the photo. His teeth had not grown out yet, revealing his pink gums. His eyes were curved, and he looked naive with a bit of smartness. Yuliana looked at the photos very seriously until a shadow loomed over her. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, you have a call from Mr. Sce.¡± Yuliana¡¯s movement paused, and she twisted her eyebrows imperceptibly. When she heard the words ¡°Mr. Sce¡±, the frown on her face turned bigger but soon disappeared. She continued to look through the photos in her hand, and the expression on her face was that of a mother. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The man standing in front of her saw that Yuliana had refused to answer the phone and looked at her for a while. He then turned around and spoke into the phone after hesitating. ¡°Mr. Sce.¡± Hearing his voice, Christopher quickly understood the situation and replied, ¡°Turn on the loudspeaker.¡± The man leaned over and nced at Yuliana behind him. After responding to Christopher, he turned on the loudspeaker and then moved his phone to Yuliana. Soon, Christopher¡¯s voice could be heard from the phone. Yuliana¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly after hearing the voice. She paused and looked up at the phone but pursed her lips slightly, not answering Christopher. After a short silence, Christopher said, ¡°We have found Roe. He¡¯s in the hospital now.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana¡¯s eyes widened, as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. She instantly grabbed the phone from the man and asked urgently, ¡°Did you mean it? Did you really find Roe?¡± ¡°I mean it,¡± Christopher replied. In the next instant, Yuliana¡¯s dried eyes suddenly turned watery, and sweat fell down her cheeks along with the tears. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t tell whether they were sweat or tears falling. Yuliana bit her lips hard and spoke stiffly as if she was about to lose her voice. ¡°Where is he?¡± Christopher answered, ¡°He¡¯s at the hospital. I¡¯ll let Wesley bring you there.¡± Yuliana wiped her tears with her hands and immediately stood up. The photos on herp were scattered on the ground. She was stunned for a moment by the sudden mess. She returned the phone to the man in front of her and quickly picked up the photos on the ground, putting them in her bag. After that, she said anxiously to the man, ¡°Take me to the hospital.¡± The man had been following her for a while. Yuliana knew he was hired by Christopher to watch over her. She had not talked to this man before. He had been following her behind at a safe distance. When she fainted several times due to sunstroke, he was probably the person who had taken her to the hospital immediately. When she woke, he stood far away and kept a distance from her again. This was the first time they had had a direct conversation. ¡°So, his name is Wesley,¡± Yuliana thought. On the way to the hospital, Yuliana calmed down from the excitement of knowing that Rowan had been found. She suddenly became nervous and panicked, worried about whether Rowan was injured or something had happened to him. All her thoughts were on Rowan the whole trip. Wesley nced at the rearview mirror several times. The job was much easier than ever for him this time. Wesley did not have to bet his life to fight or do some shady tasks. Moreover, he received a lot of money for this job. When Wesley first met Yuliana, he thought she was beautiful and belonged to the kind of woman who fit higher than his preference. Yuliana was beautiful and gentle, and she had a very special temperament. It was not aggressive; her temperament was akin to the gentle breeze on a Sunday morning. Even though she looked haggard after suffering for a long time, it did not affect her temperament at all. Instead, it gave her a sense of fragility and delicateness, which made others want to protect her more. While Yuliana was in a daze, she noticed something looking at her. She withdrew her sight from the window and looked forward. She met the gaze of a pair of eyes in the rearview mirror. Wesley moved his gaze away in an instant, and Yuliana could not decipher his expression. Yuliana ignored him afterward. When they got to the hospital, Yuliana impatiently rushed out of the car and hurriedly entered the building. Wesley parked the car and did not get out of the vehicle. Looking at her figure. rushing into the hospital, he picked up a pack of cigarettes from the armrest box. and took a cigarette out, lighting it up. When Yuliana arrived, the doctor had just finished the examination for Rowan. Christopher contacted Yahir and obtained the contact of the clinic that Rowan went to in the morning from Shirley. After asking about the medicine provided by the clinic, Christopher told the information to the doctor from the private. hospital, and the doctor prescribed some medicine for Rowan. The nurse prepared the medicine and was currently giving Rowan an injection in the head. The reason why Rowan had a fever was that he was infected with pneumonia, which was mild. However, Rowan had a weaker bodypared to other children of his age, so it would have more effect on his body. Fortunately, Rowan¡¯s condition was handled in time and did not have a big impact on his health. The red spots on his body were due to allergies, which would disappear by taking medicine for a few days. { Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Yuliana¡¯s heart ached as she watched the nurse insert the needle into Rowan¡¯s head. She felt as if the needle was piercing through her heart instead. By this time, Rowan was already awake. He must have cried several times, as his eyes were wet and red. His thick eyshes were shining with tears. He looked at the people around him innocently. When he spotted Yuliana, his eyes fixated on her, and he struggled to get up, asking her to hold him. The nurse was giving him an injection. When she saw that he was about to move, she immediately restrained him to prevent him from moving further. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Rowan pursed his lips and was about to cry. Yuliana immediately patted him on his back tofort him. She held back her tears and whispered gently, ¡°Roe, please stay still. The nurse is giving you an injection. Don¡¯t move.¡± Rowan¡¯s eyes focused on her. Yuliana¡¯s words managed to calm him down a little. However, he finally caught on to the prickling pain after the needle was inserted. The little guy who was about to cry just now opened his mouth and wailed. Soon, his face, nose, and body instantly turned red. Yuliana couldn¡¯t control her emotions anymore. She carefully avoided the injection point and held Rowan in her arms. Tears rolled down her face as she wept with Rowan. She kept kissing Rowan on the head and cheek and said in a choked voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not protecting you well.¡± The mother and son cried aloud. Even the doctors and nurses standing next to them were touched by the scene. Christopher stood aside and watched silently. Rowan stayed in the hospital for a week. When he was discharged, he still needed to go to the hospital every day for treatment. Perhaps it was because they had been separated from each other once, but both Yuliana and Rowan were very clingy to each other. During those days when Rowan was hospitalized, Yuliana stayed by his side all day long and never left him. Although Rowan didn¡¯t understand anything, he refused to leave Yuliana and didn¡¯t let others hold him. Even the maternity matron, Kylie, who had been taking care of him, received a cold shoulder from Rowan. He only wanted to stay with Yuliana. Kylie had been in the Sce residence since Rowan was kidnapped. Christopher and Yuliana didn¡¯t let her leave. Kylie must be responsible for the incident, but she had cared for Rowan with all her heart for the past few months. Hence, they hadn¡¯t figured out how to deal with her yet. When they found Rowan, Christopher worried that Yuliana would be too tired to take care of Rowan alone. Since Rowan didn¡¯t want others to carry him and would cry when hugged by others, Christopher thought of letting Kylie take care of Rowan. After all, she had cared for him for a long time, and Rowan should be used to her. Unexpectedly, Rowan even refused to be hugged by Kylie. Before leaving the hospital, Yuliana thought about it and decided to dismiss Kylie. She had lost Rowan once and wouldn¡¯t repeat the mistake again. She would always have uncertainties about Kylie, and she couldn¡¯t promise she would treat Kylie as before in the future. Before Kylie left, Yuliana still treated her well. They parted ways on good terms. Meanwhile, Logan was having a rough time during this period. He couldn¡¯t get in touch with Shirley. Rowan had returned to the Sce residence. So Christopher must have met Shirley and learned a lot from her. However, Christopher didn¡¯t mention anything for some reason and acted normal, just like before. Logan didn¡¯t know what Christopher was up to. He was anxious and restless all day. In early September, several police officers in solemn uniforms entered the building of Sce Corporation Group and took Logan away in front of the employees of Sce Corporation. Christopher was there when the police came, and he just watched silently. Before Logan was taken away, his face twisted with anger as he red at Christopher with gloomy eyes. He said with a ferocious smile, ¡°Do you think you won? Christopher, you¡¯re far behind Kendrick. You can¡¯t even beat him. How can you win? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡± Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Recently, Christopher asked his men to collect evidence of Logan¡¯s crimes over the years. Yahir had also found the person who took Rowan away at the medical service center that day. The police also detained the person and Shirley. The witnesses and physical evidence were all found. Logan wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with his crime. After Zavier found out what Christopher had done, he fell out with Christopherpletely. Zavier didn¡¯t even put up a courteous front when facing Christopher in thepany. Zavier kept bringing up all the decisions Christopher made after taking over the position as the Acting Chairman. Zavier rebuked every mistake Christopher had made and found faults with him. When Christopher found that thepany was under the financial strain, he reviewed thepany¡¯s situation and the projects that were currently in progress or on hold. Then, he dealt with some of the branches and projects that were in a state of loss. Some of them belong to the traditional industry of Sce Corporation, but they were on the verge of being eliminated in recent years. Christopher¡¯s action inevitably caused a lot of dissatisfaction as it affected their interests. Those people didn¡¯t dare to say anything before, but with Zavier taking the lead, they became unscrupulous. What Joyce said to Christopher that night was not a joke. She had participated in the recent weekly high-level meetings. Although she didn¡¯t tantly show her hostility toward Christopher and her wish for thetter to leave Sce Corporation, everyone could sense the strong tension between them. The two almost quarreled in the meeting several times. There even came a time that Christopher mmed the door of Joyce¡¯s office with a darkened face. After Yuliana recovered her son, her thoughts had been preupied with Rowan. She originally had a maternity matron to help take care of Rowan. After Kylie left, she didn¡¯t want to find another one and did everything herself. Recently, the atmosphere at the Sce residence was also very tense. There seemed to be a grudge between Joyce and Christopher because of thepany¡¯s affairs. They quarreled several times at home, and a few times, they even quarreled in front of the housekeepers. Yuliana tried to reconcile them, but every time she mentioned these things, Joyce got angry and asked her to persuade Christopher to leave thepany without saying anything. On the other hand, Christopher would ignore her and ask her to stay away the business. from In fact, since Rowan returned to her side, her rtionship with Christopher had also changed subtly. They obviously became much more distant. She hated Christopher a little when Rowan was kidnapped at that time, so she wanted to do something to bridge the rtionship between them. But every time she took the initiative to please Christopher, she received no response. It couldn¡¯t be said that there waspletely no reaction from Christopher. Christopher reacted. He would toss her around in bed with a gloomy face. He wouldn¡¯t get out of bed to wash until he satisfied his lust, but he wouldn¡¯t hold her as he used to. These changes were subtle. Yuliana thought it was normal for the passion in the couple to lessen over time. Besides, the recent development in thepany should leave Christopher quite frustrated. She tried to understand him. But asionally, Yuliana felt helpless and overwhelmed with a sense of loss. She didn¡¯t know why she and Christopher hade to this point, let alone what would happen in the future. She felt pain in her heart whenever she thought about this. Yuliana coaxed Rowan into sleep. She stared at Rowan for a long time and caressed his face. He looked just like Christopher. Whenever she saw Rowan recently, she couldn¡¯t help but think of Christopher. Yuliana sat by the crib for a while, then walked to the window, and stood there for a while. It was already past ten o¡¯clock, and Christopher hadn¡¯te back yet. Before dinner, she sent a message to ask Christopher if he would like toe back for dinner. Christopher didn¡¯t reply to her message. She called him again, but it was very noisy on the other end of the line when Christopher answered the phone. She heard a woman say, ¡°Mr. Sce, what are you doing? Come and have a drink with us.¡± Then, she heard the teasing sounds of a few more men. After that, Christopher said nothing and hung up the phone. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana stood for a moment and didn¡¯t think about it anymore. She went into the bathroom to wash up and then went to bed. She turned off the light by the bedside and left the small light at the door on. After she closed her eyes, Yuliana slowly let out a breath. Her chest felt heavy as if something was pressing on her. Nobody knew how long she slept. She didn¡¯t sleep deeply. When she heard something from afar, she woke 1. She didn¡¯t open her eyes. She heard familiar footsteps approaching and smelled a strong scent of alcohol. She subconsciously frowned. She could feel him standing by the bed and looking at her motionlessly. She wanted to ignore him, but she opened her eyes in the end. Their eyes met. Yuliana¡¯s eyes were calm, while Christopher¡¯s carried deep emotions like a storm was brewing in them. Suddenly, Christopher lifted the quilt and picked Yuliana up from the bed. Yuliana was startled and stared at him while she struggled, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christopher pursed his thin lips and looked down at her, but he didn¡¯t answer. He carried her straight into the bathroom, walked to the shower, and opened the door. The slightly cold water poured from above. It was September, and the water was very cold at night. Yuliana couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She trembled and subconsciously wanted to hide in Christopher¡¯s arms. Right then, Christopher tore off her clothes and kissed her fiercely. It was not a pleasant experience. The feeling was unbearable for Yuliana. She cried and pleaded with him repeatedly, but the man treated her more roughly. After everything was over, Christopher cleaned them both and dried Yuliana up. Then, he carried her back to the bed. They each slept on one side of the bed in a back-to-back posture. None of them spoke throughout the night. At night, Yuliana got up several times to feed Rowan. She fell into a deep slumber at dawn and didn¡¯t even know when Christopher got up. After she washed up in the morning, she nned to sort out the clothes in theundry basket and ask Sofia to wash themter. But she suddenly paused when she picked up Christopher¡¯s white shirt from last night. There was a red stain on the lower part of the cor inside the shirt. She rubbed her finger with the red stain and put it at the tip of her nose. It turned out Christopher didn¡¯t stain his shirt identally. A woman¡¯s lipstick left the red stain. Yuliana recognized the unique fragrance as one of the branded lipsticks. ¡°But why is it in his shirt?¡± she wondered. Yuliana suddenly felt disgusted. She immediately threw the clothes away and went to the basin to retch. She didn¡¯t eat muchst night. After a night, her stomach had already been empty. She retched and heaved, but brought nothing up. However, she couldn¡¯t suppress nausea and continued to vomit until she could feel the taste of gastric juice in her mouth. Only then did her retching stopped. She raised her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale, and her eyes were brimming with tears because of vomiting. Her hair was messy. She looked miserable and pathetic. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Yuliana has been celebrating her birthday ording to the lunar calendar since childhood. The 28th of July on the lunar calendar would mean someday in August and September on the Gregorian calendar. Herst year¡¯s birthday was not long after school started, so there were many things to settle, and Yuliana was so busy that she forgot about her birthday. When she was about to finish school, she received a call from Xandria asking her to have dinner together in the evening. When she arrived at the dining ce and saw the surprise prepared by Xandria, only then did she realize it was her birthday. At that time, she was not together with Christopher yet. This year, Callie called her early this morning and wished her happy birthday. The gift had already arrived the day before. It was a set of jewelry with a simple and elegant design that suited Yuliana a lot. After all, Yuliana and Callie had simr tastes. Xandria also called and asked Yuliana how she was nning to spend her birthday. This year was different from previous years as Yuliana had gotten married. Xandria expected Christopher must have made prior arrangements, so it would be rude for her to intrude if the couple wanted to celebrate alone. After pausing for a while, Yuliana said, ¡°I have no ns. Why not I treat you to dinner?¡± Xandria was a straightforward person and would blurt out whatever she was thinking. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to celebrate your first birthday after getting married to Christopher?¡± Yuliana fell silent for another two seconds before replying, ¡°There have been many matters to settle at Sce Corporation, so he has been busytely.¡± Xandria also knew about the recent situation of Sce Corporation. Even her father said that if the situation did not improve, Sce Corporation would be in danger. Moreover, thepany was in chaos, as the employees had divided themselves into several groups. Thus, Christopher was in a difficult situation now. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Xandria didn¡¯t understand nor care much about them, so her conversations with Yuliana usually revolved around things she was interested in, such as clothing, bags, style, or gossip in the entertainment industry. asionally, she would video call Yuliana to see her godson. Yuliana hadn¡¯t told Xandria about the state of things between her and Christopher. Sometimes, she felt it was good for Xandria to always be so carefree and happy, so she didn¡¯t want those frustrating matters to upset thetter¡¯s mood. Xandria sighed. After a while, she suddenly suggested, ¡°Since your husband doesn¡¯t have time, let me, your best friend, celebrate for you. Coincidentally, Kathryn is also here, so we can call her along. Bring Roe too. She hasn¡¯t met my godson yet.¡± Yuliana hesitated for a while, but she agreed in the end. She had been in the house for too long. Sometimes, she felt the house was like a cage, trapping all its inhabitants. Since she was bringing Rowan out, she needed to prepare a lot of things needed when going outdoors. Yuliana took a nappy bag and filled it 1. After packing up, she took Rowan along to spend some time with Winnie. Zachary was still sleeping quietly, but he was evidently thinner than before thepany entered a state of crisis. He was so gaunt that he was left with bones and a thinyer of wrinkly skin over his bones, and his skin was sickly white. Winnie seemed to have slowly epted the fact that Zachary would not be waking up, or perhaps because her health was gradually declining, she no longer cared whether Zachary would wake up or not. Upon seeing Yuliana and Rowan, Winnie smiled and said in a weak voice, ¡°Let me see him.¡± Yuliana carried Rowan over, and Winnie raised her hand with much difficulty to gently stroke Rowan¡¯s face. Rowan blinked his round eyes as he stared and even smiled at her. Reaching out his chubby little hand, he tried to grab Winnie¡¯s fingers. ¡°Good boy!¡± Winnie¡¯s face is full of love. ¡°I really want to hug him, but I¡¯m too weak to carry him now.¡± Upon hearing this, Yuliana felt her eyes sting for a moment. In the past, she always thought that Zachary and Winnie would get better slowly, but now, seeing their health deteriorating every day, she dared not hope for much anymore. Yuliana usually brought Rowan over almost every day to stay awhile with Zachary and Winnie, other than those days when Rowan got kidnapped. However, Winnie didn¡¯t want Rowan to stay for a long time as she was worried about passing on the sickness to Rowan. Yuliana was not superstitious about this. Although she didn¡¯t have a close rtionship with Zachary and Winnie, she couldn¡¯t help but be kinder in the face of life and death. Just when she was about to say something tofort Winnie, she heard thetter ask, ¡°Yuliana, today is your birthday, right?¡± Yuliana was stunned and looked at Winnie in surprise. After a while, she nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± An apologetic look crossed Winnie¡¯s face. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m sorry. You can¡¯t even celebrate your first birthday after marrying into the Sce family properly.¡± Yuliana still hadn¡¯t dared to tell Winnie about the matter regarding Kendrick. At first, Winnie still asked about it, but recently, she stopped asking. Yuliana thought it was probably because Winnie already knew it, so she stopped asking. Winnie felt for a box under the bed and took it out before stuffing it into Yuliana¡¯s hands. ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re a good girl. I was blind back then and spoke so rudely to you. I hope you don¡¯t take them to heart.¡± Yuliana looked at the wooden box in her hands and said nothing. She had never hated Winnie, so she didn¡¯t take anything to heart. ¡°It¡¯s not anything valuable. My mother gave it to me when I married Zachary.¡± At the mention of her mother, a warm smile appeared on Winnie¡¯s face. ¡°I have no use keeping it now. I¡¯ll give it to you as a birthday gift. I hope you don¡¯t mind it.¡± Yuliana hurriedly answered, ¡°No. Regardless of what it is, I like it as long as it is given by you.¡± Winnie stretched out her hand toward Yuliana, and Yuliana immediately stretched out her own hand. Clenching Yuliana¡¯s hand, Winnie dered, ¡°Christopher is a very pure and kind child with a strong sense of responsibility. Sometimes he would rather sacrifice himself. Yuliana, I don¡¯t know what will happen to you and Christopher in the future, but as a mother, I¡¯m still a little selfish. I hope you can stay with Christopher no matter what happens in the future.¡± Yuliana wanted to say yes, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she could do it, so she didn¡¯t ept Winnie¡¯s request in the end. After Yuliana told Winnie she was going out, Winnie waved her hand and urged Yuliana to leave. ncing at the clock, Yuliana didn¡¯t stay any longer and went out with Rowan. The driver sent her to the ce she and Xandria agreed to meet. When she got out of the car with Rowan, she caught a glimpse of a familiar car parked not far away. During the time when Rowan was kidnapped, that car followed her every day. However, as she hadn¡¯t gone out recently, plus Rowan had been found, she thought Christopher had sent the bodyguard away. Yuliana only took a short nce before shifting her eyes back and walking in with Rowan. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Yuliana and Kathryn hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time. In July, Kathryn contacted Yuliana andforted her due to the negative public opinion online. After things gradually subsided, Kathryn used her Twitter ount to rify the situation for Yuliana. However, she also got Annabelle involved in the rification. Things calmed down for a while then, and only a handful of people who paid attention to this matter started to berate them. Some of them stood on Yuliana¡¯s side and turned to scold Annabelle, some of the others reproached Yuliana for wanting to prove her innocence, and the rest went off on Kathryn for wanting to ride the wave. Although Yuliana didn¡¯t think there was a point in rifying anything, she was still grateful to Kathryn. Her rtionship with Kathryn hadn¡¯t been particrly close before this incident. They were merely each other¡¯s ssmates in high school. If it weren¡¯t for Xandria, Yuliana and Kathryn wouldn¡¯t have gotten other reasons to stay in contact after graduation. When Yuliana and Rowan entered, Kathryn and Xandria had already arrived. They were taking pictures with their phones together, one showing a piece sign. while the other pouted adorably. In fact, it seemed natural that Kathryn and Xandria got along well. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting,¡± Yuliana apologized. Seeing Yuliana arrive, Xandria, who suddenly had a glow on her face, immediately put down her phone and hopped over. She picked up Rowan from the stroller and kissed him on the face. ¡°Roe! I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± Kathryn tutted and stood up as well. Standing beside Xandria, she looked at Rowan with curious eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t kiss him. Don¡¯t get all that makeup on your whole face on him.¡± Hearing this, Xandria immediately waved. ¡°Give me two pieces of tissue. I¡¯ll wipe him clean.¡± Yuliana handed her two baby wipes then. Yuliana and Xandria made a hrious pair as they panicked. After Xandria wiped off the spot she kissed, Kathryn reached out to grab Rowan and cooed, ¡°Come. Let Aunt Kathryn give you a hug.¡± ¡°Roe doesn¡¯t want hugs from Granny Kathryn!¡± Xandria turned around to dodge Kathryn¡¯s outstretched hands. She then smiled at Rowan. ¡°Roe only wants Aunt Xandria¡¯s hugs, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Kathryn swiftly pped Xandria on the butt. ¡°Who are you calling Granny? If I¡¯m old, what about you? Don¡¯t forget we are the same age!¡± Xandria quirked her eyebrows and nced at Kathryn. ¡°So what? You look older than me!¡± ¡°You little!¡± Kathryn cursed through gritted teeth. Xandria immediately covered one of Rowan¡¯s ears and red at Kathryn. ¡°Granny Kathryn, you can¡¯t swear in front of the children!¡± Kathryn was not willing to concede. ¡°Granny Xandria!¡± she howled. Hearing that, Xandria snorted and retorted, ¡°I am Roe¡¯s godmother, not his granny! You¡¯re Granny!¡± Yuliana had sat down as she quietly watched them bicker. The two didn¡¯t seem to think of themselves as childish, as they kept hurling harmless insults at each other. Finally, Rowan pouted and cried at the top of his lungs, scaring the women. enough to make them stop. Xandria hurriedly returned Rowan to Yuliana. But as soon as the child reached Yuliana¡¯s arms, he immediately quieted down and looked at her and Kathryn with his wet eyes. Touching Rowan¡¯s small paws, Xandria couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why does he stop crying when you hold him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Kathryn smiled. ¡°Roe doesn¡¯t like you!¡± Xandria gave Kathryn the side-eye again before she sat down beside Yuliana and continued to y with Rowan. However, the little guy was probably taking his time to warm up to the women, as he seldom had chances to go out. Unlike his usual active self at home, he only looked at Xandria quietly. Kathryn sat down opposite him and stared at Rowan before she eventually let out a sigh. ¡°I heard from Xani that your son looks like his father. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so simr. His features look like he was carved out of the same model as his father, but the shape of his face is more like yours. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to look like this father, though. He will undoubtedly grow up to be adies¡¯ man.¡± At the end of her sentence, Kathryn couldn¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t have his father¡¯s personality.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana only looked at Rowan with a faint smile without answering. Soon, a waiter brought in some drinks and appetizers. The three of them then chatted while eating. Rowan had been woken up by Yuliana a short while after he took a nap in the afternoon. After Yuliana hugged him for a while, she took his milk bottle and prepared baby form for him. The child soon fell asleep in her arms. Seeing that Rowan was asleep, Yuliana put him back in the stroller and covered him with a small nket. Kathryn seemed in a daze as she watched Yuliana¡¯s skillful movements. ¡°Yuliana, didn¡¯t expect you to be a mother at such a young age.¡± Taken aback, Yuliana smiled and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m no longer young. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m 25 years old this year.¡± ¡°And Xandria and I are 26!¡± Kathryn shrugged and said, ¡°Look at us. We are not married. I wondered about marriage before, but I don¡¯t think it means much to me now. It is nice to be single.¡± She could do whatever she wanted. I Although Yuliana¡¯s son was beautiful and lovable, Kathryn was terrified by the thought of Yuliana being around the child all day and barely having any personal space for her. Yuliana stayed silent for two seconds before she smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s nice not to get married.¡± Hearing this, Kathryn looked up at Yuliana. However, Yuliana didn¡¯t have too much emotion on her face. Kathryn couldn¡¯t read her expression for a moment there. Yuliana couldn¡¯t stay out for too long because she had Rowan with her. When it started getting dark, she took Rowan home after eating the birthday cake. On the other hand, Xandria and Kathryn were going for their second round. They wandered around for a while, called some friends over, and went to a bar to have fun. It was almost the early hours of the morning when they finally came out of the bar. Xandria and Kathryn both drank, but they didn¡¯t drink too much. They were somewhat sober when they each called for a designated driver. While they were waiting for the drivers to take their bookings, they stood outside the bar and chatted. There were pubs everywhere around the bar they were located. As many people came out of the pubs at this time, there were also many of them who needed a designated driver. They waited for more than ten minutes before the drivers epted their bookings. Suddenly, Kathryn¡¯s eyes fixed in a direction as she pointed into the distance. ¡°Is that¡­ That guy?¡± Her brain couldn¡¯t work well because of the alcohol she had. Xandria looked in the direction she pointed, only to see Christophere out of a bar with several men. A woman in a short ck skirt with a vest was holding his arm intimately, and Christopher didn¡¯t seem to have the intention to avoid her. He continued to talk to the men around him. Xandria frowned and rushed forward immediately. Seeing this, Kathryn quickly grabbed her and gasped. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Xandria wanted to pull away from Kathryn¡¯s grip. ¡°It is Yuliana¡¯s birthday today. I¡¯m going to ask him what the hell he is doing by not going home early to celebrate her birthday. He is here hanging out with these people in a bar!¡± ¡°Wake up!¡± Kathryn patted her on the face. ¡°Are you sure you have the courage to go to him? I¡¯m worried that you will be at a loss for words when you stand before him!¡± Hearing this, Xandria promptly returned to her senses and nced at Christopher again. Christopher seemed to have noticed her and Kathryn. He looked at them, smiling, but his eyes were ice-cold. In an instant, Xandria felt a chill on her back. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 She stared at Christopher with a darkened expression and wanted to rush over to p him, but her feet felt like they were buried under the ground, as she couldn¡¯t move an inch. In the end, she could only watch Christopher and the woman next to him get into the same car and drive away. Xandria could not return to her senses for a long time and could not even believe what she saw. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. She wondered, ¡°Christopher¡­ Why would he do that? He and Yuliana were still a loving couple thest time I saw them. What happened to them? Is this only a misunderstanding?¡± Kathryn noticed Xandria was taken aback, so she patted her shoulder andforted her, saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing to make a fuss about. Men are all the same.¡± Xandria was still confused. ¡°But then, he was so good to Yuliana before this. Are we mistaken about something here?¡± Kathryn sneered, ¡°Mistaken? How do you exin that scene we saw in the car then?¡± Earlier, when Christopher and the woman got in the car, a man who came out with him seemed to have something to tell Christopher. He walked over and knocked on the backseat window. When Christopher rolled down the window, they saw the woman leaning in his arms. Moreover, when the woman took Christopher¡¯s arm, they saw her almost sticking her chest on his arm. Xandria felt the alcohol she drank earlier had started reacting within her. Her chest felt stuffy, and she wanted to throw up. She squatted and pressed her chest. After a long silence, she suddenly asked, ¡°Should I tell Yuliana about this?¡± Kathryn frowned a little. She pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s smart. I believe she knows everything already.¡± ¡°She knows?¡± Xandria looked up at Kathryn. Kathryn met her gaze but said nothing. In fact, Kathryn was not too sure about that either. However, judging from Yuliana¡¯s reaction in the afternoon, she believed something must have happened between Yuliana and Christopher. Then, after they saw Christopher with another woman, Kathryn was more certain about that guess. Kathryn¡¯s designated driver arrived first, but she waited for Xandria¡¯s designated driver to arrive. She didn¡¯t get in her car until she saw Xandria get in and leave. On her way back, Xandria felt rather dejected. After thinking for a while, she picked up bar. her phone and texted Yuliana, telling Yuliana everything she saw in the At that time, Yuliana had already gone to sleep, so she only saw Xandria¡¯s text the next morning. Christopher did note homest night. When she saw Christopher again, it was two dayster when Winnie was sent to the hospital for her critical condition. Yuliana was at home when that happened. The caregiver was the first to find Winnie unconscious. After Yuliana was notified, she immediately called an ambnce and sent Winnie to the hospital. La was at Romdale, and Joyce was also recently very busy, so Christopher was the first to arrive at the hospital. When he arrived, the medical staff was carrying out emergency treatment for Winnie in the emergency room. Yuliana and the caregiver sat on the bench outside the emergency room. Upon hearing the rapid footsteps, Yuliana subconsciously looked up and saw Christopher rushing in while panting heavily. He looked at the light that was turned on above the emergency room before shifting his gaze to Yuliana. Their gazes met for a moment. Christopher loosened his tie and asked, ¡°How is she?¡± Yuliana withdrew her gaze and ignored his question. The caregiver felt a little awkward. After taking in Yuliana¡¯s expressionless face and Christopher staring at Yuliana, the caregiver hesitated for a couple of seconds before telling him Winnie¡¯s current situation. Christopher was aware of Winnie¡¯s condition. The doctors and caregivers at home would report that to him, and he would always spend some time in Winnie¡¯s room if he went back home, so he knew her health was deteriorating. Isaac also hinted to Christopher before that Winnie did not have much time left. After hearing what the caregiver told him, Christopher remained silent and walked to the wall, leaning against it. The caregiver was trapped between them, feeling uneasy all over. She gulped and forced a smile at Yuliana. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Yuliana nodded. The caregiver got up and headed to the restroom. After she walked away, Yuliana and Christopher were left alone outside the emergency room. One sat on the bench, and the other leaned against the wall across from her. A small corridor kept them apart. One looked at themp above the emergency room, whereas the other lowered her gaze. Both of them kept silent. No one could tell what they were thinking. Not too long after Christopher arrived at the hospital, Joyce also joined them. Joyce was anxious and worried when she arrived at the hospital. Right after seeing them, she immediately asked them about Winnie¡¯s condition. Then, the three waited outside together. The atmosphere between them was a little awkward. Yuliana knew things between Christopher and Joyce had been tensetely. The two did not talk much, despite Winnie¡¯s critical condition. Instead, they seemed more at ease talking to Yuliana. More than an hourter, Winnie was finally rescued, but her condition was not too good. The hospital had to admit her to the ICU. Yuliana did not stay too long in the hospital. She booked a taxi to return to the Sce residence when the sky turned darker. During the few hours Yuliana spent at the hospital, Hailey had called her several times, telling her that Rowan had been crying after he learned Winnie was sent to the hospital. Rowan refused to drink milk or sleep, and Hailey could not do anything to console his feelings. Yuliana had no choice but to go home. Joyce and the caregiver stayed at the hospital to watch after Winnie. Stepping out of the hospital, Yuliana was waiting for the car to arrive when she suddenly heard an ear- piercing car honk. She looked up and saw a ck Mercedes-Benz pull over in front of her. The backseat window was rolled down. The man sitting in the backseat tilted his head and looked at her, saying, ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± Yuliana met his gaze for a couple of seconds and stepped forward, opening the door and getting inside the car. After getting in the car, she took out her phone and canceled the taxi booking. Inside the car, it was still the usual silence between them. No one knew when it started, but sadly, the two no longer had anything to say to each other. Yuliana turned to look at the scenery out of the window. Suddenly, the car baffle in front of them was lifted. She was slightly startled and subconsciously turned ¡± around to look at the man next to her. He was also staring at her. When their gazes met, he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have questions for me?¡± Yuliana was a little confused at first. When she realized what he was implying, her eyshes fluttered a little, and she looked away. Then, she looked at the baffle in front of her and pursed her lips, saying. ¡°On my birthday night, Xani told me she saw you and another woman leaving a bar together and looking rather intimate.¡± She surely had questions for him. From the day she saw the lipstick mark on his shirt, she already wanted to ask him about that. However, Yuliana sometimes would act like an ostrich that refused to face the ugly reality, or maybe she had yet to figure out what had happened between her and Christopher, so she could not decide what to do with the information she received. She wondered if she could act decisive enough and break up with Christopher if he really cheated on her. She dared not ask him the question because she was afraid she could not bear hearing the answer and out of fear that she could not act decisive enough. Christopher held his temple and looked out of the window. A long momentter, he hummed in response and said, ¡°I was with her that night.¡± Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Yuliana clenched her fists and turned her head to gaze out of the window. There was a moment of bewilderment in her eyes. The car¡¯s interior was extremely quiet as if it was isted from the outside world. Yuliana appeared to have returned to her senses after a while and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Her voice was very calm, neither sad nor angry as if she only wanted an answer. The change between her and Christopher was very sudden. Things had been fine before this, but after Rowan came back, things suddenly changed. She didn¡¯t notice it at first. Perhaps at that time, all her thoughts were on Rowan, who was lost and found. When she realized it, the rtionship between the two seemed to have reached the point of no return. Christopher¡¯s expression remained calm, and his tone remained the same; he lifted his lips and uttered two simple words, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Yuliana felt a twinge of irony. ¡°What kind of response is this?¡± she wondered. She was also aware that he had been extremely tired since Kendrick¡¯s ident. There were a lot of things in his family as well-Zachary, Winnie, and Rowan, who had been in another ident. His rtionship with Joyce had recently be strained as well. Yuliana frowned slightly. She shifted her gaze to Christopher¡¯s side profile. His nose bridge was superb. Outside the window, the streetmps shone in, and the flickering light and shadow on his face made him appear even more superior. She moved her lips as if she was about to say something. In the end, she swallowed her words and asked instead, ¡°Is there any rtionship between the two?¡± Christopher¡¯s fingers that were supporting his temples shifted slightly, and his fingertips lightly touched the tip of his eyebrows. ¡°Of course, it has something to do with it.¡± He turned his head and looked at her. ¡°Because it¡¯s you who makes me feel tired.¡± When Yuliana heard this, her face became dazed. She was speechless for a moment as she stared nkly at Christopher. Christopher continued, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because the honeymoon phase has passed, and I can¡¯t find the original feeling I had with you now, or perhaps I have too many things to deal with now, and I don¡¯t have no other intentions to deal with. you.¡± After a brief pause, he continued, ¡°When Ie home every day and see you, I get very tired, and I want to escape.¡± Yuliana¡¯s face was a little pale. She pinched the palm of her hand harder, and the pain made her jumbled mind clearer. Many thoughts raced through her mind in an instant, and she came up with a slew of excuses. But in the end, she only felt that her behavior was ridiculous. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you had such thoughts,¡± Yuliana remarked sarcastically, with a smile on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t have these thoughts at first.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice was cold with a hint of irony. ¡°I had these thoughts when Roe was kidnapped. I needed to deal with thepany¡¯s mess, find Roe as soon as possible, and use the remaining energy to worry about you. Ana, I am just a human being. I¡¯ll also be tired and irritated. But did you even bother to show me some consideration during that time?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips without saying anything, but her heart suddenly throbbed. ¡°You are not the only one who was concerned about our son¡¯s disappearance.¡± Christopher cast a sidelong nce at her and averted his gaze. ¡°However, you didn¡¯t consider my feelings from my perspective. Instead, you were resentful of me.¡± Yuliana had nothing to say because what Christopher said was the truth. Such a reason sounded reasonable, but her heart was filled with an indescribable sense of confusion. Yuliana wondered out loud, ¡°Is it because of this?¡± The corner of Christopher¡¯s mouth twitched mockingly. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the change in my emotions and environment. I used to be able to do whatever I wanted to do without any worries because I only needed to be responsible for you and Roe, but that¡¯s no longer the case. I have to hold up the Sce family. I don¡¯t want us to get to the point where we hate each other, Ana. I hope we can preserve something nice between us, and I don¡¯t want our son to go through things he doesn¡¯t have to because of our rtionship.¡± Yuliana was stunned for two more seconds after hearing this. She looked at him, slightly surprised, pursed her lips, and murmured, ¡°You mean¡­ You want to divorce me?¡± Christopher returned his gaze to the window and said, in an unusually uninterested tone, ¡°I simply believe we should cut our losses now. Divorce might be the best option for us right now. Of course, we can continue our rtionship if you can ept where we are right now.¡± ¡°Our rtionship right now?¡± Yuliana smiled faintly.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Her chest felt tight again. Her eyes were sore, and ayer of mist had formed. She quickly averted her gaze and struggled to keep her tears at bay. After a while, she said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it before I respond.¡± Christopher replied indifferently, ¡°Sure.¡± No one spoke again after that. They went upstairs tacitly when they got home. Yuliana returned to her room to change her clothes, while Christopher went to the study. Hailey carried Rowan over. The little boy sobbed until his eyes swelled and his voice became hoarse. He stretched out his chubby arms and asked Yuliana to hold him when he saw her. Yuliana had just returned from the hospital and was afraid of spreading germs by reaching out to hold Rowan. She said softly to Rowan, ¡°Mom has bacteria on her hands, so she needs to wash her hands first, and then she¡¯lle and hug Roe.¡± Rowan seemed to understand her. Although he still pouted, he held back his tears and did not cry out. Yuliana entered the bathroom, squeezed out the hand sanitizer, and rubbed her hands twice. Her hands were covered in tiny foams. Her thoughts drifted away as she stared at the foams. She recalled something Christopher said on the way back. Her chest felt like it was being pressed by a boulder, and it was stuffy and heavy, making her feel suffocated once more. Rowan¡¯s cries snapped Yuliana out of her thoughts. She quickly rinsed the foam from her hands and patted them dry with a towel. Then, she saw Christopher enter the room and take Rowan from Hailey. Perhaps it was because they were rted by blood. Even though Christopher didn¡¯t spend much time with Rowan, at least not as much as the previous maternity matron, Kylie, nobody knew why other people couldn¡¯t coax Rowan, but as long as he was in Christopher¡¯s arms, he would calm down. Just like right now-when he was in Christopher¡¯s arms, he would calm down and lean against Christopher¡¯s chest, his small body still sobbing. Yuliana walked over and said softly, ¡°Give him to me.¡± Christopher looked down at her and handed the little guy in his arms to Yuliana. There was no othermunication between them. Yuliana took Rowan to the couch and sat down. Then, she took a toy and teased the little guy. Christopher stood and watched for a while before he turned to the walk-in wardrobe. About ten minutester, Christopher came out of the walk-in wardrobe with a suitcase and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be living in Oceanview Apartment for a while. After you think it over, contact me.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t look up at him, but she responded lightly and went back to ying with Rowan. Rowan grabbed the hair on Yuliana¡¯s shoulder and chuckled. Christopher paused for a moment and left the Sce residence with his suitcase. Joyce came back from the hospital in the early morning. When she entered, she saw Yuliana waiting at the door. Joyce asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t slept yet?¡± Yuliana hummed lightly. ¡°How¡¯s Mrs. Sce?¡± Chapter 299 Chapter 299 That evening. Yuliana and Joyce found out through the phone that Winnie had woken up. Joyce, who was busy at that time, hung up after saying a few words. She had no idea what exactly had transpired. Joyce said, ¡°She was only awake for a few minutes and was quite confused. She could barely recognize me. When I spoke to her, she couldn¡¯t hear me properly.¡± Her voice sounded sad, helpless, and a bit tired. Yuliana knew that Christopher wasn¡¯t the only one exhausted these days. Joyce, too, was tired. She had lost her husband and had to deal with things both at home and outside. Still, she had never said anything to others and carried it all silently. Winnie¡¯s current situation was not optimistic. Although she was resuscitated that day, she would notst long. The doctor had already sent a critical notice and informed them to be psychologically prepared because it was only a matter of time. Yuliana felt a little ufortable when she remembered how she had been getting along with Winnie these days. The two of them fell into silence as neither of them spoke. After a while, Yuliana called out, ¡°Joyce.¡± Joyce turned to look at Yuliana and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Pursing her lips, Yuliana said, ¡°Did something happen between you and Christopher?¡± Joyce raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°The two of you have been acting strangetely,¡± Yuliana replied honestly. Their behavior was unusual. Christopher and Joyce had always had a good rtionship. Christopher respected Joyce very much, and Joyce loved Christopher like her own brother. However, their rtionship had been quite tense as ofte. Joyce lowered her eyes. The expression on her face did not matter. She replied, ¡°Things have been tense, but it¡¯s also because of the change in status. He¡¯s now the Acting Chairman of Sce Corporation and responsible for many of thepany¡¯s major decisions. Obviously, I have to supervise them, but they¡¯re all official business, and it doesn¡¯t affect our private rtionship.¡± Yuliana found it hard to believe Joyce¡¯s words. She looked at Joyce¡¯s reaction and asked, ¡°Is that all?¡± Joyce smiled. ¡°What else? Did you think something unpleasant has happened between Chris and me?¡± Yuliana could not speak. She still felt doubtful in her heart, and she felt that something was definitely off. But even if there had been something wrong, it wasn¡¯t her ce to worry about it. Yuliana fell silent again. She looked up at the night sky in the distance. The weather had been excellent that day. A crescent moon hung in the sky, apanied by scattered stars. The moonlight shone down on them, enveloping them in peace. After sorting out her emotions, Joyce felt a little strange and looked at Yuliana again. Thetter was staring into the distance with a slight frown. Joyce had no idea what was on her mind. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Joyce asked. Looking away, Yuliana was silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°Christopher has asked me for a divorce.¡± The calm expression on Joyce¡¯s face shattered. ¡°Divorce?¡± Yuliana replied with a single word. Joyce came back to her senses after a few seconds. ¡°But why?¡± Upon hearing that, Yuliana recalled how she had asked Christopher the same thing on the way back. She smiled faintly. ¡°He said that he was tired.¡± Joyce stared at Yuliana quietly for a moment before asking, ¡°What about you? What are your thoughts on that matter? Do you wish to divorce him?¡± Yulianaughed. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who gets to make that decision.¡± If it had been the same as before, she would obviously choose not to divorce. But as things had alreadye to that point, the decision was no longer in her hands. ¡°Christopher, do you want to divorce?¡± she thought. Joyce was dumbfounded. The expression on her face suddenly turned cold and solemn, and she could not help but grip the handbag in her hand tightly. The two of them stood downstairs for some time before heading upstairs to their respective rooms. The next morning, Yuliana visited the hospital again. When she arrived, Annabelle was also there. Thetter sat by the bed in a sterile suit while chatting with Winnie. However, Winnie was unconscious. Annabelle had no idea if the former could even hear her words. Despite not having seen each other for some time, Yuliana and Annabelle were quite calm when they met. Annabelle sat there for a while longer before leaving. Just as she was leaving, she happened to meet Christopher. Christopher had just received a call from the doctor, saying that there were some matters that needed to be discussed. He just exited the hospital office and was about to go back to thepany when he saw Yuliana and Annabelleing out. of the ICU. Christopher swept his eyes over Yuliana before theynded on Annabelle and stopped. Yuliana and Annabelle also saw Christophering toward them. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± Christopher asked. Annabelle was surprised when she met Christopher¡¯s eyes. She turned to look at Yuliana and found thetter staring into the distance calmly. Only then did she be certain that Christopher was speaking to her. Annabelle replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for some. I was just leaving.¡± She had heard about Winnie¡¯s illness, but due to the strained rtionship between Christopher and Yuliana, she thought that she should avoid them. Hence, she had not gone to the Sce residence to visit Winnie. It wasn¡¯t until the night before that she found out from Gemma that Winnie had been sent to the hospital and that thetter¡¯s illness was quite serious. Annabelle had gotten the details from Joyce and rushed to the hospital early in the morning. Christopher said, ¡°Wait for a moment. I¡¯ll see you off after I check in on her.¡± Annabelle, who had intended to refuse, felt a touch of confusion sweeping across her face as she nced at Yuliana. She nodded instead. ¡°Okay.¡± Christopher came out after a few minutes. Aftering out, he nced at Yuliana and asked, ¡°Did the driver send you here?¡± Yuliana hummed lightly. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving first. I¡¯ll ask the driver to drive you hometer.¡± Yuliana stared at him without replying. Without further ado, Christopher turned to Annabelle and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After saying that, he strode toward the direction of the elevator without waiting for Annabelle to react. Thetter threw onest nce at Yuliana before rushing to catch up. Yuliana watched their retreating figures disappear before sitting down in the chair by the wall. When Christopher turned up at the elevator, the elevator had just arrived. He went straight in without waiting for Annabelle. Just as the people in the elevator were about to close the door, Annabelle hurriedly squeezed in. Then, she red at Christopher. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Soon, the elevator arrived on the first floor. The two of them exited the elevator, and Christopher immediately marched away. Annabelle struggled to follow him. She couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Christopher, stop!¡± Christopher refused to stop. Annabelle trotted behind Christopher for a few paces before finally grabbing hold of him. Only then was he forced to stop. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Annabelle questioned. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Christopher lowered his eyelids and looked at her nkly. A touch of impatience shed through his eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. His thin lips moved, and his voice was cold, ¡°Do you want to leave?¡± Annabelle frowned and stared at his face for a while, trying to see some clues from his expression. If it weren¡¯t for her disbelief in ghosts and gods, for a moment, she would have almost doubted that someone else was in the body of the man in front of her. She calmed down and let go of Christopher¡¯s hand, but her eyes didn¡¯t move from his face. She tried to ask, ¡°Did you say that on purpose?¡± Christopher looked in another direction, but there was still no expression on his face. He didn¡¯t answer her question. Although he didn¡¯t answer, Annabelle already had an answer in her mind. Ever since he married Yuliana, he had been trying to avoid Annabelle. If there was nothing else important, Christopher would hardly contact Annabelle. Hence, there was no way he would say those words in front of Yuliana. Christopher still didn¡¯t answer Annabelle. After a moment of silence, he strode in the direction of the parking lot. Annabelle stood there for a while before she hurriedly followed him. After getting in the car, Annabelle fastened her seat belt. She nced at the expression on Christopher¡¯s face again and pondered for a few seconds before she gloated. She tried to ask, ¡°Did you quarrel with Yuliana?¡± Christopher started the car and ignored her. Annabelle was a little angry earlier when Christopher used her. However, considering the reason behind it, she stopped being angry and was even a little happy. She didn¡¯t mind if Christopher was ignoring her. While answering the message with her phone, she said to Christopher cheerfully, ¡°I thought you two had a good rtionship. It turned out that you two would still quarrel. Tell me. What¡¯s going on?¡± After replying to the message on her phone, Annabelle looked at Christopher curiously. Christopher side-eyed her and said sarcastically, ¡°Annabelle, I didn¡¯t know were so gossipy.¡± you Annabelle raised her eyebrows and propped her hand against her cheeks while looking ahead. She sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t very gossipy originally. But considering our rtionship, I¡¯m just caring about you.¡± Christopher sneered, apparently not believing what Annabelle had just said. Seeing that Christopher was still not going to talk to her, Annabelle didn¡¯t continue this question. After two minutes of silence, she turned around and stared at Christopher for a while. It wasn¡¯t her illusion. Christopher was indeed different from before. In the past, Christopher¡¯s emotions were easy to sense. Yet, now he was like a deep well that one couldn¡¯t see the bottom of it. She couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking at all. But she could understand it somehow. So many things had happened in the Sce family recently. There were things happening to Zachary, Winnie, and Kendrick simultaneously. Annabelle could also guess Sce Corporation¡¯s situation. She was afraid that Christopher¡¯s two uncles were not easy to deal with. It was not that easy for Christopher to be in his position as well. Besides, there were many unpleasant rumors circting outside. It was said that Kendrick¡¯s ident was schemed by Christopher just topete for the family business. One would surely grow up in the face of major changes, and Christopher was no exception. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After passing the intersection ahead, Annabelle was suddenly stunned, and she said abruptly, ¡°Stop the car.¡± Christopher nced at her and followed her gaze. Then, he saw a young man in a white T-shirt and sweatpants standing on the roadside, with a waist bag on his body and a phone in his hand. He seemed to be sending a message with the phone in his hand. Then Annabelle¡¯s phone rang. She took out her phone and nced at it with a mischievous smile. She didn¡¯t reply after reading the message. She seemed to have noticed something and looked up at Christopher. Looking into Christopher¡¯s eyes, she pursed her lower lips and didn¡¯t think of exining the situation at all. She merely said, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re just using me. I don¡¯t need you to send me back home. Just stop here.¡± Christopher stopped the car on the side of the road and stared at the young man again before asking, ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Does it have anything to do with you?¡± Annabelle unfastened her seat belt and didn¡¯t n to answer Christopher¡¯s question. But when she thought of something else, she frowned and said, ¡°If anything happens to Aunt Winnie, please let me know.¡± She had two mothers. One was her biological mother, and one was her stepmother. However, she didn¡¯t get maternal love from both mothers. Instead, she got resentment. But Winnie, who had nothing to do with Annabelle originally, made thetter feel that kind of mother¡¯s love. Winnie was kind to Annabelle at first just because thetter was the daughter of Christopher¡¯s savior. Also, Winnie was only feeling pity for Annabelle because of what happened to thetter. But even so, Annabelle still appreciated Winnie. Christopher responded faintly, ¡°Okay.¡± Annabelle said nothing else. She pushed open the door and got out of the car, then went straight to the young man. Seeing her appear suddenly, the young man showed a smile of joy on his face. Christopher watched for two seconds and drove away. Annabelle didn¡¯t expect to meet Jeremy Yates here coincidentally. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jeremy was obviously more surprised than Annabelle. After asking, he subconsciously nced at the car that she got off from. It was a gray sports car, which he knew cost at least seven digits. Also, from the window, he could also see the blurred figure in the car. Obviously, it was a man. Annabelle said, ¡°There is an elder in the hospital. I¡¯m here to visit them.¡± Jeremy immediately asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Is it serious?¡± are Annabelle looked at the nervous expression on his face and didn¡¯t answer his question. She asked, ¡°What about you? Why you here? Didn¡¯t you start school already? Don¡¯t you have sses today?¡± Jeremy was in his third year of university. He had just been 20 years old for a few months. Some time ago, she went back to her alma mater and asked her teacher to deal with something, and that was when she met Jeremy. Jeremy was also that teacher¡¯s student, so he could be considered her junior in the same ss. At that time, Annabelle made an appointment with the teacher. But when she arrived at the school, the teacher had already left the school as the teacher had something else to deal with. She only handed over the things the teacher needed to Jeremy before leaving and asked Jeremy to hand them over to the teacher. When Annabelle saw Jeremy for the first time, Annabelle felt he was quite good-looking and teased him, as she had nothing else to do. She didn¡¯t expect there would be such a pure and innocent man nowadays. His face turned red after a few words she said to tease him, which made her a little embarrassed. That day, Jeremy took her to have a meal outside her alma mater. After that, they added each other on WhatsApp. Although Annabelle liked to y around, she also knew how to maintain boundaries. She knew Jeremy was different from many men, so she didn¡¯t n to mess with him too much. She didn¡¯t talk to Jeremy after adding him on WhatsApp. However, Jeremy sent a message to her asking about some professional knowledge in their major. It was impossible for Annabelle not to see through the young man¡¯s intention. Maybe she was too bored, or maybe she wanted to leap out of her old life circle and start a new life. She even chatted with Jeremy asionally, and this feeling seemed to be not too bad. A man in his twenties, who hadn¡¯t entered society yet, had a very simple mind. When he liked someone very much, he was full of enthusiasm and wholeheartedness, with no utilitarian benefits. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Jeremy smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m here for an interview. I¡¯m going to find a part-time job.¡± Annabelle asked, ¡°Are you short of money?¡± She looked at Jeremy¡¯s clothes. Although they were all sports and leisure styles, they were all mid-to- high-end brands. In theory, he should not be short of money. Jeremy shook his head and said embarrassedly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m short of money. A part-time job can help me adapt to society as soon as possible. I can also increase my experience and make some money while I¡¯m at it. Since I¡¯m already in my third year, there aren¡¯t many courses to attend, anyway.¡± If they were someone else, Annabelle might feel that they were somewhat pretentious. Yet, Annabelle felt Jeremy was sincere. She asked, ¡°Have you had your meal yet?¡± Jeremy shook his head and said, ¡°Have you had your meal yet? If you haven¡¯t, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal. Is that fine?¡± Annabelle chuckled. ¡°Sure!¡± Another week had passed. Christopher hadn¡¯t returned to the Sce residence this week, and Yuliana hadn¡¯t contacted him as well. They had seen each other several times in the hospital. But even if they met, they didn¡¯t interact with each other. Winnie¡¯s condition was already terrible. At first, she was awake for a few minutes every day. Butter, even with her eyes open, she was still in a daze. She didn¡¯t know anything and couldn¡¯t eat anything every day. She lived by getting nutrients through IV drips. After a few days, she was already skinny and had only ayer of skin left. La rushed back from Romdale and put all her work away temporarily. La stayed with Winnie every day in the hospital. Even if there was something important to deal with, La would either settle it online or leave it to someone she trusted. Yuliana still went to the hospital every day, but she hadn¡¯t stayed for a long time. La noticed that there was something wrong between Christopher and Yuliana, but La¡¯s mind was too upied to ask about it. La already felt terrible when she saw Winnie lying on the bed every day and being in an unconscious state. Later, La even felt that it was better for Winnie to suffer less without hesitation rather than barely surviving in such an undignified state. After barely holding on for half a month in the hospital, Winnie still passed away. Just a few minutes after Winnie¡¯s death, a phone call came from the Sce residence, saying that Zachary had also passed away. The time in between their passing was only two minutes apart from each other. It was as if they had made an arrangement to do so. When La heard the news, she couldn¡¯t help but cry in public, even if she was a strong woman who was incredible in the workce. Meanwhile, Christopher was quiet and said nothing at all. Yuliana¡¯s heart was empty. Suddenly, the two elders passed away together. She was still in a trance, but suddenly she remembered a saying. When one¡¯s parents were still alive, one would still have a ce to call home. However, when one¡¯s parents passed away, one would lose the ce they call home. Although Zachary and Winnie were not high-profile people, they were still the head and the matriarch of the Sce family. Their sessive deaths made a sensation in the circle. In addition to the family, there were also many friends in the circle who gave their condolences to them. Winnie said before she died that she wanted to be buried with Zachary after death. As Winnie and Zachary¡¯s children, they naturally respected Winnie¡¯sst wish and buried the ashes of Winnie and Zachary together. It was already the end of September when the funeral was over, and Juxshire was getting a little cold. The huge Sce residence was bing quieter. Christopher had been living in the Sce residence throughout these few days. However, he had only been sleeping in the guest room. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. He didn¡¯t go out today. When he was having breakfast, Yuliana noticed he looked bad and had been coughing a little. Yuliana took Rowan for a walk in the yard. It was a bit cold, so Hailey brought a coat for Rowan. Yuliana put the coat on Rowan. Then she looked up in a certain direction and asked, ¡°Hailey, is Christopher in the study room?¡± Hailey nodded, ¡°Yes. Just now, I went upstairs to bring Mr. Christopher Sce coffee. I saw him coughing nonstop. He didn¡¯t have a good rest because he was handling the funerals of Mr. Zachary Sce and Mrs. Sce recently. Besides, the temperature has dropped these days. He must be sick. Yuliana, you should get some medicine for Mr. Christopher Sce.¡± Hailey stared at Yuliana while saying thest sentence. It wasn¡¯t a secret in the Sce residence that Yuliana and Christopher were sleeping in separate rooms. Naturally, Hailey knew something was wrong with the couple. But she thought it was merely a quarrel between the couple and was not a big deal. So she asked Yuliana to send medicine to Christopher to ease their rtionship. Rowan was not used to putting on the coat. He struggled in Yuliana¡¯s arms and grabbed her hair with his hand. Yuliana felt a little pain when her hair was pulled. She lowered her eyes and smiled gently at Rowan. She pulled her hair out of his hand and said, ¡°You can¡¯t pull my hair because it will hurt. Okay?¡± Rowan seemed to know what Yuliana was talking about. He tried to pull Yuliana¡¯s hair again as if he was trying to go against her. ¡°What a bad boy.¡± Yuliana scolded Rowan dotingly, but she only smiled and didn¡¯t continue to stop his action. She lowered her eyes and smiled gently. After a while, she replied faintly, ¡°Okay.¡± Hailey was stunned for a moment before she realized Yuliana was replying to her. Yuliana yed in the yard with Rowan for half an hour before she handed Rowan to Hailey. Then, Yuliana went to get some cough medicine and brought a ss of water upstairs. At the door of the study room, she didn¡¯t go in immediately and knocked on the door first. After hearing the man coughing inside and answering her knocks in a deep voice, she opened the door and went in. Christopher¡¯s eyes were fixed on theputer, and he did not look at the door. Yuliana walked up to him and put the medicine and water in front of him. Then he nced sideways and looked up at Yuliana. Yuliana looked at him and said, ¡°Hailey said you were coughing. I brought some medicine.¡± Looking at each other for two seconds, Christopher took the medicine and swallowed it. Then he took a sip of water. After taking the medicine, Christopher continued to stare at theputer screen and tapped on the keyboard with his fingers quickly from time to time. After a while, seeing that Yuliana was still standing there, he stopped and looked at her again. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Yuliana lowered her eyes and smiled, then said, ¡°I¡¯ve considered everything you saidst time. I agree to divorce.¡± Hearing this, Christopher¡¯s hand on the mouse tightened subconsciously, and he looked stunned for a moment. But soon, he became rxed again. ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, he looked out of the window and was silent for a while. Then, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m a little busy these days. Let thewyer prepare the divorce agreement for you first. After I¡¯m done with work these days, we¡¯ll find some time to go to the City Hall to handle the formalities.¡± Yuliana agreed and replied, ¡°I¡¯m nning to take Roe and leave the Sce residence tomorrow.¡± The muscles on Christopher¡¯s cheek twitched twice. He leaned back against the back of the chair. ¡°Oceanview Apartment is under my name. ording to the prenuptial agreement, I¡¯ll leave the marriage with nothing. That house deserves to belong to you. You should bring Roe along and stay there.¡± Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Yuliana didn¡¯t act melodramatically to refuse Christopher¡¯s offer just because of her self-esteem. After all, she and Rowan really needed a suitable ce to live. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied softly. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll stop disturbing you. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t look at her or speak. Yuliana was silent for two seconds and left the study room. Silence ensued in the study room. It was a cloudy day with gray skies. Christopher sat quietly for a while. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the medicine, but he actually felt a little sleepy. Since Kendrick¡¯s ident, he hadn¡¯t slept well for a day. It was not that he didn¡¯t want to sleep, but he couldn¡¯t sleep at all. At most, he slept for four or five hours every night. He was tense during the day and didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. He closed his eyes and took a rest. Before he knew it, his consciousness blurred. Christopher had a dream. In the dream, he returned to Maple Garden. At that time, he and Yuliana were not married yet. Yuliana hated him quite a lot. She was cold and distant, and she never had a happy expression whenever she saw him. It was really annoying. But the more she acted that way, the more he couldn¡¯t help but want to annoy her on purpose. At least, he was no longer just a cloud of air that she could simply ignore. In the dream, Christopher was like a bystander. Watching him and Yuliana quarreling and messing around back then, he actually wanted to immerse himself in it and didn¡¯t want to wake up. After Yuliana left the study room, she went back to her room. She was going to sort out her luggage and dispose of what she didn¡¯t need. But when she walked around the room, she found that there was not much she could pack except for Rowan¡¯s items. She used to live in Oceanview Apartment with Christopher and only asionally went back to the Sce residence for one night. After Kendrick had an ident, she discussed with Christopher about staying in the Sce residence so that she could look after and spend time with Winnie as well. She didn¡¯t bring too much luggage, and what she needed was purchased separately. Yuliana took her suitcase and packed her belongings first. Hailey noticed Yuliana hadn¡¯t gone downstairs for a long time, and Rowan began to cry again. Hence, Hailey carried Rowan to look for Yuliana. Unexpectedly, when Hailey entered the door, she saw Yuliana coming in and out and putting clothes in the suitcase. Hailey was stunned for a moment and asked, ¡°Yuliana, are you moving out with Mr. Sce?¡± After seeing his mother, Rowan babbled while stretching his body toward Yuliana, asking her to hold him. Yuliana got up and took the child from Hailey¡¯s hand, then gently stroked his back tofort him. The little child immediately calmed down. Yuliana replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to stay at Oceanview Apartment with Roe.¡± Hailey was stunned again and didn¡¯t understand what Yuliana meant. Yuliana didn¡¯t exin too much. She added, ¡°Hailey, please help me get two more cartons to hold the toys that Roe likes.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Hailey came back to her senses and answered, ¡°Okay.¡± Then she went downstairs to get Yuliana the cartons. But when Hailey went downstairs, she felt that something was wrong. After hesitating for a while, she called Joyce. ¡°Mrs. Sce, I¡¯m Hailey.¡± At this moment, Joyce was sitting in the office and staring at the man sitting on the couch. She asked Hailey, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hailey said, ¡°Yuliana wants to move back to Oceanview Apartment with Roe.¡± Yuliana told Joyce that Christopher was going to divorce Yuliana. Hearing Hailey¡¯s words, Joyce reacted like this. She frowned and kept silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Got it. I have something else to deal with. I¡¯ll talk to Yulianater.¡± Hearing what Joyce said, Hailey felt a little relieved. Putting down the phone, Joyce leaned back against the chair and stared at the man opposite her for a few seconds. Then, she asked coldly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The person sitting on the couch was none other than Oliver. Oliver smiled and looked at Joyce. He didn¡¯t answer her question immediately. Just then, the office door was pushed open. Joyce¡¯s assistant brought in the coffee. When the assistant put the coffee in front of Oliver, she nced at the man¡¯s face. She thought he looked familiar as if she had seen him somewhere. ¡°Thank you,¡± Oliver said to the assistant. The assistant withdrew her thoughts. She smiled and turned around to leave the office. When she left the office, she suddenly remembered that the reason she felt familiar was that the guest looked a bit like Christopher, and his temperament was a bit like Kendrick¡¯s. Oliver picked up the cup and took a sip. The coffee was excellent. It was mild and mellow with some sweet aftertaste. It could be seen that it was an excellent coffee that was carefully selected. However, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°I remember you don¡¯t like drinking coffee.¡± Joyce didn¡¯t want to deal with him and said perfunctorily, ¡°I didn¡¯t like it before, but it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t like it now. People¡¯s preferences change.¡± She withdrew her gaze from Oliver and looked down at the documents in front of her. At the top was a document drafted by her subordinates regarding the materials needed to be procured. She needed to review and approve it. Other than that, there were also some other misceneous documents. However, she didn¡¯t know whether it was because of Hailey¡¯s phone call or because of Oliver. She couldn¡¯t focus on the purchase order in front of her at all. A trace of irritation appeared between Joyce¡¯s eyebrows. She looked up at Oliver again. Oliver had already put down the cup and was leaning against the back of the sofa with his legs crossed. His gaze was also fixed on her. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave.¡± Joyce¡¯s tone was a little unkind. Oliver didn¡¯t get angry. He even smiled and said slowly, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing, then I won¡¯te to Sce Corporation to see you.¡± Joyce paused and didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for Oliver¡¯s words. Oliver paused and continued, ¡°I came here to talk about business with you.¡± Joyce didn¡¯t answer immediately. She seemed to be contemting his words. After a while, she said, ¡°You should know that I¡¯m only in charge of Sce Corporation¡¯s Administrative Department, and you shouldn¡¯t talk to me about business.¡± Oliver raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, ¡°Although the top leader of Sce Corporation is your brother-inw, you are the one who is attending to the affairs behind the scenes, right? So why do I have to go around talking to the new Acting Chairman? Isn¡¯t it more direct and effective if I just discuss this with you?¡± Joyce said with a half-smile, ¡°You know quite a lot about Sce Corporation.¡± Then she asked seriously, ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡± ¡°I want to talk to you about investment,¡± Oliver said with a rxed smile. ¡°I heard that Sce Corporation is short of money recently, so I n to invest a sum of money to help Sce Corporation get through the difficulties.¡± Joyce¡¯s expression changed slightly. She looked at Oliver with deeper eyes. Everyone was working for the sake of benefits, so there was no way that Oliver would do such strenuous and unrewarding things. Sce Corporation was in a situation where industry insiders know more or less about it, even when they didn¡¯t talk about it clearly. It was impossible that Oliver would invest in Sce Corporation at this time. Besides, Sce Corporation had a huge shortage of funds at present. If it was only a small amount of money, it wouldn¡¯t be sufficient to solve the current predicament. But looking at Oliver¡¯s confident look, he must have known the situation of Sce Corporation clearly and obviously prepared for it beforeing over. In the afternoon, while Rowan was asleep, Yuliana packed all her belongings. She had already dealt with the items she didn¡¯t need or had to be dealt with. Only the items that needed to be used at night were still left outside. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Joyce came back early today. She reached home before nine o¡¯clock. She came to Alexzander¡¯s side and apanied him to do homework for a while. She asked him about his study before she went straight to Christopher and Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Yuliana¡¯s room. ¡°Roe has been growing fast recently. I haven¡¯t seen him for a while and almost fail to recognize him.¡± Joyce carried Rowan into her arms and weighed him. He had gotten much heavier and taller. Children at this stage grew up very fast. Yuliana smiled and said nothing. She knew that the reason Joyce came to visit her at this time was definitely not to see Rowan. As expected, Joyce yed with Rowan for a while, then turned to look at Yuliana and said, ¡°Hailey called me this morning and said you n to take Roe to live at Oceanview Apartment.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my n.¡± Joyce frowned and said hesitantly, ¡°You and Chris¡­¡± Yuliana pursed her lower lips and met Joyce¡¯s eyes. She said frankly, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through. I agree to divorce.¡± Joyce frowned a little deeper. ¡°Do you two need to get to this point? It¡¯s not easy for you and Christopher to get to this point. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a pity to give up? Besides, Roe is so young¡­¡± ¡°Is it a pity?¡± Yuliana thought to herself. Yuliana didn¡¯t know what to say. She only replied to Joyce, ¡°Even if we get divorced, Christopher is still his father. This will never change. I won¡¯t object if he wants to see and get along with the child.¡± Joyce realized that when Yuliana said that she had thought it through, it meant that she had made a decision, and it was impossible to change it. No one could persuade her. Joyce kept silent for a moment and asked, ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t go back to school to be a teacher anymore, not to mention that she now had a child. Judging from Christopher¡¯s temperament, Joyce knew he wouldn¡¯t mistreat Yuliana and Rowan after the divorce, but Yuliana couldn¡¯t be tied to Christopher for the rest of her life. She also needed a life of her own. Yuliana hadn¡¯t thought about her future direction yet. She shook her head and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s go step by step. Anyway, Roe is still young. I have time to think about it.¡± Joyce didn¡¯t say anything more. After staying for a while, she left. After getting out of Yuliana¡¯s room, she didn¡¯t go back to her room immediately but went to Kendrick¡¯s study room. Christopher was smoking in front of the window when she pushed the door open. Hearing the noise, he turned around and looked at the door. Seeing Joyce, he paused, pinched the cigarette, and greeted her. The smell of cigarettes was heavy in the study room. The ashtray was full of cigarette butts. Joyce walked to the window, opened it for venttion, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t smoke too much.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t respond. Joyce sat down on the couch and looked at the coffee in the coffee pot. She didn¡¯t know when the coffee was brewed, but she poured a cup and drank it. It was already cold. Christopher frowned slightly and reminded her, ¡°The coffee was made in the evening.¡± He was a little sleepy in the evening, so he made some coffee to refresh himself. But then he remembered he shouldn¡¯t drink coffee after taking medicine, so he just left the pot of coffee on the table. Sofia hadn¡¯t had time to clean it up. Joyce smiled faintly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± As Oliver said, she didn¡¯t like coffee in the past. But then, she married Kendrick, who loved coffee. In addition, coffee seemed to be a ssy drink for rich and powerful families. Hence, even if she still didn¡¯t enjoy coffee, she took the initiative to study it. She was a country girl before she became Kendrick¡¯s wife. She and Kendrick were from two different worlds. During the first one or two years of their marriage, she spent every day in terror. However, somewhere along the line, she started to adapt to Kendrick¡¯s lifestyle and developed habits that initially belonged to Kendrick only. Joyce returned to her senses and looked at Christopher. ¡°I saw Yuliana just now. She packed up her luggage and said she would move out tomorrow.¡± Christopher¡¯s thin eyelids drooped, and there was no emotion on his face as if he didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°Chris, you should know Yuliana¡¯s character very well,¡± Joyce said. ¡°If you regret it in the future, she won¡¯t give you any chance to make it back.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Christopher sneered and added, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the best arrangement for her to take Rowan away from the Sce family and me. Besides, I really don¡¯t have time and energy to take care of Roe and her now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what you think. Yuliana may not think so.¡± Joyce felt that men always acted like a know-it- all. Christopher didn¡¯t continue to argue with Joyce. He just said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Joyce. Take a rest early. I still have some things to deal with.¡± Joyce stared at Christopher for a while, sighed, and got up to leave before suddenly remembering something. She then turned to Christopher. ¡°The fish has bitten the bait.¡± The next morning, Christopher left the Sce residence. Joyce arranged a car to send Yuliana and Rowan back to Oceanview Apartment and asked Hailey to follow them there. Yuliana initially wanted to refuse. After all, Hailey was the housekeeper of the Sce family. Since Yuliana decided to divorce Christopher, she shouldn¡¯t order the housekeeper of the Sce family around anymore. However, Joyce insisted, ¡°Roe is still young. You can¡¯t take care of him alone. If you find someone else, you won¡¯t trust them. Besides, Roe doesn¡¯t like strangers. He won¡¯t adapt if you get him another caretaker.¡± For the sake of Rowan, Yuliana could only agree to it. After Winnie was discharged from the hospital, Yuliana took Rowan to live in the Sce residence. It had been nearly three months since she moved out from Oceanview Apartment. Although she didn¡¯t return to the apartment these months, the room was very clean. It seemed that someone had been stopping by and cleaning it regrly. Christopher¡¯s belongings were packed in advance and piled up in the corner of the living room, waiting to be taken away. Rowan seemed to be a little unustomed to the new environment. He had been very restless for two days since they moved back in. He cried hard at night and disturbed Yuliana¡¯s sleep. She was in poor spirits during the day. La knew about the news on the third day after Yuliana moved out of the Sce residence. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 She went to find Christopher first and wanted to know what was happening, but Christopher didn¡¯t say anything. So she went to Oceanview Apartment to find Yuliana. Yuliana told La the truth about her rtionship with Christopher. La sneered. ¡°Do you really believe this?¡± Yuliana blinked and looked at her. ¡°Does it matter if I believe it or not? La, there¡¯s no one so blind as those who will not see.¡± It was a fact that Christopher wanted to divorce her, regardless of the reason. As Christopher said, they were Rowan¡¯s parents. They had many good memories in the past, so there was no need to get sour in the end. Everything was fine this way. La was struck mute for a moment. She slowly blew out the turbid air in her chest and smiled coldly. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m old. I genuinely don¡¯t understand what you young people are thinking.¡± After moving back to Oceanview Apartment, Yuliana got back to a quiet life. With Hailey¡¯s help, she didn¡¯t need to worry about the chores inside and outside the house. She only needed to take care of Rowan, which was an easy task. She read books or watched movies during her free time. She even learned to cook with Hailey from time to time. Perhaps it was because there was nothing that bothered her mind at the moment, but she managed to learn to cook some decent dishes in just a few days. That evening, Yuliana made three dishes and one soup with Hailey¡¯s help. After eating, they took Rowan for a walk. Recently, Yuliana learned that there was a park near Oceanview Apartment. Many people came to the park to exercise and walk their dogs in the evening. These days, after having dinner with Hailey, they would take Rowan for a walk around the park and go back after eight o¡¯clock. It was past Independence Day, and the weather was just right. They made a detour in the park tonight. It was almost nine o¡¯clock when they reached home. After getting out of the elevator, Hailey pushed the stroller while Yuliana held Rowan in her arms. Rowan was probably tired and sleepy. He wasining on the way back, so Yuliana could only pick him. up. Hailey opened the door in front of her. She caught a glimpse of the bright light in the living room and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°I remember turning off the light when I went out.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana also looked inside and had a faint negative feeling. However, she didn¡¯t tell Hailey directly. Hailey went in to change her shoes, put the stroller in ce, and then took Rowan from Yuliana. When Yuliana was changing her shoes, Hailey carried Rowan into the living room. Then, Hailey¡¯s delighted voice sounded. ¡°Mr. Sce, when did youe here? Why didn¡¯t you call us?¡± Christopher was sitting on the couch and looking at Hailey. Then, he looked in the direction behind Hailey, stopped for a moment, and replied, ¡°I just arrived.¡± Actually, he had been here for about half an hour. He came here on the time when Yuliana came back, but he didn¡¯t expect her to reach home more than half an hourte today. Christopher got up and took Rowan from Hailey¡¯s arms. He asked Rowan gently, ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Hailey looked at the interaction between the father and the son with tears in her eyes. She thought Christopher would nevere to Oceanview Apartment again. Yuliana nced at Christopher. There wasn¡¯t any emotion on her face. Then, she went straight to the bedroom. Hailey nced at Yuliana and asked. ¡°Mr. Sce, have you had dinner? Do you want me to get you something to eat?¡± Christopher sat on the couch with Rowan in his arms and didn¡¯t look at Hailey. After a few seconds, he said casually, ¡°Just make something simple.¡± He had a dinner meeting in the evening. However, he was not in the mood and excused himself halfway through the meal. On his way back to the Sce residence, he suddenly asked the driver to turn around and send him to Oceanview Apartment instead. Although he didn¡¯t eat much, he didn¡¯t feel hungry. Hailey hummed a response. Then, she added, ¡°Yuliana cooked the dinner, and there are still some leftovers. Can I serve you somesagna?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Hailey went to the kitchen happily. Although it was cold tonight, Yuliana took a shower first after she returned to the room. She had broken into a sweat after walking around. Her body felt sticky throughout with sweat, which made her feel quite ufortable. After Yuliana came out of the shower, she saw Christopher sitting at the table, holding a fork and eating slowly. Hailey was holding Rowan while talking to Christopher. Yuliana walked over to carry Rowan to shower. She came back a littlete today. If she dyed further and didn¡¯t bathe Rowan before his usual sleeping time, he would burst into tears again. When she got to the table, she nced at the te ofsagna and looked at the side dishes. They were leftovers from their dinner today. Hailey nced at Christopher again when she saw Yulianaing out. She hurriedly said, ¡°Yuliana, are you hungry? There¡¯s still somesagna left in the pan. Do you want some?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Yuliana replied nonchntly. Then, she took Rowan and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take Roe for a shower.¡± She didn¡¯t spare Christopher a nce. Hailey nodded in embarrassment. Seeing Yuliana carry Rowan back to her room, Hailey couldn¡¯t help sighing. Christopher quietly ate thesagna in front of him and looked calm. Hailey felt a little upset looking at them like this. After Christopher finished his dinner, Hailey put away the te and went to the kitchen to wash it. Then, she served the remainingsagna and rinsed the clean. pan When Hailey came out of the kitchen, she nced around and didn¡¯t see Christopher in the living room. There was no one in the guest restroom too. ¡°Has he left?¡± she wondered. Right then, Hailey suddenly thought of something and immediately went to the couch to take a look. Christopher¡¯s coat was still there. Hailey pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and looked in the direction of the bedroom. The door was closed, and no one knew what was happening inside. However, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little happy. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. There was still a child between the couple. They used to be so close to each other. As long as they were willing tomunicate more, there was nothing that couldn¡¯t be solved. Christopher came into the room for a while and didn¡¯t disturb Yuliana showering Rowan. He stood at the bathroom door and listened to the voices inside. From time to time, he could hear Yuliana talking to Rowan in a gentle voice. Although Rowan didn¡¯t know how to speak, Christopher could hear him babbling in response to Yuliana. ¡°No!¡± Christopher didn¡¯t know what Rowan had done that suddenly annoyed Yuliana, as her voice became serious. Rowan murmured again and sounded piteous. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to be mean to you.¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice immediately softened, ¡°But you can¡¯t ssh the water on mom¡¯s clothes, okay?¡± Christopher listened to the interaction between the mother and the son and unconsciously sketched the scene inside his mind. After ten minutes, Yuliana finished showering Rowan, wrapped him in a baby bath towel, and went out. Just then, she saw Christopher standing at the door. She paused for a while, motionlessly. Then she carried Rowan out and put him in the bed. After that, she went to the walk-in wardrobe room to get clean clothes for Rowan before going out to make milk for him. Rowany on the crib with a bottle in his arms and dozed off while drinking milk. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 After Rowan fell asleep, Yuliana whispered to Christopher, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± After saying that, she walked out first, regardless of how Christopher reacted. Christopher stayed by the crib for a while. A trace of tenderness shed across his dark eyes as he watched the little one. Following that, he walked out of the room and closed the door. It was already over ten o¡¯clock. In the living room, only the light near the couch was on, while the rest of the area was pitch-ck. Christopher swept his gaze over the room but didn¡¯t see Hailey. Thus, he thought she must have gone back to her room. Yuliana was looking at her phone on the couch, one hand on the armrest propping her head while the other holding her phone. When she saw Christophering out, she logged out of an app, locked the screen, and held the phone. Christopher sat down in the seat near Yuliana. They sat on either side of the coffee table with two seats between them. It was neither far nor near. Yuliana didn¡¯t look at his face. Her eyes fell on his hand. She was probably a little sleepy and spacing out, but soon, she pulled herself together again. Thinking of the serious matter, she asked, ¡°Is the divorce agreement ready?¡± ¡°Are you that excited to leave me?¡± Christopher looked at her with a wry smile. His tone was t as if he was saying it casually. Yuliana looked up at him. Staying for two seconds, she asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a hurry to divorce me?¡± Not knowing if it was because of the lights or something else, he found Yuliana¡¯s eyes particrly bright at the moment, which made Christopher dare not look straight at her. He tried to hide his awkwardness and averted his gaze. Then, he stared silently somewhere for a moment. Both of them didn¡¯t speak for an instant. A dead silence fell over the spacious living room. A few minutester, Christopher picked up the coat on the couch, took out a document underneath it, and handed it to Yuliana. ¡°You can have a look and see if you have any questions. If you have any other requirements, you can raise them. I will try my best to meet them,¡± he remarked. This divorce agreement had been ready for a while, but he hadn¡¯t had time to hand it to Yuliana. Yuliana didn¡¯t answer him immediately. She just looked at him for a moment as if trying to see through him. Christopher didn¡¯t avoid her gaze this time. They seemed to be fighting with each other, and neither of them was willing to give in. After a while, Yuliana took over the folder and took out the divorce agreement. There were three copies in total, which were well prepared. The corner of her mouth curved down with a touch of sarcasm. She only took one of them and quickly browsed the content of the agreement. It was indeed a prenuptial agreement. Christopher gave her all the assets belonging to him. It was at this moment that she realized Prestige Club was his property and that he had an investment company called Glory Corporation. Even if she chose not to work in the future, it would be more than enough for her and Rowan for the rest of their lives. Christopher added, ¡°Both Glory Corporation and Prestige Club have specially-assigned persons to take care of them. You don¡¯t need to do anything. But if you need anything in the future, you can contact Craig. We used to be ssmates at university, and now he¡¯s helping me. You¡¯ve seen him before when we had a meal together the other day. I¡¯ll send his contact information to your pher.¡± When his voice sounded, Yuliana couldn¡¯t read the agreement in her hand. She was inexplicably irritated. She got up and went to get a sign pen. She didn¡¯t want to read it further and merely got to the part where she needed to sign and signed her name without hesitation. Watching her, Christopher asked in a low voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a closer look at it? Or, is there anything else that you want from me?¡± Yuliana signed the three copies all at once. Without raising her head, she replied, ¡°No need.¡± After signing, she handed the three copies back to Christopher and said, ¡°I¡¯ve signed it. It¡¯s your turn.¡± Christopher took the agreement and the pen, staring at her signature for two seconds. Just as he was about to sign his name, Yuliana asked, ¡°Christopher, do you really want to divorce me?¡± Her voice was very soft, and there was a trace of imperceptible stubbornness in it. They hade to this point. She shouldn¡¯t have asked such a question, which made her look stupid and ridiculous, but she still couldn¡¯t help asking with a glimmer of hope. The tip of the pen stopped above the paper, and it didn¡¯tnd on it for a very long ume. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher looked up at Yuliana. She pursed her lips, staring at him. Her gaze looked calm, but there seemed to be some water glistening inside. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered without hesitation. Yuliana sneered and turned her face away. She raised her hand and wiped her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, she regained herposure as if nothing had happened a while ago. ¡°Christopher, as long as you sign the divorce agreement, there will be no turning back for us,¡± Yuliana mumbled. She threw the remark at Christopher, but at the same time, it was also directed at herself. ¡°Sign it.¡± There was weariness on Yuliana¡¯s expression. The tip of the pen touched the paper, paused for a moment, and the ink mark soon appeared on it. Christopher then signed his name smoothly. Christopher left a copy of the agreement to Yuliana and took the other two with him. When he got up and was about to leave, he uttered, ¡°I¡¯m free on Friday morning. If it¡¯s fine with you, we will go to the City Hall toplete the procedure.¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Yuliana sat on the couch. Without turning to look at him, she answered calmly, ¡°Okay.¡± Christopher stared at her face for two seconds before picking up the coat. He then walked straight to the door. After a while, Yuliana heard the sound of the door closing. Only then did she let her straight back soften and lean back against the backrest of the couch. Her fell on the night scene outside the window, and she went into a daze. gaze Hailey couldn¡¯t help bute out of the room after hearing the noise outside. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. It was Yuliana who asked Hailey to go back to her room, saying that she needed to talk to Christopher alone. ¡°Has Mr. Sce left?¡± Hailey came over and asked casually, and then she caught a glimpse of the agreement on the coffee table. The words at the top were very eye-catching. It was hard to ignore them. Hailey then asked in shock, ¡°Yuliana, are you going to divorce Mr. Sce?¡± Hearing this, Yuliana frowned slightly. What Hailey said was a little inurate. It was Christopher who wanted to divorce her, and Yuliana just went along with his decision. Yuliana didn¡¯t answer Hailey¡¯s question. Instead, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Hailey. Have a good rest.¡± After saying that, she got up and returned to her room. On Friday, Yuliana got up early and deliberately put on makeup. When she was about to go out, Yuliana recalled that Christopher only said Friday morning but didn¡¯t mention the time. She thought for a while and sent a message to Christopher on WhatsApp, asking him what time she had to go over. Yuliana waited for a while, but Christopher didn¡¯t reply to that. She looked at the clock. It was already past nine o¡¯clock. Yuliana decided not to wait for his reply but to take the necessary documents and materials directly to the City Hall. When she reached the City Hall, it was nearly ten o¡¯clock. However, Christopher still didn¡¯t reply to her message. She was unsure what day it was because many people wereing over toplete the divorce procedures. Yuliana went to grab the number first before sitting down in the hall to call Christopher. The phone call connected, but no one answered the call. Therefore, Yuliana sent Christopher another message. She texted: [I¡¯m here. When will youe over?] The message was sent out, but she still received no response from him. Yuliana waited for a while. Seeing it was almost her turn and Christopher was still not here, she called him again. But this time, Christopher¡¯s phone had been turned off. Yuliana stared at her phone and thought for a moment before calling La and Joyce. To her great surprise, La and Joyce didn¡¯t answer the call, too. Yuliana was puzzled. Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Xandria. She hadn¡¯t told Xandria that she and Christopher were getting a divorce. Yuliana nned to tell Xandria after all the procedures werepleted. However, she was afraid of showing any emotions in front of Xandria, so she hadn¡¯t had much contact with Xandria recently. Yuliana quickly adjusted her emotions and answered the call. ¡°Xani¡­¡± As soon as Yuliana started speaking, she was interrupted by Xandria¡¯s impatient voice. ¡°Yuliana, where is Christopher now?¡± Yuliana was confused for a moment. ¡°He should be in thepany at this hour. What¡¯s wrong? What do you need from him?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Xandria wanted to say something but stopped, and her voice sounded strange. Yuliana could tell that something was amiss. There was no way Xandria would suddenly call and ask her where Christopher was. Judging from Xandria¡¯s character, she would note to Christopher even if something happened. Remaining silent for a while, Yuliana asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± It was suddenly quiet on the other end of the phone. After some time, an extremely bad premonition shed across Yuliana¡¯s mind, making her unable to wait any longer. Yuliana asked again, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Her voice sounded cold and urgent. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m telling you. Please don¡¯t worry. I just saw a message from the group. It was sent by someone, and everyone is making wild guesses. I also have no clue about the actual situation.¡± Xandria tried tofort Yuliana first. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and continued, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Xandria replied, ¡°Scarlett is dead.¡± Yuliana was stunned, and Scarlett¡¯s face instantly appeared in her mind. She wondered whether the air in the hall was too cold because she felt a chill running down her spine. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Then she thought of Christopher again. She opened her mouth and wanted to ask something, but in the end, she asked, ¡°How did she die?¡± Actually, she wanted to know more about how Scarlett¡¯s death had anything to do with Christopher. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. However, she felt that this kind of questioning did not seem appropriate. So she changed her question to ¡°How did she die?¡± Even if she was asking about Scarlett, her voice was so calm that it might sound scary to one. It was as if she was treating an insignificant thing. After all, Scarlett was an acquaintance. Even if they had some unpleasant past, she was dead. All grudges should be written off with her death. Yuliana should not treat her in such an indifferent manner. Yuliana quickly adjusted her emotions and asked again, ¡°How did Scarlett die?¡± Although she only changed ¡°she¡± to ¡°Scarlett,¡± her tone was obviously warmer. Xandria was also in a daze at that moment. She just woke up and stayed in bed ying with her phone. She checked Twitter first and then opened WhatsApp. As a result, almost all her WhatsApp groups were blowing up with countless messages. She opened one of the WhatsApp groups and clicked on the top of the new message. First, she saw several messages fromst night, and she scrolled down until she saw a picture. The picture looked a little blurred. She clicked on the picture to see it close up. However, the picture was censored, so she could not tell who it was. All she saw was a woman who seemed to be lying in a pool of blood. The reason why she was unsure was that even the blood around the woman was also censored. She could only guess that it was probably blood from the color. When Xandria saw that picture, she was still thinking about who had posted such an unlucky picture in the group chat so early in the morning. Nheless, the person who sent the picture in the group chat said: [Someone from the Lynch family was killedst night.] A few seconds after the person said it in the group chat, people started discussing the matter. One of them said that Christopher was the one who took Scarlett¡¯s life. It sounded so logical, as though the person witnessed it at the scene. Xandria was a little angry. Christopher was Yuliana¡¯s husband. Although she hated Christopher now, she could not let him be called a murderer for Yuliana¡¯s sake. So, she started scolding in the group chat before she finished reading the messages. Those people who were hot-tempered also started arguing with her in the group chat. Then, someone came out to stop the quarrel. Another also exined to Xandria that someone saw Christopher being taken away by the policest night. Then, the other person shared several photos that could not be leaked out to Xandria privately. The position where the photos were taken was a little far away. It was taken casually with a phone, so it was quite blurred. All she saw in the photo was the police escorting a person into the police car. The person¡¯s back was facing the camera, so no one could see his face clearly. Despite that, it really looked like it was Christopher from the body figure. Suddenly, she had a bad feeling. That was why she called Yuliana. As long as she confirmed that Christopher was not taken away by the police, it would be just a rumor. Xandria did not know how to reply to Yuliana. She sat on the bed, scratched her hair, and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about but¡­¡± She paused for a while and sounded hesitant. After a while, she continued, ¡°But everyone is saying it¡¯s Christopher who took her life.¡± There wasplete silence on both sides of the phone for a moment. Xandria was very quiet, and she could even vaguely feel her heartbeat. Yuliana¡¯s side seemed to be a little noisy, with the sound of broadcast and some quarrels among the noise. When she realized that Yuliana had not spoken for a long time, Xandria hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yuliana. It¡¯s just a rumor. I heard that the police arrested the murdererst night. Since Christopher is in thepany, it must not be him. Besides, Christopher and Scarlett have nothing to do with each other. Why would he take her life, right?¡± Xandria waited for a while after she said that. Yuliana still did not say anything on the phone. She panicked and asked, ¡°Yuliana, are you listening?¡± Yuliana came back to her senses. At that moment, her hands and feet felt cold and seemed to have fallen asleep. She took a deep breath and replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± The more Xandria heard it, the stranger she felt about the sounding from Yuliana¡¯s side. She asked, ¡°Where are you? In the hospital?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuliana paused and said, ¡°Xani, I have something to do here. I¡¯ll stop talking to you now and call you backter.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Xandria replied faintly, but she still felt that Yuliana¡¯s reaction was very strange. She hesitated for a while, but did not say anything else. Then, she heard at beep from her phone. Yuliana hung up the phone. She immediately got up, walked to the trash can in the corner of the hall, threw away the small numbering note, and strode outside the City Hall while calling. La or Joyce. Same as what happened before, no one answered the phone. When she walked out of the City Hall, Yuliana stopped a taxi. After she got on, the driver asked her where she was going. Yuliana subconsciously wanted to report the address of the Sce residence. But when the words were about toe out of her mouth, she immediately realized that if Christopher was taken away by the police, Joyce and La would definitely not be in the Sce residence at that time. For a moment, she did not know where to go. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll make a call first.¡± Yuliana told the driver apologetically. Then, she opened the contacts and found Jared¡¯s number. She saved his number, so she could contact him when Winnie was hospitalized but lost the need to contact him after. When the call went through, Jared answered the phone quickly. Before Jared could speak, Yuliana asked directly, ¡°Jared, was Christopher taken away by the police?¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Jared was silent for two seconds before he replied, ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t panic, Yuliana. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on now. Christopher knows what he should and should not do. It can¡¯t be him.¡± ¡°Panic? Should I be panicked?¡± she scoffed inwardly. Yuliana pursed her lips tightly. Her face looked pale. She looked outside the window and stared at those men and womening in and out of the City Hall. Jared¡¯s words made her feel ironic. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°He always knows what he should or should not do, but it depends on the matter.¡± Jared was stunned and said nothing when she heard what Yuliana said. Yuliana brushed her emotions away and said, ¡°Jared, I called La and Joyce, but none of them answered the phone.¡± Jared exined, ¡°Since the news leakedst night, many media reporters called them nonstop to find out about the situation. They have been calling so frequently that the phone will blow up. I¡¯ll give you a new number.¡± At the moment, Jared was not in Juxshire but in Jeahron. He did not know anything until a friend asked him about it in the morning. He then tried to call La to confirm it, but just like Yuliana, no one answered the phone. It was La who took the initiative to contact him and asked him to make a trip to meet with a few well- knownwyers in Jeahron. Thosewyers were the best in the industry. Before La called him, she also contacted thosewyers. But somehow, thosewyers refused to take Christopher¡¯s case. So La called him and asked him to meet thosewyers in person. Jared was considered a great figure in the academic circle and had a vastwork of contacts. A friend of his in Jeahron was familiar with one of thewyers and had a good rtionship. That was how he managed to make an appointment. When Yuliana called, he was on his way to meet thewyer. Jared quickly sent La¡¯s number to Yuliana. Yuliana dialed the number, and the call was answered immediately. ¡°Hello?¡± La¡¯s voice came from the phone with a fit of sharp anger. Yuliana said, ¡°La, it¡¯s me, Yuliana.¡± When La heard Yuliana¡¯s voice, she was stunned for two seconds and replied, ¡°Sorry, this phone is for temporary use, and I don¡¯t have your number in it.¡± She became silent momentarily before continuing, ¡°Did you know what happened to Christopher?¡± Yuliana did not respond. She felt her throat was a little dry, and the stuffy environment of the car made her ufortable. After a long while, she said, ¡°Did Christopher¡­ Scarlett¡­ She could not finish aplete sentence. Regardless of how much she refused to admit it, deep down, she was not over Christopher yet. Moreover, Christopher was Rowan¡¯s father, ¡°Yuliana, even you don¡¯t believe him?¡± La¡¯s tone was a little cold. When she learned about Christopher¡¯s incidentst night, she rushed to the police station immediately, but the police did not allow her to visit, so she could not see Christopher right after he was taken away. Later, she entrusted awyer toe over and finally met Christopher after dawn. Thewyer was new. After he saw Christopher and learned about the case, he told La candidly that Christopher¡¯s case was tricky, as all the evidence pointed to him. It was almost impossible to get rid of the suspicion. Only then did La contact a few famouswyers in Jeahron. She wanted them to take over the case. As long as Christopher could be released, she was willing to pay any amount of money. However, thosewyers in Jeahron refused directly without even finding out the details of the case. Then, Joyce contacted thewyers in Juxshire whose expertise was in criminal cases. Just like those lawyers in Jeahron, they refused to ept when they heard it was Christopher¡¯s case. La noticed something unusual in it. When Yuliana called, she just quarreled with awyer she had cooperated with many times, so her tone was still mixed with a hint of anger. Based on what Yuliana knew about Christopher, it was indeed impossible for him to take someone¡¯s life. There was certainly something else behind that incident. Regardless of what that was, it was worth finding out. Christopher and Scarlett had no grudges against each other. They hardly interacted with each other. Even if Scarlett died, how could Christopher be involved in it? There was only one person who could connect the two persons. That was Annabelle. Christopher would repeatedly go crazy whenever he dealt with Annabelle¡¯s matter. It was just like what happened when Christopher was in high school. He could ignore the school rules for Annabelle. Even if there was a chance he might get expelled from the school, he had to stand up for her. She had seen how Christopher got into a fight because of Annabelle. He did not spare any effort. She did not know what happened between Scarlett and Annabelle or what role Christopher yed in between, but the only thing she could be sure of was that Annabelle was the key person to that incident. Yuliana asked, ¡°La, where are you? I¡¯ll go meet you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± La then gave her an address. When Yuliana rushed over, La was on the phone with a sharp tone. She stood aside and called her out after La finished talking, ¡°La.¡± La nced at her. She looked tired, and there were ck eye rings underneath her eyes. It was obvious that she did not have a good restst night. ¡°Come in.¡± La calmed down slightly, called the waiter, and asked her, ¡°What do you want to drink?¡± Yuliana said to the waiter, ¡°Just give me a ss of warm water.¡± The waiter left and quickly brought a ss of warm water over. Yuliana said thank you and took a sip of water from the ss. Since she went out that morning, she had not taken any water. It was already autumn. Although Juxshire was located by the seaside, it was still a little drypared to summer. She drank, put down the ss, smiled, and said to La, ¡°La, I made an appointment with Christopher this morning to go to the City Hall to handle the divorce formalities.¡± La was stunned and pursed her lips. She did not respond. Both of them were silent. Yuliana asked, ¡°Have you seen Christopher?¡± La hummed and nodded. ¡°I met him with awyer this morning.¡± Yuliana lowered her gaze and looked at the waves on the surface of the warm water in the ss. ¡°What did he say? How did Scarlett die?¡± La shook her head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know. When he arrived, Scarlett was already dead.¡± However, the evidence collected by the police were all pointing to Christopher, and there was no third person. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Scarlett was pushed down the stairs by someone and died when her head hit a sharp corner. As for the other cause, they had to wait for the autopsy results. ording to the police, Scarlett still had a chance to survive if she was treated in time. When Christopher arrived, he called an ambnce and the police immediately. Nheless, Scarlett was already dead by then. When the police arrived, they inspected the scene. The evidence collected from the scene immediately targeted Christopher as the suspect, so they detained him on the spot. The police suspected that Christopher had ended Scarlett¡¯s life and dragged the time until she died. Then he pretended to call an ambnce and the police to eliminate the suspicion. When La went to see Christopher with thewyer that morning, Christopher¡¯s situation was obviously not right. Thewyer asked him a lot of questions rted to the case. On the surface, Christopher was very cooperative and answered everything he was asked, but La could feel that Christopher was hiding something. Yuliana asked, ¡°Why did Christopher appear at the crime scene?¡± La frowned. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Thewyer also asked Christopher the same question, but thetter kept silent and said nothing. Yuliana was not surprised after she heard what La told her. She picked up the ss of warm water and drank it slowly. As the warm liquid entered her stomach, she felt her body getting slightly warmer. Yuliana asked, ¡°La, I want to meet with Christopher Can you help me arrange it?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± La said. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it. Please wait for my message.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, her phone rang. La nced at the name on the screen. It was Joyce calling. She did not avoid Yuliana and answered the call directly. ¡°Joyce¡­¡± ¡°How¡¯s Chris¡¯ case?¡± La sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what you wanted to see, Joyce? The police are detaining Christopher as a suspect. Isn¡¯t it up to you to decide everything in Sce Corporation?¡± Joyce had been married into the Sce family for so many years. La had never looked down on her because of her background, and had always respected and defended her. That was the first time she had ever talked to Joyce with such a harsh tone. Joyce was silent and did not exin. After a while, she said, ¡°A lot of media reporters are blocking thepany¡¯s entrance. If you have nothing else important,e back to thepany as soon as possible to deal with it.¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Laughed in exasperation at Joyce¡¯s words. However, La didn¡¯t want to argue with Joyce in front of Yuliana, so La simply said coldly before hanging the phone. ¡°Got it.¡± up La took a sip of the coffee in front of her. The coffee had ice added to it. However, the ice had long melted into the coffee, which made the taste much lighter, but it was still slightly sour and bitter. La wondered whether Kendrick and Joyce carelessly became friends initially or whether Joyce had changed. ¡°Yuliana, I have to rush back to Sce Corporation. So I won¡¯t be driving you home. Be careful on your way back.¡± La stood up with her bag in her hand, followed by a pause. Then, La looked at Yuliana and said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact you after the meeting is arranged.¡± Christopher was currently in criminal detention. ording to the rules, except for thewyer, Christopher¡¯s family members weren¡¯t allowed to visit him. The reason why La was able to see Christopher in the morning was that Christopher hadn¡¯t been transferred to the detention centerst night after the police had interrogated him all night. La had some connections with the police, which was why she could go in with thewyer. However, it would not be that easy if Christopher had transferred to the detention. center. Scarlett was the only daughter of the Lynch family. Now it had been rumored that Christopher was the murderer of their daughter. Given the status of the Lynch family in Juxshire, they would undoubtedly put pressure on the higher-ups. Even if the Sce family had connections, those people did not dare to act rashly. Yuliana and La walked out of the cafe together. Yuliana watched as La¡¯s driver drove the car over. After La got in the car and left, Yuliana turned around and walked aimlessly along the street. At this moment, Yuliana was pulled by all kinds of emotions and strangely reached a state of bnce. She felt calm and sober. After walking for a while, Yuliana stopped. Yuliana took out her phone and dialed Harry¡¯s number. The call went through, but no one answered it. Yuliana had called three times in a row, but Harry still didn¡¯t pick up. Yuliana wanted to call Annabelle but suddenly remembered that she did not have Annabelle¡¯s contact information on her phone. Yuliana thought for a while, then she found Raymond¡¯s number and dialed it. After Raymond learned that Christopher had been detained, Raymond kept inquiring about the situation and tried to use his connections. However, this time, it was regarding someone¡¯s death. Moreover, it involved the Lynch family¡¯s daughter. Besides, this incident had currently spread within the circle, and soon, the news would be all over the inte. This news would undoubtedly be the center of attention. Therefore, Christopher would not get away with it unless he had gotten rid of suspicion. When Raymond received Yuliana¡¯s call, Raymond and Leonard had just gotten information from the police. Yuliana asked, ¡°Raymond, do you have Annabelle¡¯s contact information?¡± Hearing this, Raymond paused and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted Annabelle, but her phone is turned off.¡± ¡°Her phone was switched off?¡± Yuliana wondered. Yuliana¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she asked, ¡°Can you help me find her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already asked someone to look for her.¡± Raymond paused and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know immediately if I have any news.¡± Both parties had a tacit understanding that Annabelle was the key to Christopher¡¯s case. However, what was weird was that after Annabelle and her friend separatedst night, they seemed to have vanished into thin air, and their whereabouts could not be found. Yuliana responded, ¡°Thank you.¡± anyone. ¡°Don¡¯t be too polite with me, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Raymond was slightly embarrassed and mocked himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t help that much. Besides, Christopher and I grew up together. I know what kind of person he is exactly. He would never kill How could I stand by and do nothing when my good friend was wronged and jailed? Ms. Livingstone, don¡¯t worry too much, Chris will be fine and out soon,¡± Raymondforted Yuliana. Yuliana hummed lightly in response and said nothing else. After hanging up the phone, Yuliana stood quietly on the street for a while, staring at the cars speeding in front of her. Then, Yuliana¡¯s phone rang, and she suddenly returned to her senses. It was a call from Hailey. ¡°Yuliana, when will you be back?¡± Along with Hailey¡¯s voice, there was a child¡¯s heartbreaking cry. Yuliana was a little distracted when she heard the cry. Hailey said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to Roe. Just now, Roe suddenly couldn¡¯t stop crying. I couldn¡¯t calm him down no matter how hard I tried.¡± In fact, Hailey often helped to take care of Rowan during this time. Rowan was no longer so clingy toward Yuliana. Most of the time, Hailey could take care of Rowan. Rowan would only require Yuliana to be by his side when he sleeps at night. However, about ten minutes ago, Rowan seemed frightened and suddenly started crying. Even though Hailey took the toys Rowan loved most to calm him down, Rowan only threw them aside. Hailey had no choice but to call Yuliana. The child¡¯s cry drew nearer and slowly became clearer. It also became harsher. Yuliana let out a breath slowly and said, ¡°I¡¯lle home now.¡± ¡°Okay,e back quickly.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. After saying that, Hailey hung up the phone first. Yuliana put away her phone and was about to hail a taxi, but after a few minutes, Yuliana didn¡¯t see any empty taxis passing by. Just as Yuliana was about to take her phone out and hail a taxi online, a Land Rover slowly stopped in front of Yuliana. Yuliana was stunned and looked up. She saw the car window lowered and Wesley sitting in the car. The two looked at each other for two seconds. Yuliana didn¡¯t speak. She still remembered how when Rowan was kidnapped, Wesley followed her every day and saw all her dishevelment and insanity with his own eyes. Wesley parted his lips and asked, ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll send you there.¡± Yuliana frowned imperceptibly and said, ¡°No need to trouble you.¡± Hearing Yuliana¡¯s refusal, Wesley didn¡¯t budge at all. Wesley put his hand on the steering wheel, and his dark eyes still fell on Yuliana¡¯s face, which made Yuliana feel very ufortable. She felt a sense of strong aggression toward her. Yuliana turned around and was about to leave when Wesley said, ¡°I can help you.¡± Yuliana was stunned and stopped immediately. She stiffened for a moment but still turned to look at Wesley and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wesley raised his chin and said, ¡°Get in the car.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips gently. Ultimately, she walked to the other side, opened the door, and got in the car. Wesley nced at Yuliana from her face to her neck. She was wearing a vest with a knitted coat over it and a pair of slim-fit light-colored jeans below. Her thick hair was tied up in a low ponytail. Yuliana was dressed ordinarily. However, there was always such an attractive temperament in Yuliana¡¯s every move. That temperament was neither shy nor aggressive, which only made people feel veryfortable and unable to look away. Yuliana lowered her head slightly and fastened her seat belt, but she could feel a beam of eyes staring at her. After fastening the seat belt, Wesley also stopped looking at Yuliana. He started the car and turned around at the intersection ahead. Yuliana was confused and nced at Wesley. After a while, she asked, ¡°What do you mean by saying you can help me?¡± Yuliana was unsure whether Wesley and Christopher were still working together and if Wesley knew about Christopher¡¯s arrest. Wesley looked ahead and didn¡¯t answer Yuliana¡¯s question immediately. After a while, he said slowly, ¡°What do you want me to do for you?¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Yuliana was stunned again. She felt that his words were a little inexplicable. She subconsciously frowned and asked, ¡°Anything?¡± Wesley turned his head and nced at her. There was some iprehensible meaning in that look. Yuliana realized that what she had just said was inappropriate. She gulped and said, ¡°Do you know that the daughter of the chairman of the Lewis Group was murderedst night?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Wesley replied, ¡°I know.¡± He paused and added, ¡°I also know that your husband was identified as an important suspect and has been taken away by the police.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t think Wesley knew that. In fact, when she first met Wesley, she felt that he was different from ordinary people. She could also guess his upation from his figure and behavior. Wesley really had the ability to help her. Yuliana said, ¡°I want you to help me investigate this case. You can name your price.¡± The corner of Wesley¡¯s mouth curled up, and he sneered, ¡°He is about to divorce you, and you still care about his well-being?¡± Yuliana¡¯s expression stiffened. She turned to look at Wesley, who was looking at her as if he wanted to see through her mind. She met his eyes calmly and didn¡¯t dodge his gaze but didn¡¯t answer him. She didn¡¯t need to answer him either. Wesley smiled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll investigate it for you.¡± Wesley sent Yuliana back to Oceanview Apartment, gave a name card to Yuliana, and left. Yuliana was home. Maybe Rowan was tired after crying, so he fell asleep when there were still tears on his eyshes. His body was still twitching slightly even when he was in a slumber because of crying too hard. ¡°He just fell asleep,¡± Hailey said as she twisted a warm towel and handed it to Yuliana. Yuliana took it, gently wiped Rowan¡¯s face, and returned it to Hailey. She stood beside the crib and looked at Rowan¡¯s face in a daze. Harry called her back in the evening. He didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said, ¡°You¡¯re looking for me because of Scarlett¡¯s murder?¡± Yuliana had long known that Harry was heartless, but when she heard him saying ¡°Scarlett¡¯s murder¡± in a calm and indifferent tone, she still felt ironic. No matter what, Scarlett was his fianc¨¦e in the name. He was able to remain indifferent to the murder of his fianc¨¦e. Even a random person would feel sorry when he heard about a young woman¡¯s murder. Yuliana was silent for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you know where Annabelle is?¡± Harry replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± His tone was calm and didn¡¯t have any ws. Yuliana couldn¡¯t tell if he really didn¡¯t know or was lying to her. However, Yuliana didn¡¯t have high hopes that Harry would tell her something anyway. ¡°That¡¯s all I want to say. Sorry for disturbing you,¡± Yuliana said indifferently and was about to hang up the phone. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Harry suddenly stopped her. Yuliana paused. Harry said, ¡°The Sce family is a mess now. Since you and Christopher are going to divorce, don¡¯t get involved.¡± Yuliana¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change when she heard that. She just smiled and said sarcastically, ¡°You sure are well-informed.¡± She didn¡¯t tell anyone about the divorce between her and Christopher, except for La and Joyce. She didn¡¯t think Christopher would spread the news all over the world, so Harry could only have spies around her to know that. Harry sat in the car and nced at the gorgeous sunset glow in the sky. ¡°Drive,¡± he ordered the driver. The car got on the highway. The sunset glow gradually faded, and the sky became dark. Three hourster, the car stopped at East Lake Garden in Yutropolis. The development of East Lake Garden just started a few years ago and was officiallypletedst year. However, the supporting facilities were not finished yet, so the upancy rate was not high after the mansions were sold. At night, the whole residential area was so quiet that it looked like a luxurious ghost town. The lights of the mansion near theke bay were unexpectedly on tonight. When Harry entered the mansion, a middle-aged man immediately came out, 17:02 bent down slightly, and said, ¡°Mr. Ziegler, you¡¯re here.¡± Harry looked around and found the mansion was in a traditional style. Perhaps no one had lived here before, and itcked liveliness that it felt spooky even with the lights on. He nced at the middle-aged man and asked, ¡°Is she awake?¡± The middle-aged man said, ¡°She¡¯s awake. Sophia just got her something to eat.¡± Harry didn¡¯t say anything else and walked upstairs. As soon as he arrived at the door, he heard a muffled sound, followed by a woman¡¯s shrill roar. ¡°I said I won¡¯t eat. Get out!¡± Harry paused for a moment. Then, he pushed the door opened and walked in. Several tes were lying on the ground, and the food was scattered. Moreover, a woman in the red sling dress stood by the bed, angrily staring at the expressionless servant in front of her. Sophia was not annoyed. She squatted down and picked up the bowls and tes one by one. When she was about to get something to clean up the food on the floor, she suddenly paused. ¡°Mr. Ziegler?¡± Hearing Sophia¡¯s words, the woman looked at the door. When she saw Harry¡¯s face, she rushed over barefoot, followed by the sound of metal shaking and colliding. She rushed to Harry and pped him. She bellowed, ¡°Harry, you scumbag!¡± Harry didn¡¯t move but looked at her coldly. Annabelle was so angry that she was about to p Harry again, but he grabbed her wrist and said indifferently, ¡°Annabelle, I suggest you think about your situation.¡± Annabelle stared at him with bloodshot eyes. Harry looked at Sophia and ordered, ¡°You go down first.¡± Sophia bowed and left the room with the tes in her hands. After the door was closed, Harry let go of Annabelle¡¯s hand. He took off his coat and threw it on the couch. Then, he pulled off his tie and walked toward the bathroom. After a while, there was a sound of flowing water inside. Annabelle stood there for a long time and then copsed to the ground as if she had lost all her strength. She looked at the metal ring on her left wrist connected to a long iron chain. The other end of the iron chain was connected to the wall, and the length of the chain could only allow her to move freely in this room. The windows were welded, and there were also guards at the door. The room was well-decorated andfortable. All the materials used, items, and colors were her favorite. It was like a well-built cage for her. Harry wanted to imprison her here. After realizing that, Annabelle couldn¡¯t calm down anymore. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Harry emerged from the bathroom some 20 minutester, filling the air with hot steam and shampoo fragrance. His hair was still wet, and he walked while tying the bathrobe strap. He nced at Annabelle, walked to the couch, sat down, picked up his phone, and looked at it for a while. She wasn¡¯t sure what he saw because suddenly, a frown appeared on his cold face. After reading it, he casually threw the phone on the table and nced at her again. ¡°Come here.¡± Annabelle was pressed against the corner of the bed, staring at him from afar. She used to think Harry was insane, but she never feared him. Now, as she stared at his extremely familiar face and his familiar gaze, she was ovee with fear. Even so, Annabelle had never shown any vulnerability in front of Harry as he was her simp. Hence, even if she was terrified now, she would not show her fear to him. She shook the chain on her left hand and sneered. ¡°What is this?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Harry nced at her wrist, got up from the couch, strolled toward her, and looked down at her. Harry was tall. Even if she tried hard to lift her head, seeing his face clearly from that angle was still rather difficult. But Annabelle still met his eyes with her intuition and didn¡¯t look away. ¡°You¡¯re asking me what that is?¡± Harry spoke in an unusually gentle tone. A smile appeared on his face while he spoke, and it was a cheerful one. He squatted down in front of Annabelle and held her wrist, with his fingers rubbing against the iron cuff. ¡°Don¡¯t you love running away, Annabelle? From now on, you can only stay here and won¡¯t be able to leave.¡± Annabelle felt terror creeping within her heart as she listened to him tell her all these things in a gentle tone, and she couldn¡¯t help but§Õash out in anger. ¡°Are you insane, Harry? Do you realize you¡¯re illegally detaining me? It¡¯s a crime that will put you in prison!¡± Harry gave an unbothered chuckle, as if he wasughing at her naivety. ¡°Lunatic! Psycho!¡± she cursed inwardly. Annabelle became more anxious as she continued to curse in her heart. ¡°How long are you going to lock me up?¡± she snapped at Harry, pulling her wrist from his grasp. Harry stared into her eyes and said, ¡°Forever.¡± A hint of panic flitted across Annabelle¡¯s eyes for a fleeting moment. She knew Harry wasn¡¯t scaring her but truly intended to lock her up for life. In an instant, she felt as if all her strength had been taken from her body. She copsed on the floor and gazed at Harry in front of her for a long time, her face. gloomy. Harry lifted her from the ground, walked to the couch, and picked up her hand to take a look at the gold cuff. Although the cuff was polished smoothly, probably because Annabelle struggled hard to get free, there were still some noticeable wounds on her wrist connecting to the base of her palm. Harry rang the bell, and Sophia soon came in. She nced at the two people on the couch and quickly lowered her head as she queried, ¡°Mr. Ziegler, what can I do for you?¡± Harry didn¡¯t raise his head as he examined the scars on Annabelle¡¯s hand. ¡°Is there a disinfectant or something?¡± he asked the servant/ Sophia answered, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go get it if you need it, Mr. Ziegler.¡± Harry hummed faintly and added, ¡°Bring the medicine first, then make something to eat.¡± Sophia nodded, turned around, went downstairs, took the medicine for Harry, and left after giving it to him. He used a cotton swab to sterilize the wounds on Annabelle¡¯s wrist before applying ayer of ointment. Annabelle felt a slight tingling pain in the wounds, but it quickly faded, leaving a cold and refreshing sensation on her skin. Annabelle was reminded of their university days when she saw the tenderness in his eyes and movements. At first, Harry seemed to be a saint whose only focus was his studies. She has always looked down on such a nerd. But he was a myth in their school, and he was a man even Yuliana had feelings for. Annabelle felt it would be fun to turn the saint into an ordinary man. Besides, it was satisfying if a mythical man like Harry would fall for herself and simp for her. Besides, Yuliana did have some feelings for him as well. Thus, Annabelle did all that she could do to provoke him. Initially, she wanted him to fall in love with her and then dump him. Annabelle expected him to sumb to his Achilles heel and go insane for her, but she didn¡¯t know what went wrong and ended up bing indulgent in him. Harry was also very gentle at the time. He¡¯d find ways to satisfy her whenever she had a slight frown on her face, and if she identally bruised herself, he would treat her right away. Annabelle was proud of these things, but sheughed at him a lot. Harry would let herugh at him, and with a cold face, he would advise her to be extra careful and not hurt herself anymore. Then, he would kiss her until she couldn¡¯tugh and ran out of breath. People thought that Harry was a cold-blooded man based on his appearance, but only Annabelle knew how much desire he had. Annabelle was in a daze and seemed fragile as she reminisced on the past. She asked in a low voice, ¡°What do I have to do for you to let me go?¡± Harry didn¡¯t answer her but looked up at her. Annabelle¡¯s eyes slowly focused when he looked over. From his gaze, she got her answer. Annabelle let out a sadugh and said sarcastically, ¡°Do you love me that much? So much that you want to keep me here? Harry, I thought you were a man with dignity. Why haven¡¯t you learned your lesson from how I hurt you before? Are all the women in the world dead that you can¡¯t move on from me?¡± Annabelle had so much pent-up anger that she could only let them out with words. She crossed line after line as she continued to rant, ¡°But what can you do? I just don¡¯t like you, and I look down on you. You are just a bastard whom no one wants. Who would fall in love with a useless man like you?¡± Annabelle had also told Harry those exact words when they were in university. At that time, Annabelle wanted to break up with Harry, but he refused and pestered her every day. She was so annoyed that she publicly said those hurtful words to him. She crushed Harry¡¯s dignity until there was none left. Harry knelt and begged her not to break up or leave him. But in the end, she left and did so with Christopher. Later, Harry never came to bug her again, and she never saw him again. They were in the same school, but they never bumped into each other ever since she chose to be with Christopher. Annabelle¡¯s words did not ignite Harry¡¯s rage. His eyes were colder, yet he showed no signs of aggression toward her. He merely gazed at her for a while before raising his hand to grip her chin. He exerted a little force and watched as her lips puckered. But even when it was puckered, her pink lips were still fatally tempting. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Harry stared silently at her for a while, then slightly lowered his head and kissed her. What happenedter was as intense as ever. There was resistance and suppression. They bit each other as the desire to kill one another grew. Sophia had brought some food during this period and sent it to the door. When she heard the faint noise inside, she went downstairs with the food. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Annabelle¡¯s lips were swollen, and there was a cut on them. Her eyes were also red and swollen, and her eyshes were wet. Shey t on the bed, staring hollowly at Harry like a fragile, delicate doll. Harry put on his bathrobe again but didn¡¯t tie it this time. He went into the bathroom, took a cigarette box from the pocket of the pants he had taken off, and lit one as hey in bed. There were scratches and tooth marks on his chest. The smoke from the cigarette filled the air. When Annabelle noticed the scent, her mind became clearer little by little. Last night, Scarlett had asked her out. Annabelle had something to settle with Scarlett, so she agreed. When she arrived, Scarlett was drunk and seemed to have cried. After seeing Annabelle, Scarlett was very rude, and she started yelling and pushing her. Naturally, Annabelle fought back. But somehow, Annabelle felt a little dizzy and soon lost consciousness. When she woke up again, Scarlett was lying in a pool of blood. Annabelle had no idea what happened during the time she was unconscious and wasn¡¯t sure if she was the one who had caused the incident. Seeing the blood, Annabelle was so frightened that she didn¡¯t know how to react, nor did she dare to approach Scarlett. She subconsciously thought of Christopher, so she called him. But before Christopher arrived, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck and lost consciousness once more. When she woke up, she was already there. Annabelle sat up from the bed, thinking about this. She tilted her head and stared at Harry¡¯s cold face as if she could see through him. Harry smoked his cigarette slowly and turned to face her after a while. Annabelle¡¯s throat was dry and astringent. A momentter, she parted her bruised and swollen lips and asked, ¡°How is Scarlett?¡± ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± Harry replied nonchntly. ¡°Dead?¡± Annabelle repeated the word in her mind. Perhaps Annabelle was too shocked and refused to believe what Harry had just said, especially because he stated it in such a calm and usual tone as if it were merely an ant that had died. Annabelle was stunned for a long time before she fully processed what the word meant. ¡°Dead¡­ How could she be dead?¡± she wondered. Annabelle¡¯s chest felt stuffy, and she was nauseated. She barfed on the bed, and her face immediately turned pale. When Harry noticed how ufortable she looked, he lifted his hand and patted her smooth back. After she was done barfing, he got up and poured a ss of warm water for her to rinse her mouth. Annabelle¡¯s eyes were watery again because of the vomiting. She grabbed Harry¡¯s wrist, looked at him in fear, and asked, ¡°How did she die?¡± Harry nced at her panicked face, raised his hand, and gently pushed away the messy locks of hair that were covering her face. His face was devoid of emotions. when he asked her, ¡°How do you think?¡± His gaze made Annabelle¡¯s already pale face look even worse. Her face was tense as she fell into a confused state. A crease appeared between Annabelle¡¯s eyebrows as she mumbled to herself, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Even when she was denying it, Annabelle couldn¡¯t help but doubt herself. Harry tenderly caressed her cheeks and ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°Who else could it be if not you? Annabelle, do you dare to say that you don¡¯t feel an ounce of jealousy toward Scarlett?¡± Annabelle raised her eyes and met Harry¡¯s gaze. Harry then added in a gentle tone, ¡°You¡¯re envious of her because she¡¯s getting married to me. You belittled me before, but you loved it when I fucked you just now. Can Christopher give you this feeling?¡± Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Annabelle was perplexed, and after hearing Harry¡¯s words, she felt more skeptical of herself. After Daryl died, Annabelle became sick, not physically, but mentally. Francesca remarried after fleeing with the Sce family¡¯s money. She didn¡¯t care about Annabelle at all. Moreover, Francesca¡¯s second husband was a jerk. He was a violent guy who loved to gamble and drink. When he had a difficult day at work, he woulde home and release his anger by hitting someone. Francesca was smart and would go to hide, but Annabelle had nowhere to hide and had no idea when the man would be upset. He¡¯d beat Annabelle up and then burn her with a cigarette. She would be covered with bruises, and several times, she even thought she would die at the man¡¯s hands. Francesca wouldn¡¯t care about her when she returned home, let alone take her to the hospital. Instead, she would smile smugly when she noticed Annabelle¡¯s pained expression. Furthermore, Francesca would curse at her stepdaughter, saying she deserved it and that she should die sooner. Annabelle was miserable during those years. She even wanted tomit suicide as Francesca said. Since Daryl, whom she loved, was no longer alive, there was no one else in the world that she cared about. Annabelle once thought, ¡°What¡¯s the point in living?¡± Even so, she knew that she couldn¡¯t die alone; she had to drag someone else with her. Annabelle hid a kitchen knife beneath her pillow and prepared to kill Francesca¡¯s husband and die with him if he beat her again. Later, she did stab him. She was pleased when she saw the blood gushing out of the man, but the joy and pleasure didn¡¯tst long. Soon, terror and fear overcame her. She cried in fear and hid in the corner, watching the man lying on the ground as if he was dead. Later, Annabelle called Christopher. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Christopher went to her school numerous times in secret to look for her and stuffed a note to her with his phone number on it. Annabelle hated Christopher at the time since he was the reason why she lost her father and ended up in such a miserable situation. Therefore, when Christopher gave her the note, she crushed it into a ball. Annabelle wanted to throw it into the trash can, but somehow, she hesitated when she passed by the trash can and finally chose to stuff it into her bag. When Christopher arrived at her home back then, he was also frightened by the scene in the room, but he kept his cool. He immediately called an ambnce and took her out of the house. After that, She was taken to the Sce residence by Christopher and never returned to that house again. Although Francesca¡¯s husband lost a lot of blood, he was saved in the end. Later, the Sce family reported his abuse to the police and gave the police some pressure. Thus, after being released from the hospital, the man went to jail and died there a few yearster. Francesca was given another sum of money from the Sce family to give up custody of Annabelle. However, Annabelle wasn¡¯tpletely free. her For a long time, she often had nightmares and lost control of her emotions. She was fine in the Sce residence but often quarreled and fought with her ssmates at school. On several asions, she almost thought of ending it all. Kendrick was the first to notice her mental health struggles. He then found a psychologist who treated her for almost a year. On the surface, she seemed to have recovered, but in truth, she had just learned to control herself and conceal her dark side in a tiny little corner deep within herself. At that time, she was afraid that she would lose control of herself one day. Later on, she attended the same middle school as Christopher. After deciding to reside in the school dorm, the pressure she felt about losing control of herself eventually subsided. After so many years, she finally felt like a normal. again. However, Harry¡¯s words made her doubt herself once more. person Annabelle and Scarlett were the only people present back then. If Annabelle wasn¡¯t the culprit, then who else could it be? Who else wanted Scarlett¡¯s life? But soon, Annabelle denied that thought. ¡°No. If I killed Scarlett, who knocked me out after I called Christopher? How did I end up here?¡± she questioned internally. Annabelle suddenly looked at Harry with fear and shuddered uncontrobly. ¡°It¡¯s you! You killed Scarlett! Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Harry said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e. Why would I kill her?¡± ¡°Right. Why would he?¡± she thought. Annabelle was usually a quick thinker. But at that moment, she was stricken by anxiety and panic. Hence, she couldn¡¯t calm down to think. She thought she would¡¯ve had it all figured out, but her thoughts were all jumbled up like a ball of yarn. Annabelle didn¡¯t have a single clue about what happened back then. She was anxious, for she wanted to get to the bottom of things. Her desperation caused her to ball up her hands and hit herself on the head. Annabelle wasn¡¯t one to cry, but at this moment, she couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and began to weep. Tears rolled down her cheeks like a broken chain of pearls. ¡°How can I kill Scarlett? There¡¯s no way I will murder a person!¡± she pondered. Just then, Harry grabbed her hand, pressed her onto the bed, and said coldly, ¡°Enough!¡± Annabelle kept struggling until she exhausted all of her strength and eventually fell asleep. Before going to bed, Yuliana got a call from La. ¡°Yuliana, I talked to someone at the detention center. You can disguise yourself as awyer¡¯s assistant and go in with them.¡± It was very quiet on La¡¯s end, and Yuliana could hear the exhaustion in La¡¯s hoarse voice. ¡°Okay,¡± Yuliana replied and added, ¡°La, you didn¡¯t restst night. Have a good sleep tonight.¡± La chuckled faintly. ¡°I want to sleep, too, but all I can think about is Chris when I close my eyes. What will happen to him if I don¡¯t help him?¡± After saying that, La immediately regained her energy and reassured Yuliana, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me. When you see Christopher tomorrow, persuade him to tell you everything, and tell him not to hide anything. Only then we¡¯ll be able to help him with as much as we can.¡± Yuliana hummed in response. They chatted for a while about Scarlett¡¯s case before ending the call. La was still at thepany. Earlier the same day, Jared traveled to Jeahron to visit awyer who dealt with simr cases in the past, but the oue of his visit was disappointing. Thewyer politely declined to take Christopher¡¯s case, even for Jared¡¯s sake. Jared nned to contact anotherwyer at night, but thewyer was not in Jeahron. They would only return the day after tomorrow, meaning the matter would be dyed for another two days. Besides, Jared wasn¡¯t sure if thatwyer would take the case. Thus, La nned to go to Jeahron and meet thewyer with Jared. La felt exhausted, yet not physically tired. In the past, she didn¡¯t feel tired when she was working on her projects and didn¡¯t get any sleep for days on end. In this instance, only 24 hours had passed since the previous night. Yet, she felt powerless. It seemed like there was an invisible hand that was controlling Christopher¡¯s case, and they couldn¡¯t seem to get rid of that hand no matter how hard they tried. In the afternoon, La visited the Lynch family, and they were keen on making Christopher pay the price for Scarlett¡¯s death. All the evidence in the police¡¯s hands pointed to Christopher killing Scarlett. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 All evidence obtained by the police indicated Christopher as Scarlett¡¯s murderer. She had also arranged for people to inspect the scene but found no trace of a third party involved in the incident. If La hadn¡¯t believed Christopher, she would have suspected that Christopher was the one who killed Scarlett. La felt a headache surging upon her. She then propped her elbows to support her head and massaged her temple with her fingers. After a few minutes, the headache eased gradually. She then stood up and walked to the window, opened it, and let the night breeze in the room. She had never told anyone that she owed Christopher a lot. In fact, she was actually repulsed by Christopher¡¯s existence when she was a child. It was perfect to have only her and Kendrick at home. Zachary had high hopes for Kendrick, and Mrs. Sce couldn¡¯t interfere. Hence, before Christopher was born, she was the Sce family¡¯s darling, indulged by her parents and Kendrick. After Christopher was born, she felt that Christopher had taken everything she had. Even her mother¡¯s health was taken away by him. Consequently, before the incident urred when Christopher was six years old, she had often bullied Christopher behind Kendrick¡¯s and her parents¡¯ backs. When Christopher first learned to walk, she deliberately pushed him to the ground, bullied Christopher when he was young, and even mocked him for being clumsy and not being able to walk properly. She secretly ruined Christopher¡¯s birthday gifts prepared by his parents and would snicker inwardly when she saw Christopher crying miserably. At that time, she thought Christopher didn¡¯t understand, so no matter how she bullied him, he would always call her ¡°La¡± as he followed her around. Due to Kendrick¡¯s busy schedule, La was the only one at home with Christopher and their age difference wasn¡¯t that big either. Christopher was very clingy to her. He would go wherever she went. At that time, Christopher was an obedient and adorable child, which made him very likable, especially to the elders of the Sce family. Everyone adored Christopher as they would hug and kiss him whenever they saw met him. However, La was jealous of him, thinking that Christopher had taken everything from her. She never treated him well, nor spoke to him in a pleasant manner. Ever since that incident happened, Christopher didn¡¯t like to speak or smile anymore. Additionally, he had not addressed La with a sweet voice since then. Christopher would hide in his bedroom in a pale and sick manner, and he would shut the windows tightly. Whenever La went to his room with his favorite snacks and toys, Christopher would always hide in his closet. No matter how sheforted and coaxed him, Christopher would not listen to her at all. past, Eventually, Christopher¡¯s condition gradually improved, and he began calling her ¡°La¡± again, but without the sweet voice he had used to address her in the as if there was a rift between them, making her feel ufortable. Hence, she took the initiative to talk to Christopher about it. Christopher merely nced at her coldly, which made La feel very ufortable. He then replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me because I was annoying?¡± La was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. She wasn¡¯t able toprehend his words right away as well. When she grew upter, La gradually realized that her younger brother wasn¡¯t dumb at all. He knew that she was bullying him all the while, but he had never exposed her and even clung around her, letting her bully him. From then on, her difort became a sense of guilt within her. La didn¡¯t know why she had thought of this right now. In fact, after so many years, though she felt guilty toward Christopher, La knew that he didn¡¯t take it personally and that there was and was no need to express anything between siblings. Perhaps she was afraid of losing a family member once again. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Christopher. After ending the phone call with La, Yuliana decided to go to bed, as she was supposed to meet the lawyer the following day at the detention center. However, she tossed and turned around in bed, unable to fall asleep. As she closed her eyes, the scene of Christopher in the detention center would appear in front of her. La grabbed a bottle of mtonin from the drawer and popped two pills before donning an eye mask and retiring to bed. After more than ten minutes, her thoughts finally dissipated as she drifted to sleep. However, she didn¡¯t sleep soundly and had another dream again. Subconsciously, La knew she was dreaming, but she couldn¡¯t wake up at all. In her dream, she walked into a cold, small room containing only one bed, where a man appeared to be lying on the bed covered in white cloth as if he was a person who had passed away in the hospital. Slowly walking over toward the bed, Yuliana lifted the white cloth, and found herself staring dazedly at Christopher¡¯s pale and ashen face for a while. Her fingers slid from his eyebrows to the bridge of his nose, then to his lips, and finally to his chin. All of a sudden, a sharp pain clenched in Yuliana¡¯s heart. As she clutched her chest, she felt as if someone had strangled her throat, causing her to feel suffocated. Meanwhile, Yuliana, who was sleeping in bed, had also felt a sharp ache in her chest. With her eyes shut, she clenched her chest as tears kept rolling down from the corners of her eyes. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Just when Yuliana felt that she was about to die from suffocation, a baby¡¯s cry awakened her from her sleep. Yuliana¡¯s eyes suddenly shot open. There was a nightmp in the room. After staring in a daze for a moment, she raised her hand to wipe the tears off her face and lifted her nket before picking Rowan up from the crib. Rowan was bawling loudly. Yuliana held him in her arms as she tried to coax him but to no avail. Assuming that he was hungry, Yuliana brought Rowan out of the room and nned to make some milk for him. However, once she was done preparing the milk, Yuliana fed the bottle into Rowan¡¯s mouth, only for him to stick his tongue out, refusing to drink the milk. It was rare for Yuliana to encounter such a situation. After setting down the bottle, she touched Rowan¡¯s forehead, but his temperature did not appear to be that high. Feeling concerned, she checked Rowan¡¯s temperature with a thermometer, but it indicated that his body temperature was normal. In the middle of the night, Yuliana panicked, fearing that something might be wrong with Rowan. However, in the midst of Christopher¡¯s matter troubling her heart, as well as the backlog of emotions resulting from the divorce, she experienced a feeling of breakdown in an instant. Hearing Rowan¡¯s crying, she couldn¡¯t help but cry as well. As Yuliana sobbed between tears, she hurriedly carried Rowan into the room, coaxing him, ¡°Darling, please stop crying. I¡¯ll get changed right now and take you to the hospital.¡± But how could such a young child understand her words? Hearing Rowan¡¯s crying, Yuliana burst into more tears as well. She was so anxious that she didn¡¯t have time to change her clothes. As she wrapped herself in a coat, Yuliana dressed Rowan, packed up all the items they would need, and prepared to rush to the hospital. Meanwhile, Hailey woke up and emerged from her room just as Yuliana was carrying Rowan out of the bedroom. Seeing that Yuliana was wearing a knitted coat over her pajamas, holding Rowan in one arm and a bag in the other, with tear stains on her face as she came out from the room, Hailey was shocked and immediately walked over to ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She then looked at Rowan, who was bawling loudly. When Yuliana saw Hailey, she controlled her emotions slightly as she raised her hand to wipe away her tears, trying to calm herself down as much as possible before exining, ¡°Roe has been crying for a while. I¡¯m worried he¡¯s not feeling well, so I¡¯m taking him to the hospital for emergency treatment.¡± Hearing this, Hailey immediately said, ¡°Yuliana, wait for me. I¡¯ll change my clothes and go with you.¡± Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Shortly after, they arrived at the hospital. After the doctor ran some tests and ruled out any physical causes, he asked, ¡°Are the parents experiencing any unusual changes emotionallytely? Or are there any changes to the child¡¯s environment?¡± Yuliana froze. Then, she pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°There are indeed some changes.¡± ¡°That exins why.¡± The doctor said, ¡°Although children are young, they are sensitive. If their parents are in a bad mood, the negative emotion will be passed on to the child, which will cause the child to feel insecure and frightened.¡± Yuliana looked down at Rowan in her arms. He kept crying on the way to the hospital, but when they arrived at the crowded emergency hall, he slowly stopped crying and even fell asleep. The doctor added, ¡°As parents, please manage your emotions well first, then observe your child¡¯s reaction. If he still cries for unknown reasonster on, you should bring him here again for more detailed examinations.¡± Yuliana bobbed her head. ¡°All right. Thank you, doctor.¡± On the way home, Rowan seemed to have a dream as he was startled awake and cried for a while. Yuliana patiently coaxed him before he fell asleep again. This time, he did not cry non-stop as before. Yuliana reflected on the doctor¡¯s words. Despite trying her best to stay calm amid issues between Christopher and her, it was sometimes inevitable for her to lose control of her emotions, especially when it came to Rowan. Every time she saw Rowan¡¯s face, it would remind her of Christopher. Theposure that she struggled to keep would then turn to vexation. Yuliana was also worried that her emotions would affect Rowan. Hence, whenever such instances happened, she would pass Rowan to Hailey while she stepped aside alone. That way, she and Rowan would not be able to see each other. Before, Yuliana had never lost her temper at Rowan when he cried, but she would lose herposure, her patience, as well as her confidence. Her emotions would go out of hand too. After arriving home, Yuliana carried Rowan straight to the room and gently ced him in the crib. Hailey came in a whileter. Seeing the tired look on Yuliana¡¯s face, Hailey suggested, ¡°It¡¯s still early, Yuliana. Get some sleep.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°You get some sleep too, Hailey. You don¡¯t have to get up early to make breakfast. I have something to attend to in the morning, so I¡¯ll grab something to eat outside.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Hailey replied. She nced at Rowan and once again urged Yuliana to get some rest before leaving Yuliana¡¯s room. However, Yuliana was not sleepy at that moment. She was wide awake. Yuliana appeared to be calm and collected after Christopher proposed a divorce, but in fact, she was in denial and frightened deep inside. It was terrifying for her to even think about it. All she wanted was to escape from reality. By night, she suffered from insomnia, and only mtonin could help her get through the night in a blur. Despite that, her condition would not get any better the next day. Rowan¡¯s sudden outburst that night and the doctor¡¯s words struck Yuliana. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my darling.¡± Yuliana stood by the crib for a while, then picked up her phone and checked the time. It was almost 6 a.m. She went to the bathroom to freshen up and touched up her makeup. It was a clean look, but there was something different than usual. She looked more stunning than before. Yuliana was not the type that would take one¡¯s breath away at first sight. Her beauty stemmed from her elegance rather than her looks. With her makeup retouched now, her looks stood out even more. At present, thewyer in charge of Christopher¡¯s case was a man in his thirties named Zayne Zamora. ording to La, he was fairly experienced in practicingw and was well-known in the industry despite his young age. He was regarded as the top among his peers. However, there were not many simr criminal cases. Christopher was not willing to cooperate much either. Hence, Zayne found his hands tied in this situation, which made La dissatisfied. For a superior like La, if she paid a significant amount, the person she paid should do whatever they could to get the matter done perfectly. Zayne clearly failed to meet La¡¯s expectations. Last night, La and Zayne shared a few words regarding Christopher¡¯s case after visiting thetter at the detention center. La was not in a good mood because of Christopher¡¯s issue, and Zayne was not one with a good temper either. As a result, the brief discussion turned into an argument. Only then did La decide to search her contacts to rece Zayne. When Yuliana arrived at the detention center, Zayne was already there. The agreed meeting time was 9 a.m. Yuliana arrived at 8:50 a.m., while it was unknown when Zayne got there. Yuliana went up and shook hands with Zayne. She apologized, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Zayne withdrew his hand and smiled professionally. ¡°Not at all; I arrived early. Let¡¯s head in first. There are some procedures to be handled in a while.¡± Yuliana nodded. The both of them entered the detention center side by side. While heading in, Yuliana asked about Christopher¡¯s case. Zayne stayed silent for a moment before he solemnly said, ¡°Mrs. Sce, I believe Ms. Sce has gone through the case with you. I still stand by my word that the evidence held by the police now is disadvantageous to Mr. Sce. If he is unwilling to cooperate, I¡¯m afraid that even the best of the best lawyers would not change anything.¡± Yuliana sensed the unfriendly attitude in his tone and did not ask further. While Zayne handled the relevant procedures, Yuliana waited outside. They then followed the guards of the detention center into a small room. The room was divided into two sections by a metal fence and a wall half the height of a man. Yuliana and Zayne stood on one side of the room. The other side of the room was empty, except for a chair. Momentster, the door on the other side opened. Two guards led Christopher in and made him sit on the chair. After swiftly strapping his hands on each side of the chair, the guards left through the door again. Now, only the three of them were left in the small, cramped room. When Christopher came in, he immediately saw Yuliana. He averted his gaze as their eyes met, but Yuliana¡¯s eyes never left him once. The color of his detention uniform was so eye-catching that Yuliana noticed his uniform the moment she saw him. It was different from what her father, Damian, wore in prison. This was because Christopher was still a suspect for now. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Once the evidence was proven to be true and the court order was sentenced, Christopher would wear the same uniform as her father. Yuliana recalled the time when Damian first got into trouble. She had been flustered and afraid. People she was close to changedpletely in a snap of a finger ever since Damian¡¯s incident, and they often gossiped behind her back too. Yuliana was very sad back then. For some time, she refused all social interactions outside work. She locked herself at home to shut out all those unpleasant words. It was also since then that she mastered the skill of being unbothered no matter what others said behind her back. However, no one would want a father who was an inmate. It was the same for Yuliana. She was already criticized and mocked relentlessly behind her back too many times, and she did not want Rowan to go through the same thing. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Yuliana¡¯s thoughts were a little scattered, but she quickly pulled herself together. As she lifted her gaze, her eyes met Christopher¡¯s. Compared to that night he came to Oceanview Apartment, he appeared neither fatter nor thinner, but there was an air of destion and vicissitudes around him. The stubble on Christopher¡¯s chin was showing, and he didn¡¯t shave it. He probably hadn¡¯t had a good rest as well, so he looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes. The two of them stared at each other silently for a while. Zayne was sorting out the documents for the case and failed to notice the subtle interaction between the two. Christopher¡¯s chapped lips parted, and with a hoarse voice, he uttered, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Hearing this, Zayne looked up at Christopher and nced at Yuliana. Yuliana¡¯s eyes were calm. Her face betrayed no hint of emotion as she responded, ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡± After that, Yuliana didn¡¯t speak further. When Zayne finished sorting out the case files, he began to ask Christopher about the case. But what Christopher said was more or less the same as what he told Zayne and La when they met the day before. Zayne felt that there was no need to waste his breath going through everything again. He said to Yuliana, ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡± That was just an excuse. He could see that Yuliana wanted to talk to Christopher alone, so he found an excuse to give them some privacy. As soon as Zayne left, Christopher lifted his gaze to Yuliana. He slouched back on the chair and moved his hands out of habit, but he realized that both of them were restrained. At that realization, he frowned slightly in irritation. ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡± Christopher asked. ¡°Are you the one who killed Scarlett?¡± Yuliana probed. so.¡± Christopher¡¯s expression changed slightly, but the hint of emotion on his face quickly dissipated. He smirked nonchntly and replied, ¡°If you say Yuliana finally realized what Zayne meant when he said Christopher was not cooperating. She retorted, ¡°If I say so? What if the police or the court say so too? Christopher, have you ever thought about this? If you don¡¯t tell the police the truth and end up being convicted as the murderer, you could go to jail or even be sentenced to death.¡± When Yuliana said this, she remainedposed, as if she was merely stating a fact without any trace of emotion. Christopherughed, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Yuliana. ¡°Yuliana, I didn¡¯t know you cared so much about me. I thought you won¡¯t meddle in my business anymore since we¡¯re going to divorce.¡± Yuliana stared at Christopher and went silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°Yes, I do care about you.¡± Upon hearing her words, Christopher finally revealed a trace of emotion. He gently pursed his lips while his dull eyes gradually darkened further. ¡°No.¡± Yuliana suddenly added, lowering her eyes and smiling faintly. She then looked up at Christopher and said, ¡°To be exact, I love you. Christopher, I love you.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. After she said that, tears streamed down her cheeks. She raised her fingers to wipe away the tears softly, the smile on her face remaining ever gentle. ¡°To be honest, I never imagined I would fall in love with someone like you. You arepletely different from my ideal type.¡± Since Yuliana was young, she had always been attracted to people who were motivated and earnest, and not someone like Christopher, who wasid-back and enthralled by fun and entertainment. Harry gave her the impression of the former type of person, so she fell in love with him when she was a teenage girl. But after getting married, she gradually discovered that Harry was different from what she had imagined. While Harry was indeed motivated, he used whatever means to achieve his goals. Of course, the business world was like a battlefield, it wasmon for people to be merciless. However, her marriage with Harry was not the kind of marriage she wanted. Christopher was not Yuliana¡¯s ideal type. Their one-year marriage had its ups downs, and they fought a lot. But after thinking back to the time they spent together, Yuliana still felt a sense of bliss. SO and She enjoyed the simplicity of her rtionship with Christopher and the fact that Christopher was clinging to her. ¡°But I fell in love with you. What can I do?¡± Yuliana gave a wryugh, paused for a while, and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want to divorce you. I hope that I can be together with you and Roe as a family forever.¡± While staring into Christopher¡¯s eyes, Yuliana went on, ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t you feel anything at all for me? Can¡¯t you let yourself walk out of here as an innocent man for me and our son? Do you want someone to curse Roe one day, calling his father a murderer?¡± Christopher clenched his fists while his gaze remained fixated on Yuliana. The veins on the back of his hand were bulging as if they were about to explode. After a long silence, he spoke again with a resolute tone tinged with sarcasm. ¡°After the divorce, you can change his surname, or you can find a new father for him. Isn¡¯t it fine as long as no one knows that he is my son?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips tightly. ¡°Are you really going to divorce me?¡± ¡°Of course. Do you think I¡¯m joking?¡± Christopher reverted back to his nonchnt behavior and smiled derisively at Yuliana as he mocked, ¡°Ana, I didn¡¯t expect you to fall in love with me. I¡¯m actually pleased to hear what you said just now. However, I believe you¡¯re aware that the reason we got married in the first ce was that you were pregnant. As a responsible man, I couldn¡¯t just abandon the offspring of the Sce family. I had no choice but to marry you. After getting married, I nned to live a good life with you. Even though you are a boring person, your figure still suits my taste and gave me a sense of excitement. I thought maybe we could go on forever.¡± Christopher took a nce at Yuliana and continued, ¡°But how long can the excitementst? Ana, we¡¯ve known each other for a while now, and you are the mother of my son. I want us to part on good terms.¡± Listening to his words, Yuliana suddenly chuckled. ¡°You said so many things, but in conclusion, you still want to divorce me. You didn¡¯t really have to say all of that. A simple ¡®yes¡¯ would have sufficed. You¡¯re right. If we were to divorce, I can change Rowan¡¯s surname and leave Juxshire with him, or I can remarry if I meet the right person in the future. As long as no one knows that Rowan is your son, no one will¡± know that he has a father who murdered someone and entered prison. But Christopher, are you sure this is what you want?¡± Christopher smirked. ¡°I haven¡¯t reached the point where I need my son to see me off to my deathbed. If necessary, I can always find another woman to bear me a child.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes turned cold at that. ¡°In that case, I have nothing more to say. Today will be myst time seeing you. As for our divorce procedures, I will fully cooperate.¡± After saying that, she stood up, walked toward the door, and ced her hand on the doorknob. As she was about to open the door and leave, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°Christopher, once I walk out of here today, I won¡¯t look back no matter what happens in the future.¡± After a long silence, a faint voice was heard from behind. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 ¡°Okay,¡± he responded casually as if agreeing on an insignificant matter. As Yuliana raised her head slightly, her eyes widened and quickly turned red with tears. She bit her lip firmly, forcing herself to blink back the tears in her eyes a little. Then, she took a few deep breaths, pulled open the door, and walked out. When Yuliana walked out, Zayne was leaning against the wall and fiddling with his phone. He appeared distant, as though he was deeply engrossed in thought. Yuliana approached him. ¡°Mr. Zamora.¡± Upon hearing Yuliana¡¯s voice, Zayne finally came back to his senses and turned to face her. His gaze briefly paused when he saw her reddened eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked gentlemanly. Yuliana shook her head lightly without saying anything. Zayne also did not like to probe into matters between spouses. But he did have some insider knowledge about this case. It was just that Christopher was not willing to disclose the actual situation, and no additional evidence had been found. Zayne averted his gaze from Yuliana¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Has he told you yet?¡± ¡°No.¡± Christopher¡¯s attitude earlier was apparent. Even if she had asked him, he wouldn¡¯t have answered either. Although it was not yet certain whether Scarlett¡¯s death had any direct rtion to Annabelle, Annabelle definitely had something to do with Christopher bing a suspect. Christopher had, once again, put his own life on the line to ensure Annabelle¡¯s well-being. Hearing Yuliana¡¯s response, Zayne knew he hade in vain again today. Nevertheless, if there were no evidence in favor of Christopher in the near future, the police¡¯s evidence would basically be sufficient to convict him of the murder. Zayne had also examined the scene. The evidence was solid, so much so that even he suspected Christopher had murdered that woman. However, La firmly believed that there was more to the story. In fact, Zayne was not concerned whether Christopher was the perpetrator of that woman¡¯s murder or not. His priority as awyer was, of course, to serve his client¡¯s interests. But the situation wasn¡¯t optimistic at present, not to mention that La was constantly doubting Zayne¡¯s ability. This made him feel somewhat displeased. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Zayne retracted his gaze from afar, nced at Yuliana, and said, ¡°Wait here for a moment. I need to grab something from inside. I¡¯ll give you a rideter. It¡¯s not easy to hail a taxi in this area.¡± Yuliana did not decline the offer and instead thanked him. With that, Zayne went inside to retrieve hisputer and hard copies of case-rted documents. Yuliana waited outside for about ten minutes before he emerged from the building. Zayne¡¯s offer to give Yuliana a ride did not specify that he would take her home. Once they arrived at a convenient location to hail a taxi, he dropped her off, exining apologetically that he had urgent matters to attend to in another direction. Before they parted ways, Zayne handed one of his business cards to Yuliana and told her to contact him if necessary. Yuliana did not think much of it when she epted his business card. It was not until Zayne¡¯s car had driven away that understanding dawned on her. She couldn¡¯t help butugh self-deprecatingly. ¡°Look. Even people who aren¡¯t well-acquainted with us know we¡¯re going to get a divorce,¡± she thought. It was still quite early right now, having not surpassed eleven o¡¯clock. At this juncture, she did not want to go home. Yuliana walked aimlessly down the street without any particr thoughts in her mind. She absentmindedly scanned the cars and peopleing and going. The agonizing and suffocating sensation she had previously experienced while in the detention center had already faded as time passed. It seemed like she had gotten numb from the pain and was no longer feeling anything. At that time, Yuliana had a strong urge to cry in front of Christopher but managed to control her tears forcefully. Now, with no familiar faces in sight that were aware of what had happened, there was no big deal, even if she were to burst into tears. Nevertheless, her eyes only felt as empty as her mind now, without a single tear inside. Her phone started to ring before she walked for long. The call was from La, who asked about Yuliana¡¯s meeting with Christopher and if he had told the latter anything. Yuliana replied sinctly, ¡°No.¡± La went silent for a while after hearing Yuliana¡¯s response and then sighed. La thenforted Yuliana, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯lle to Jeahron in person tomorrow and engage the bestwyer for Chris. He will definitely be fine.¡± ¡°La, I¡¯d suggest you not put in so much effort.¡± In truth, Yuliana shouldn¡¯t have said those words, but she couldn¡¯t bear to see La being worried and anxious for Christopher. ¡°Christopher is already an adult who has his own thoughts. He ought to be responsible for his actions.¡± La probably did not like to hear these words. If it were in the past, Yuliana would not have spoken up, as the truth could often be ufortable to hear. She did not want to hurt anyone. But now, she felt sorry for La and perhaps more so for herself. She had begged Christopher so abjectly, expressing her feelings for him, yet he simply dismissed her as though she were garbage. No matter what unspeakable reasons Christopher might have had, it was evident his heart had always held other priorities that were more important than Yuliana and Rowan. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± La questioned, sensing something off about Yuliana¡¯s tone of voice. The couple had previously argued about getting a divorce, but as soon as Christopher got into trouble and was detained in the detention center, Yuliana rushed to visit him. Thus, La had assumed that Yuliana¡¯s visit indicated a possibility of reconciliation in the duo¡¯s rtionship. However, Yuliana¡¯s tone did not seem to reflect La¡¯s sentiment. Yuliana knew that her words earlier had been mixed with a lot of her personal emotions. Given La¡¯s deep concern for her younger brother Christopher, Yuliana believed it would be impossible for La to simply stand by and do nothing. Instead of answering La¡¯s question, she responded inly, ¡°Lay¡­ Ms. Sce, you don¡¯t have to keep me updated on Christopher¡¯s matters from now on. After this, I¡¯ll make time to finalize our divorce, and once that¡¯s done, I won¡¯t have anything to do with him anymore.¡± As soon as those words were uttered, the phone line went quiet once again. The silence felt a little heavy and oppressive. La was aware that Christopher was the one who had initiated the divorce, so she should not think negatively of Yuliana. However, with Christopher facing murder charges and being in a precarious situation now, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disheartened when she heard Yuliana¡¯s words. Regardless, she didn¡¯t say anything and merely sneered. ¡°Okay.¡± Following that, the call was hung up. With her phone in hand, Yuliana stood at the crossroads and watched the constant stream of passing vehicles. She remained there for quite some time, and it wasn¡¯t until her legs had gone numb that she finally regained her senses. She first called Hailey, informing thetter that she would be returning homete and asking Hailey to look after Rowan. Then, she ced another call to Xandria. Since theirst conversation on the phone yesterday, Xandria had made several attempts to call Yuliana in the afternoon. It was probable that she had received some legitimate news and was now concerned about Yuliana. But Yuliana did not answer the phone. Later on, Xandria sent a WhatsApp text to ask about the situation of Christopher¡¯s case. To soothe Xandria¡¯s nerves, Yuliana replied with two texts. While Yuliana was in the detention center earlier, Xandria called the former again. At that time, Yuliana¡¯s phone was on silent mode, so she only noticed the missed call after she left. As soon as Yuliana made the call, Xandria picked up the phone. ¡°You finally are willing to call me back!¡± Xandria sounded immensely anxious. ¡°What exactly is going on? How could Christopher possibly murder Scarlett? Is it possible that the police have gotten it wrong?¡± In contrast to Yuliana¡¯sposed demeanor, Xandria¡¯s reaction appeared more normal. Yuliana chose not to respond to Xandria¡¯s query and instead asked in a low voice, ¡°Xani, can youe and get me, please? I¡¯m feeling quite exhausted and cannot walk anymore.¡± After Xandria heard that, tears began to well up in her eyes. Thankfully, she managed to hold them back as she answered in a somewhat odd voice, ¡°Sure, send me your location. I¡¯ll be there in no time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana hung up the phone and then sent her location to Xandria. Xandria got there quickly. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 It was a nearly one-hour drive, but it only took her about 40 minutes to get there. When Xandria arrived, Yuliana was sitting quietly on a bamboo chair outside the coffee shop. She did not order any coffee, and there was a ss full of water in front of her. It was obvious that she never had a sip. Yuliana sat there listlessly, gazing nkly into the distance without any movement for a long time. She only blinked her eyes a little out of natural reflex after a long while. Xandria had never seen Yuliana like this before. Even when Yuliana divorced Harry, she never acted like this. Yuliana looked indescribably exhausted. Her soul seemed to have left her body, leaving only an empty shell sitting there. Xandria was shocked. She immediately walked over and called out, ¡°Yuliana!¡± Yuliana finally moved slowly when she heard Xandria¡¯s voice. She turned her head toward Xandria and smiled faintly. ¡°Xani, you¡¯re here.¡± Xandria kept staring at Yuliana¡¯s face. Thetter had a bright makeup look today, but it did not look tawdry on her. Instead, it highlighted her delicate facial features even more. However, even with the makeup on, Xandria could still see that Yuliana looked really pale. Xandria moved the chair toward Yuliana and sat down next to her. She raised her hand to feel Yuliana¡¯s forehead and then her own. ¡°No fever,¡± Xandria muttered. She then asked anxiously, ¡°Yuliana, are you not feeling well? Let me take you to the hospital.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yuliana knew her health condition very well. She was just feeling a little tired and wanted to have a good sleep. She had not had a good sleep these days. She only had four to five hours of sleep every day, and once she got up, it was hard for her to get back to sleep. Yet her mental state was poor. She felt sleepy and tired every day. That kind of situation seemed to reach a critical point that day. Yuliana¡¯s body felt so sore and weak that she could not muster up any strength. All she wanted was to find a bed and sleep for two days straight. Yuliana lowered her eyelids and uttered slowly, ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± Xandria suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll drive you back.¡± 17:08 ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back now,¡± Yuliana replied. Every corner of the condominium was filled with traces of Christopher. She refused to get involved in anything rted to him now. All she wanted was to hide in a ce without Christopher. Xandria wanted to ask, but after seeing Yuliana acting like this, she kept quiet. She thought for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to my ce then. The condominium that my dad bought me a few years back was renovatedst year, but I haven¡¯t had a chance to bring you there. I¡¯ll take you there today.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The two girls got in the car. Perhaps Yuliana was worn out, so soon after getting in the car, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Xandria did not know if it was her illusion. She felt that Yuliana seemed to have lost a lot of weight since thest time they met each other. Her face which had a little baby fat previously was so much more angr now. Xandria drove smoothly as she wanted Yuliana to sleep peacefully. However, Yuliana still did not sleep long. She was awake when they were about to arrive at the condominium at Bloudence. Yuliana stared out of the window, and a signboard of an offline chain alcohol shop came into her sight. She looked at Xandria and asked, ¡°Do you have any alcohol at your ce?¡± Xandria did not realize Yuliana was awake. She was stunned when she suddenly heard Yuliana¡¯s words. ¡°Alcohol? Do you want to have some?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°I want to drink some.¡± Xandria replied, ¡°There is no problem for people to stay in that condominium at Bloudence, but I haven¡¯t lived in it yet, and there¡¯s actually no alcohol over there. We can go grab some now if you want to drink.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s buy some,¡± Yuliana agreed. And so, Xandria made a turn to pick up some alcohol before heading back to the condominium at Bloudence. After reaching the condominium, Yuliana drank two bottles of beer straight. Yuliana was never a good drinker, and she rarely drank. After gulping two bottles of beer, she felt a little dizzy. Yuliana had no n of getting drunk at this moment. She just wanted to have a nice and peaceful sleep. Apparently, alcohol was way more effective than mtonin for Yuliana. She turned off her phone andy on the couch in the living room. Not long after, she fell asleep. Xandria had an upset stomach when she got home, so she went to the bathroom. first. She came out and saw Yuliana deep asleep on the couch with her body curled. There were two empty beer bottles on the coffee table right in front of her. Xandria stood next to the couch, gazing worriedly at Yuliana for a while. She then threw the beer bottles into the trash can and went upstairs to get a nket from the wardrobe to cover Yuliana. Yuliana had a deep sleep. By the time she woke up, it was already dark. It had been a while since she slept for so long. The soreness and weakness in her body had reduced significantly, and she sobered up. Yuliana seemed to have a lot of dreams while she was asleep, but she could not remember a single scene that she had dreamed of after waking up. The living room was brightly lit, but it was inplete silence. Yuliana looked around, and it seemed that Xandria was not around. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. She then got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. When she came out, she saw Xandria entering the house with several bags in her hands. Xandria¡¯s eyes lit up as she saw Yuliana was up. The former chuckled as she asked, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Yea.¡± Yuliana nced at the stuff that Xandria was holding and asked, ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°Hehe, I managed to get Raymond to bring over some dishes for me,¡± Xandria chimed happily while she put all the food on the coffee table and showed them to Yuliana. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten these for a long time. I remembered you loved fried chicken wings, so I ordered two sets for you.¡± There was only one fried food store in the whole of Juxshire, which was located near their high school. Back in high school, it was Yuliana¡¯s and Xandria¡¯s favorite store and they often went there. Even though they could barely take spicy food, they would always crave that and have upset stomachs after eating. After graduating from high school, they had fewer chances of eating there as they were further away. They would go together only when it asionally crossed their mind. ¡°Why are you standing there? Come and sit over here!¡± Xandria handed a pair of disposable gloves to Yuliana. Yuliana put them right on, picked up a fried chicken wing, and started eating. Perhaps it had been a long time since Yulianast had such spicy food, she choked on the first bite and burst into tears. Instead offorting her, Xandria went over to the refrigerator. She put the ice cubes she made that afternoon into an ice bucket, opened a bottle of liquor, and poured it into two sses. After adding a few ice cubes, she handed the ss to Yuliana and eximed, ¡°Let¡¯s get drunk tonight!¡± Yuliana nced at Xandria with her reddened eyes for a second and took the ss of alcohol before gulping it down. ¡°Let¡¯s get drunk!¡± she answered with her lips curled into a grin. Xandria turned on the TV and switched to a channel with someone singing. She then chatted with Yuliana while enjoying the food and drinks. Their conversation circted around the fun stuff that had happened in high school, and they remembered how carefree they were back then. They both had boys they had crushes on in school. Besides, they also shared their little secrets with each other, gossiped, had meals, and went to sses together. Although they faced some troubles too, those were nothing as they recalled them now. In fact, it was those troubles that made the moment back then more interesting. Yuliana drank a lot. She was so drunk that she sat on the floor. Her face was flushed. She pressed against her temples with her fingers. Despite feeling extremely terrible in the head, her body felt very rxed as if she was on cloud nine. ¡°Xani, I¡¯m going to divorce Christopher.¡± Chapter 319 Chapter 319 ¡°Xani, I¡¯m going to divorce Christopher.¡± Yuliana smiled when she said this. At the same time, tears rolled down the corner of her eyes and slid across her lips along the nasal groove. She didn¡¯t hide it at all. Instead, she slowly raised her hand to wipe the tears hanging on her lower lip. Then she drank another mouthful of wine. Perhaps it was because Yuliana had drunk a lot, so her movements and thoughts became slow. Even her perception of her emotions became much slower at the same time. When she told Xandria about the divorce, she only felt a light sting in her heart, and she soon felt numb thanks to the alcohol. Xandria had a high tolerance, so the alcohol in front of her was a piece of cake for her. While Yuliana was drunk, Xandria was still sober. When thetter heard Yuliana¡¯s words, she almost choked on the wine. Xandria¡¯s astonishment faded when she saw Yuliana smiling with tears. Feeling sorry for Yuliana, she held back the words she wanted to say. All Xandria felt at that moment was sympathy for Yuliana. Without saying anything, Xandria moved closer to Yuliana and gave her a hug. ¡°Yuliana, you don¡¯t have to hold back in front of me. Just cry if you want.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t want to cry at first, but when she heard Xandria¡¯s sorrowful voice, she felt an excruciating pain in her heart. Then, tears started pouring from her eyes. Yuliana bit her lips tightly, but sobs still escaped from her throat. For a moment, there was only the heartbreaking sound of crying in the quiet apartment. It was full of despair and misery. Xandria seldom saw Yuliana crying. Even when Yuliana divorced Harry, she did not cry in front of Xandria. Yuliana was emotionally stable every time they met back then, and Xandria had felt indignant for Yuliana whenever she saw thetter like that. Xandria didn¡¯t know what had happened between Yuliana and Christopher. She wondered, ¡°Is it because of the photos I sent to Yulianast time? Or is Christopher¡¯s involvement in the murder case the reason for their divorce?¡± It was evident that Yuliana did not want to divorce Christopher, or else she would not be that sad. Yuliana cried for a long time. She only stopped crying when exhaustion swept over her. She moved and sat on the carpet beside Xandria. Leaning against the sofa, she ced her head on Xandria¡¯s shoulder and raised her eyes to look at the light above. The light was soft and not too bright, but Yuliana still felt tingling pain in her eyes. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, and the suffocating feeling in her chest was finally gradually relieved. She picked up the wine ss and took another sip, though she didn¡¯t drink as fast as before. Obviously, she had calmed down at this point. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you drink so much,¡± Xandria said softly. Yuliana said, ¡°This is not my first time. Actually, when I divorced Harry, I drank a lot the night I went to the bar with you. Because of that, I provoked Christopher, and that¡¯s how all these things happened afterward.¡± ¡°Do I regret it?¡± Yuliana wondered. Yuliana thought about it carefully and realized she didn¡¯t seem to regret it. Although her marriage failed again, she now had Rowan. After hesitating for a while, Xandria couldn¡¯t help asking curiously, ¡°Yuliana, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Harry and Christopher, who do you prefer?¡± Yuliana had loved Harry for so many years and had only been with Christopher for about a year. Yet for some reason, Xandria thought that Yuliana was more heartbroken about her divorce from Christopher. Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She had never thought about who she liked more, but she knew that Harry and Christopher were totally different people. In her three years of marriage with Harry, her love for him vanished over time. Getting a divorce was sad, but it also gave her freedom. On the other hand, her memories with Christopher seemed to be more than that of the ones she made with Harry in three years. Her year with Christopher was full of ups and downs, but it was the best year she had ever had in her life. Yuliana had neverpared her degree of love for the two. She had loved Harry dearly, but now that she was over him, she felt nothing for him. But apparently, she still could not move on from Christopher at this time. Therefore, her feelings now were not necessarily urate. Yuliana smiled. ¡°What do you think?¡± Xandria leaned her head against the sofa and thought for a moment. Then, she said, ¡°I think you prefer Christopher.¡± With that, she nced at Yuliana. Yuliana did not confirm whether Xandria got it right. With a calm expression, she picked up the ss and took another sip of wine. Seeing that Yuliana didn¡¯t intend to continue this topic, Xandria asked cautiously, ¡°Did you get divorced because of the photos I sent youst time?¡± At that time, Kathryn had asked Xandria to stay out of her business, but thetter felt that Yuliana was her best friend. Xandria thought that it was her responsibility to tell Yuliana when she saw Christopher flirting with another woman and getting into a car with her hand in hand. However, if that caused the divorce between Yuliana and Christopher, making Yuliana so sad, Xandria would regret it and me herself. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Yuliana knew what Xandria was thinking. ¡°It has nothing to do with you,¡± she answered. ¡°Then¡­ Is it because of Scarlett¡¯s case?¡± Yuliana shook her head and smiled. ¡°Not really. He just wants to divorce me.¡± Xandria didn¡¯t understand what Yuliana meant. When she was about to rify further, thetter stood up and staggered toward the bathroom. Having cried her heart out, Yuliana sobered 1. Yuliana washed her face with cold water and felt more clear-headed. Then, she stood by the sink for a few minutes. When she came out again, the previous sadness on her face disappeared. Her swollen eyes were the only evidence of her crying prior to this. She said to Xandria, ¡°Xani, I¡¯m going home.¡± Startled, Xandria immediately stood up. Her knees hit the coffee table, and the pain made her grimace. ¡°It¡¯s sote already. Why don¡¯t you sleep over tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about Roe.¡± Yuliana knew Xandria was worried about her, so she added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Since Yuliana said that, Xandria could not insist on making her stay. Xandria couldn¡¯t drive Yuliana back as she had drunk some alcohol. Instead, she sent Yuliana downstairs. After seeing Yuliana get in the car and leave, she went upstairs to clean up the mess and asked a designated driver to drive her back to the Yeager residence. Xandria was quite a scaredy cat. She found it a little creepy to sleep in such a big apartment alone. When Yuliana returned home, Rowan had fallen asleep, to her surprise. Hailey said, ¡°He cried for a while when it was time for bed, but he fell asleep after I coaxed him for a while. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± ¡°Thank you, Hailey.¡± Hailey smiled and said, ¡°Roe is just like my grandson. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Yuliana thought that since Christopher¡¯s freedom was limited, the divorce procedures would be a little cumbersome. Unexpectedly, Christopher arranged everything so properly that she almost didn¡¯t need to do anything. She just had to bring the required ID cards and materials and sign for confirmation. That was thest time Yuliana met Christopher. Except for the necessarymunication, they didn¡¯t say another word to each other. The procedure was handled quickly and finished in less than half an hour. Chapter 320 Chapter 320 A monthter, the police referred Scarlett¡¯s case to the prosecutor¡¯s office. With that, the prosecutor¡¯s office was put in charge of examining and prosecuting the suspect. La put in a great deal of effort and used many connections. Finally, a businessman whose surname was Dixon came forward and acted as an intermediary for her. He helped La contact awyer with the surname Dunn, and thiswyer had juste back from overseas a year ago. Although David Dunn was not as well-known as the otherwyers La had contacted, nor did he have a perfect record of winning cases since returning to the country, he still managed to secure the best oue for his clients in the cases he had taken up. The evidence for Scarlett¡¯s case had already formed a closed loop, so it was hard for David to clear Christopher¡¯s name without new key evidence. The trialmenced at the end of the year. David asked the court to take into ount that this was Christopher¡¯s first offense and the fact that he took remedial measures, called an ambnce, and called the police on his own initiative after the murder. In addition, there was no trace of violence at the scene. Except for the wound that killed Scarlett, there were no other signs of trauma on her body. Therefore, David imed that Scarlett had died due to Christopher¡¯s negligence and that he should be given a lighter sentence. However, the prosecutor argued that Christopher did not call the emergency services immediately, so there was suspicion that he intentionally caused the death of the victim. It was voluntary manughter, so Christopher should be sentenced ording to the said crime. Coupled with the fact that Christopher had a tendency to violence in the past, the prosecutor proposed that he should be severely sentenced. The prosecutor and defense debated back and forth several times. Finally, the court found Christopher guilty of involuntary manughter and sentenced him to four years. By the time the case ended, it was already the end of the spring season of the following year. After Yuliana and Christopher divorced, she settled all her affairs in Juxshire and went to Jeahron with Rowan. On the day of the announcement of the trial verdict, Yuliana and Rowan were basking in the sun in their yard. Rowan had just turned one. Perhaps it was due to his premature birth,pared to other one-year-old children, Rowan¡¯s ability to speak developed muchter. Not only that, he learned to walk much slower than babies of the same age. Other children could walk and utter some words when they were one year old. s, Rowan couldn¡¯t do the same. He could only climb on the ground and could barely walk even with the walker. It took even longer for Rowan to start to speak. Many babies could say some simple andmon words in about ten months, while Rowan could only babble, and he could only do so when he was in distress. Most of the time, he would use his fingers or make gestures to express himself. Yuliana could understand his movements, but she wanted to make Rowan talk, so she deliberately pretended not to understand him. Whenever this happened, Rowan would either act cute to get his way or pretend to cry by producing a few dry sobs. Even though Yuliana knew he was pretending, she couldn¡¯t help but give in every time. This was the main reason why Rowan didn¡¯t learn to speak until muchter. On All Souls¡¯ Day, Yuliana went to Yrinas alone. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. The Livingstone family was born and raised in Yrinas. Even Damian was also born and raised in Yrinas. Before he passed away, he would take Yuliana back to Yrinas Day every year on All Souls¡¯ Day. Damian also hired people to clean and maintain the house where Yuliana¡¯s grandparents used to live all year round. When they went back to pay respects to the deceased, they would stay in that house for one or two nights. She had promised Damian she woulde back to pay her respects to her grandparents every All Souls¡¯ Day. Last year, it was not convenient for her to return because she had just given birth to Rowan. This year, although Yuliana was in Jeahron, which was considerably further, she still yearned toe back. She was not familiar with Yrinas. In previous years, it was always Damian who brought them here. They usually went to her grandparents¡¯ house first. Then, they would prepare the things they wanted to bring along to the graves of her grandparents and the ancestors of the Livingstone family. Yuliana booked the earliest flight to visit her grandparents¡¯ graves and then went go back to to have a look around the house where they used to live. She would Jeahron in the afternoon. She didn¡¯t expect to run into an acquaintance as soon as she got off the ne. ¡°Ms. Livingstone.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana looked up and saw Wesley standing a few steps away with a simple backpack in his hand. Obviously, he had just gotten off the ne too. Yuliana was stunned and took two steps forward. ¡°Mr. Duncan, why have you 17-1 Wesley replied, ¡°I came to take care of something. What about you?¡± ¡°Yrinas is my hometown. I came here to visit my grandparents¡¯ graves,¡± answered Yuliana. Wesley nced at Yuliana discreetly. She only carried a small bag with no other luggage in her hand. Evidently, she didn¡¯t intend to stay in Yrinas for a long time. ¡°Where are you headed? I¡¯ve contacted a driver. I can give you a ride.¡± ¡°No need for that. I have rtives here. I contacted them before I came over. My cousin wille to pick me up at the airport,¡± said Yuliana, refusing Wesley¡¯s offer. Yuliana¡¯s cousin was the grandson of her uncle, and he was over ten years than her. He ran a small business in Yrinas. Since Damian had taken care of him older before, when he heard that Yuliana would be back on All Souls¡¯ Day, he took the initiative to offer to pick her up at the airport. Wesley didn¡¯t insist. He had something to do in Yrinas this time, and it would be inconvenient with Yuliana around. After that, they exited the airport together. The driver Wesley contacted arrived first. Before getting in the car, Wesley asked, ¡°When are you going back to Juxshire?¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I won¡¯t go back for the time being.¡± Wesley nodded and didn¡¯t say anything more. He opened the door and got in the car. Yuliana watched Wesley¡¯s car leave. Thest time they met was when Christopher got into troublest year. She had asked Wesley to help investigate Scarlett¡¯s case. She had called Wesley to ask about the situation after she and Christopher got a divorce. At that time, Wesley hadn¡¯t found anything useful, and she didn¡¯t intend to interfere in Christopher¡¯s affairs, so she asked Wesley to contact La instead. Yuliana didn¡¯t know exactly what happenedter, but Christopher was finally imprisoned due to involuntary manughter. Judging from the oue, it seemed Wesley hadn¡¯t made any progress in his investigation since then. Yuliana waited for half an hour before Chandler Livingstone finally arrived. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Yuliana. I was dyed by the traffic,¡± Chandler apologized to Yuliana with a smile. ¡°Thank you and sorry to trouble you, Chandler,¡± replied Yuliana while fastening her seat belt. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, my dear cousin,¡± said Chandler. Chandler spent a lot of time socializing with people due to the nature of his work, so he talked quite a lot. He talked all the way, with Yuliana asionally responding. In fact, they didn¡¯t know each other well. Yuliana had only met him a few times. When Chandler faced some difficulties back then, he came to Yuliana¡¯s father on his own to ask for help to resolve his problem. Chandler had a few other siblings who agreed to visit their elders¡¯ graves too. They would then have lunch together at Chandler¡¯s house at noon. Since Yuliana was not familiar with this ce, she chose to follow them. When they were done visiting the graves, it was already past lunchtime. Yuliana followed everyone to have ate lunch at Chandler¡¯s house. When she said that she would like to go have a look at her grandparents¡¯ house, Chandler took the initiative once more to drive her there. As Damian was no longer around, and also because she hadn¡¯t returned to Yrinas all these years, she thought the house would be in disarray and covered in dust. She didn¡¯t expect that the house would be no different from when she visited a few years ago, and its interiors were all very clean. Chandler said, ¡°Uncle Damian arranged for someone toe and clean the house regrly.¡± Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Photo Album Yuliana was stunned for a moment and then asked, ¡°Has he been doing the same all these years?¡± Chandler nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Actually, Uncle Damian came back to Yrinas before he got into that mess. At that time, I came nearby this area for work and was nning to take shelter at my great-uncle¡¯s house from the rainstorm. Unexpectedly, Uncle Damian came back.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana was stunned again. Without answering Chandler¡¯s question, she stood there quietly for a while before she walked downstairs based on her memories. Then, she took a tour downstairs. This was a small foreign-style building that had three floors. Yuliana¡¯s grandparents used to do some small businesses, and the family conditions were not bad. Since Yuliana¡¯s father was the only child, all her grandparents¡¯ efforts were devoted to her father. Even now, Yuliana still remembered what her grandfather had told her when he was still alive. He said that the proudest thing in his life was to raise an excellent son, who was Yuliana¡¯s father. Yuliana¡¯s grandfather also wanted her to learn from her father and be a person who would contribute to society and the country. When she recalled her grandfather¡¯s words now, she felt it was a little ironic. She thought, ¡°If Grandpa was still alive, I wonder what he would think when he sees my father¡¯s current situation.¡± ¡°Chandler, please sit downstairs for a while. I¡¯ll go upstairs and have a look,¡± Yuliana said to Chandler. Chandler responded, ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana went upstairs. There were three rooms and a study room upstairs. Although Yuliana¡¯s grandfather was a businessman, he also liked literary activities. In his free time, he would read books and practice calligraphy. Her father¡¯s excellent handwriting was taught by her grandfather. When Yuliana was a child, her grandfather also taught her to write for a period of time, but her writing was rather delicate andcked a majestic feeling. Her grandfather didn¡¯t like it and gave up teaching her after a while Yuliana went to the study room first. The furnishings in the study room were the same as before her grandfather¡¯s death, and even the paper he used to practice calligraphy when he was alive was well-preserved. She didn¡¯t move the things in the study room. She just stood quietly for a moment and looked slowly at every corner, then got ready to leave. When she went out of the study room and was about to close the door, her gaze suddenly fell on a certain spot on the bookshelf. After a pause, she pushed the door open again and entered the study room. She took the thick book from the bookshelf. It was a photo album. There were many photos in the album, mainly of all three of her grandparents and her father. Some of them were taken during some important events in the Livingstone family. Later, the photos of her and Jacob were also put in the album. Yuliana remembered that when she returned during All Souls¡¯ Day once, Damian specially asked a photographer to take a family photo for them. After the photo was printed out, it was also put in this album. Yuliana remembered the family photo deeply. It was taken less than a few years after Callie and Damian¡¯s divorce. During that time, Damian remarried Sabrina and had Jacob. Then, the family photo from that photoshoot reced Callie¡¯s original photo in the album. At that time, although Yuliana didn¡¯t hate Sabrina, she definitely didn¡¯t like thetter. In Yuliana¡¯s heart, Callie, Damian, and she were an actual family. Yuliana looked through the album from beginning to end. When she was about to put it back, she suddenly paused and felt something was wrong, but she couldn¡¯t recognize what was wrong for a moment. She frowned and thought for a while, then opened the album and flipped through it again. Finally, she found something wrong The photos in this album were sorted ording to the time when they were taken. The time that each photo was taken was marked on the back of each photo. However, the photo of Damian, Sabrina, Yuliana, and Jacob had switched in order with the photo of Yuliana¡¯s grandparents and Damian. Yuliana stared at the photos that were switched in order and pondered for a while. She touched the two photos with her fingers and then slowly took out the photo where the four took a group photo. A folded square paper was sandwiched between the two photos. Chandler waited downstairs for a while. Seeing that Yuliana hadn¡¯te down yet, he nned to go upstairs to check on her. He couldn¡¯t stay here for a long time since he had an appointmentter. When he arrived at the second floor, he saw that the door of the study room was half open. He went straight to the door. When he was about to open the door and enter, his movement suddenly paused. He looked at the door for a while and saw Yuliana standing in front of the bookshelf with a thick book in her hand. He didn¡¯t know whether it was a book or something, and she was reading it very seriously. ¡°Yuliana,¡± Chandler called out after he pushed the door open and entered the study room. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Yuliana came back to her senses and looked at Chandler, who came in. ¡°Chandler.¡± Chandler walked up to her and asked with a smile, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°A photo album.¡± Chandler nced and realized that it was indeed a photo album. He found out that she was looking at the group photo of her four family members. Yet, thedy of the house in the photo was not Yuliana¡¯s mother. Chandler remembered Damian remarried his second wife, Sabrina, soon after his divorce from Callie. Soon, Damian and Sabrina had a son together. At that time, Yuliana followed them back to visit the grave. Chandler could tell that Yuliana and Sabrina were not very close. After Damian¡¯s ident, Sabrina also took Jacob abroad, leaving Yuliana in her home country. These were all normal. Although it was said that men and women were equal now, the inherent idea in a person¡¯s mind was not so easy to eradicate. The more sessful one was, the more one would want a son and have the son inherit one¡¯s good genes and career. Chandler said casually, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Jake for years. He should be in his teens now.¡± Yuliana responded indifferently before closing the album and putting it back on the bookshelf. After they came out of the study room, Yuliana went to look at the other three rooms. Actually, there was nothing to see. The pieces of furniture were covered with dust cloths. She didn¡¯t intend to spend the night in Yrinas, so she wouldn¡¯t touch those pieces of furniture. She merely took a look at each room from the door and went downstairs with Chandler, Yuliana intended toe to see if her grandparents¡¯ house needed repairs. Although Damian was in prison these years, he had arranged everything well before he was met with a mishap, so she didn¡¯t need to worry about it at all. Yuliana didn¡¯t stay for a long time. She changed the evening flight to the afternoon and nned to go directly to the airport. Chandler advised, ¡°Yuliana, you just came back. You can stay in Yrinas for two days before leaving.¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for bringing me around today, Chandler.¡± ¡°We¡¯re a family. There¡¯s no need to be so polite!¡± Chandler waved his hand and said, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t be a stranger.¡± Finally, Chandler made a phone call and postponed his appointment with someone else to send Yuliana to the airport. On the way to the airport, Chandler nced at Yuliana and asked, ¡°Are Sabrina and Jakeing back?¡± The car was a little stuffy. Yuliana opened a slit in the window of the front passenger seat, and the wind poured in. Her hair brushed over her face randomly, so she raised her hand and tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ears, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess they won¡¯te back.¡± Chandler nodded thoughtfully and sighed. ¡°s, I can¡¯t figure out what Uncle Damian is thinking.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t answer. When they arrived at the airport, Chandler left. Yuliana redeemed the flight ticket and passed the security check. After that, she opened the cross-body bag and took out the paper that was folded into a square and then slowly spread it open. There was only a string of numbers written on the paper. It was her date of birth. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Did You Save Me? Wesley stood by the window and looked at the mansion in the distance with a telescope in his hand. His subordinates had been monitoring the mansion for two or three months. Wesley had some suspicions before, but he didn¡¯t dare to take action easily, as he was afraid to alert the enemy. The people who frequented the mansion were usually one middle-aged man and one young woman. Based on observation, the middle-aged man should be a butler, while the young woman seemed more like a maid. In addition, there were two strong men in the mansion, but they didn¡¯t get in and out much. Most of the time, they didn¡¯te out of the mansion. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. In the past few months, they had only seen these people around the mansion. However, e night a week ago, a strong man rushed out of the mansion. After driving away, he brought another man back half an hourter. Later, Wesley¡¯s subordinates did a background check on the man who was brought into the mansion, and they found out that the man was a doctor in a private clinic. ording to the doctor, someone in the mansion was ill that night and had a high fever. Although, the doctor didn¡¯t see what the woman looked like. He was blindfolded when he entered the mansion. However, the fever was quite heavy, and the woman had to be put on an IV drip throughout the night before the fever subsided. The doctor couldn¡¯t say anything else. After all, there were some people who he couldn¡¯t afford to mess with as well. After that, Wesley asked someone to check the information of the mansion owner. ording to the Information found, the owner was abroad. Wesley tried to get in touch with the owner, but the phone call prompted that it was an empty number, and he couldn¡¯t find the owner ording to other information. It was as if the owner was a man who was just made up. Wesley had epted several work requests recently and was quite busy. Since he had just finished his work. these two days and happened to have nothing else to do, he nned toe to Yrinas to look at the situation himself. Next to Wesley, hisckey saw him moving the telescope away yet still staring in the direction of the mansion while being deep in thought. Theckey couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ve been monitoring the mansion for months, but I didn¡¯t find anything. How about I sneak in at night?¡± The two men in the mansion looked big, and they might look threatening to ordinary people. However, for Wesley and hisckey, the men in the mansion were only big in build. In terms of strength, those men were definitely not as powerful as Wesley and theckey. Thus, to say that Wesley and theckey would sneak in was also a euphemism. Theckey had always been wanting to sneak into the mansion to confirm they were monitoring the right ce. However, since Wesley didn¡¯t give him the order, he didn¡¯t dare to act on his own. ¡°Well, be careful. Don¡¯t startle the enemies,¡± Wesley answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Duncan. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± At night, theckey easily climbed over the wall and got into the mansion¡¯spound. He avoided the heavy restrictions and climbed along the outer wall of the mansion to the window on the second floor. He had been observing for a long time. The windows of this room had never been opened, and the curtains were closed day by day. In contrast, the windows of other rooms would be opened regrly every day by the maids or butlers in the mansion in order to let some fresh air in. At this time, the mansion was quiet. Theckey climbed to the window and gently knocked on the window twice. At first, there was no responseing from inside. He then gently tapped for a while with a different frequency, and then there was a responseing from inside. There was a nging sound inside, like the sound of an iron chain swinging and hitting. The sound seemed to attract the attention of others, and a vague man¡¯s voice came from inside, saying. ¡°Ms. Johnson, it¡¯ste. I advise you to stop making trouble. You have just recovered and need a good rest.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Upon hearing this, theckey immediately climbed down along the outer wall andnded quickly, then returned to where he was along the same path. At this time, Wesley sat in front of a barbecue stall. There was a bottle of open beer and a pile of BBQ skewers in front of him. He was drinking while grilling the skewers. Theckey jogged toward Wesley and said excitedly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, the woman in the mansion should be the one you are looking for.¡± Looking at theckey¡¯s sweaty face, Wesley poured theckey a beer. Thetter thanked him and downed the beer in one go, then picked up a BBQ skewer and asked Wesley vaguely after taking a bite, ¡°Mr. Duncan, when shall we attack?¡± Wesley leaned back against the backrest of the stic chair and looked up at the sky. The moon was bright. tonight, and he hoped the moon would also be beautiful tomorrow night. ¡°Make some preparations. We¡¯ll take action tomorrow night.¡± It was Christopher who ordered Wesley to search for Annabelle. The night Scarlett died, Christopher noticed something was wrong when he arrived at the scene. Although Annabelle called him, Annabelle was not there when he arrived, and only the dead Scarlett was there. What was more strange was that the scene seemed to have been arranged by someone, as if it was premeditated. Christopher noticed something was wrong and called the police. However, when the police arrived, they immediately detained Christopher and didn¡¯t give him any opportunity to exin. ording to the evidence collected by the police from the scene and the clues they had, all the evidence also pointed at Christopher. Since that night, Annabelle hadpletely disappeared, as if she had evaporated from the world. No one could find her, no matter how hard they tried. After many difficult days of trying to find a clue of Annabelle¡¯s whereabouts, Wesley finally got some clues that she was located in Yrinas. However, Wesley didn¡¯t confirm the validity of the clues in the first ce. It wasn¡¯t until when the things at hand were done that he finally came to Yrinas slowly. Unexpectedly, he met Yuliana at the airport. Coincidentally, Wesley was going to take a vacation and have a good rest after settling Annabelle¡¯s case. The next night, Wesley took two people to the mansion to rescue Annabelle tantly. The process went smoothly. It was just that theckey had slightly underestimated the enemy and got cut with a dagger by the burly man in the mansion. The knife cut a deep wound on theckey¡¯s arm, causing him to bleed profusely. But in the end, theckey made the big man suffer twice as much. The only trouble was that the iron chain on Annabelle¡¯s wrist, which was too strong and unusual, took them some time to open. Annabelle had been locked up for more than half a year, and there was no sunshine. Hence, she could only move within a room that was only a few hundred square feet. In addition, she had just gotten sick a few days ago and had notpletely recovered. When she came out of the mansion, she couldn¡¯t stand steadily at all and was not in a good mental state. Wesley asked someone to send Annabelle back to the hospital first, and then he went to the hospital to visit her the next day. At that time, Annabelle just woke up and came out of the room that she had been imprisoned in for several months. When she saw the peopleing and going from the hospital, she was still in a trance. She even felt that she was just in a dream. After waking up from the dream, she would return to the dark ce. ¡°Ms. Johnson, do you feel better?¡± Wesley had been here for a while, but Annabelle didn¡¯t look at him or talk to him. Hearing Wesley¡¯s voice, she turned her head and looked at Wesley. However, although she looked at Wesley. her pupils were not focused. After a while, she slowly focused on Wesley¡¯s face. ¡°Did you save me?¡± Her voice was a little hoarse, and her expression was cold. Wesley hummed in response. ¡°I saved you.¡± Annabelle¡¯s consciousness was a little slow. She frowned and asked, ¡°Why did you save me?¡± Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 You Are Square Now Annabelle did not have any impression of the man in front of her. Beforest night, she was sure that she had never seen him. Wesley said, ¡°My name is Wesley. Mr. Sce asked me to look for you.¡± ¡°Christopher?¡± Christopher was the first person that came into Annabelle¡¯s mind when she heard the name Mr. Sce. After being imprisoned by Harry for over six months, she knew that Harry would never let her go. Annabelle tried to escape by herself many times, but all her attempts failed miserably. Christopher was the only one she could hope for. Annabelle called Christopher the other day. Although he didn¡¯t see her upon his arrival, Annabelle was sure Christopher would contact her after Scarlett¡¯s death. He would know that something had happened to her if he couldn¡¯t reach her. However, Annabelle had waited so long that all her hopes were destroyed. She even thought about taking her own life, but Harry¡¯s men removed everything Annabelle could hurt herself with after they noticed her intention. In fact, she was afraid of death and didn¡¯t dare do it. For over six months, Annabelle could only move around in that room. Even prisoners held in prison had time to rx, but not her. She didn¡¯t even have anyone to speak to. The housekeeper, Sophia, was the one Annabelle saw the most. Sophia would visit her room regrly daily and deliver three meals to her. When Annabelle was really bored, she would speak to Sophia. However, Sophia was like a machine and never responded with anything unnecessary. Harry seldom visited. Initially, he saw Annabelle once every month, but he hadn¡¯t shown up in recent months. There were times when Annabelle was afraid she would be in a bad mental state after being locked up for a year or two. She might not even know how to talk. Annabelle didn¡¯t feel anything when she was locked in the room. After being rescued and communicating with others, Annabelle realized that not only was she rusty in speaking, her reactions and ability to think had be slower. ¡°Where is he?¡± asked Annabelle. Although she hadined about Christopher countless times in the past six months, the person she wanted to see most was Christopher after hearing what Wesley said. Wesley leaned back and looked at Annabelle¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s in prison.¡± Annabelle was shocked, and confusion shed across her eyes as she asked, ¡°What?¡± Wesley kept quiet for two seconds when he saw her reaction and asked, ¡°Do you remember what happened before you were imprisoned?¡± Annabelle frowned as she thought for a moment. She nodded hesitantly. ¡°Yes, I do. That night, Scarlett called me and asked me to meet her. I had some wine and wasn¡¯t in a good mood. I got into a fight with Scarlett after we met, and we even got into a fight. However, I don¡¯t remember anything for some time after the fight When I woke up, I saw Scarlett on the ground, and the ground was covered with blood. I panicked and called Christopher, but I lost consciousness before he arrived. When I woke up, I was already locked in that room.¡± After Annabelle connected the dots and the fact that Christopher was imprisoned, she seemed to understand what had happened to Christopher. She looked at Wesley in shock and asked, ¡°Is Christopher imprisoned because of Scarlett¡¯s death?¡± Wesley raised his eyebrows and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Annabelle had mixed feelings when she heard that. After hesitating momentarily, she asked again, ¡°Did he think I killed Scarlett and is taking the me for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± said Wesley. ¡°Mr. Sce only told me to find you. I don¡¯t know about anything else.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t kill Scarlett. What¡¯s the point of him doing this?¡± Annabelle was slightly anxious. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t the police investigate the case? How can Christopher have something to do with Scarlett¡¯s death? They think Christopher is guilty without any evidence?¡± Wesley kept quiet. ¡°No, I¡¯m telling the police that Christopher is innocent!¡± Annabelle lifted her nket and was about to get out of bed. ¡°Ms. Johnson,¡± Wesley said in a low voice. Annabelle stopped moving and looked at him when she heard him. Wesley said, ¡°Mr. Sce told me this is the end of the matter, and you don¡¯t have to worry about the rest. He asked me to send you abroad after finding you.¡± He paused and continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to go abroad, I can also arrange for you to live in another city. Nobody will be able to find you.¡± Annabelle became more and more confused. She stared at Wesley for a while and could tell he was serious. He also did not mean to exin anything to her. However, Annabelle couldn¡¯t help it, so she asked, ¡°Why?¡± Wesley said, ¡°Mr. Sce didn¡¯t give me a reason.¡± Annabelle pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. After a while, she asked, ¡°Did he ask you to do anything else?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Wesley. ¡°He said you¡¯re square now and should watch out for yourself.¡± Annabelle kept quiet for a long time when she heard that before she finally smiled. ¡°All right. I get it.¡± One weekter, Wesley returned to Juxshire and met Christopher at the prison after he solved Annabelle¡¯s issue. Then, he bought a ticket to Jeahron. In Jeahron, Yuliana wasn¡¯t living with Callie. After all, Callie had remarried. Even if Isaac said nothing. Yuliana knew her limits. Besides, Callie was also quite busy and didn¡¯t spend much time at home. Usually, only Sarah and Aaron spent more time at home. Therefore, she asked Callie to rent another house for her. It wasn¡¯t far from Callie¡¯s house and it only took her around ten minutes to drive. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. When Callie was free, Yuliana would bring Rowan to Callie¡¯s ce for dinner. However, that only happened on rare asions. Callie flew to various cities in different countries all year round. So, Aaron was the one who often visited Yuliana instead. The Xanthos family took All Souls¡¯ Day very seriously, and the entire family visited the graves. Callie also rushed back to Jeahron. The next morning, Callie visited Yuliana with Aaron, and it looked like she was quite unhappy. Callie didn¡¯t say anything, and Yuliana didn¡¯t ask. She was watching Aaron as he did his homework. Callie frowned as she saw Yuliana¡¯sid-back ways and asked, ¡°Do you n to stay home and take care of him from now on?¡± Yuliana noticed the displeasure in Callie¡¯s tone, but she didn¡¯t take it seriously. She said indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s my n for now.¡± Rowan was still young, and he couldn¡¯t be without her. Yuliana nned to find a job after Rowan went to school However, she hadn¡¯t figured anything out yet. Yuliana wasn¡¯t going back to school, but she had a clear goal in the past. After graduating, she wanted to work at Juxshire Primary School as a teacher and had never wanted to be anything else. Therefore, she had no idea what she could be besides being a teacher. quare Now Recently, Yuliana bought some books about management and finance, but she wasn¡¯t interested in them. Christopher made well arrangements for both the Glory Corporation and the Prestige Club. Yuliana had nothing to worry about. Callie got even angrier when she heard what Yuliana said. She was resentful that Yuliana failed to meet her expectations, but Yuliana had always been like that. Callie had never been able to do anything about it. ¡°What about other things?¡± asked Callie. Yuliana was stunned and nced at her. ¡°What other things?¡± Callie calmed down and said, ¡°You are only around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Don¡¯t you want to be in another rtionship and start a new life?¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 You Live Here? Yuliana didn¡¯t answer immediately. The little guy sitting in the walker suddenly started crying. She got up and picked Rowan up from the walker and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rowan stretched out his hand to scratch his chubby face. Yuliana pulled his hand away and took a look. She found a red bump on his face, and it looked like something had bitten him. Yuliana said, ¡°I¡¯ll take him in and apply some medicine.¡± She then picked up Rowan and went into the house. Callie sighed heavily as she looked at the backs of those two entering the house. A few minutester, Yuliana finished applying the medicine to Rowan¡¯s face and ced him in the walker. She turned around and answered Callie¡¯s previous question, ¡°Mom, I know you¡¯re looking out for me, but I¡¯m different. I¡¯m having a good life with Roe now. If I wish to be in a rtionship one day, I will. However, I¡¯m not interested in that now.¡± Callie¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m being nosy here.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said nothing more. In fact, that was not the first time Callie mentioned that to her since she arrived in Jeahron. It¡¯s just that Callie used to talk about it to her casually, and the most she would do was advised Yuliana. Normally, Callie wouldn¡¯t be as angry as she was today. After a while, Aaron went to the bathroom. She gave Rowan a toy and asked, ¡°Did you fight with Mr. Xanthos?¡± Callie paused, ¡°How do you know that we got into a fight?¡± Yuliana looked at Callie again, and the expression on Callie¡¯s face was like a mirror. Callie couldn¡¯t deny it even if she wanted to. She turned around with a cold face and sneered, ¡°Men are jerks. They take advantage of you the moment you take a step back.¡± After scolding, Callie was silent for a while before she said, ¡°Isaac ns to bring his illegitimate son home.¡± That son was born in Octoberst year by one of Isaac¡¯s many lovers. It was said that the child looked like Isaac, and a fortune-teller told him that the child would bring him prosperity. That was why Isaac liked him a lot. After she arrived in Jeahron, Yuliana gradually realized that Callie and Isaac no longer had any feelings for one another since long ago. They led separate lives but were still together because it benefited them. However, Callie and Isaac had an agreement. Callie didn¡¯t care how Isaac fooled around, but he couldn¡¯t bring anybody home or show up in front of her. Besides, he couldn¡¯t appear on the news to embarrass Callie, let alone have an illegitimate child. Nobody expected Isaac to y tricks and keep it a secret from Callie. He let his lover give birth to the child after he learned that the child was a boy. Callie only learned about that after the baby was born. It was toote, as she couldn¡¯t return the baby to his mother¡¯s womb. Fortunately, Callie and Isaac signed an agreement. Isaac would give Callie some benefits because of the child. Callie could only ept it to cut her losses. However, she repeatedly told Isaac that the child could only be raised outside and could not bear the surname Xanthos. Isaac agreed to the conditions. Yuliana thought Callie and Isaac had already made a deal, but she didn¡¯t expect Isaac to stir up trouble. It looked like that was the reason Callie was in a bad mood. Maybe Isaac even tried to pressure Callie with the help of the Xanthos family members the day before. ¡°What do you n to do?¡± asked Yuliana. Callie sneered, ¡°What should I do? We¡¯ll get a divorce if Isaac wants to bring that child home.¡± Several years ago, Callie didn¡¯t have the confidence to divorce Isaac Back then, she had no stable foundation. and had to rely on Isaac¡¯s connections and contacts. On the other hand, it was out of consideration for Aaron. Aaron was Isaac¡¯s son, and she had to fight for what he deserved. However, Callie signed an agreement with Isaacst year because of the illegitimate child. Even if she got a divorce, Aaron would get what he deserved. The only trouble now was that she and Isaac had been married for many years, and their interests were interconnected. It was slightly troublesome to deal with everything. Callie pondered for a while and only snapped out of her daze when Aaron returned from the bathroom. She nced at Yuliana as if she thought of something and said, ¡°Not all men in the world are jerks, and there are some good men. Don¡¯t overthink it because of my issues.¡± Callie had lunch with Yuliana and left with a gloomy face after answering a call. Another week passed. Yuliana suddenly discovered that the lights in the empty mansion next to her had been turned on. When Callie helped her search for a house, Yuliana also looked at the building next to hers. However, she felt the building next door seemed dimmer than the one she had moved into. That was the reason she rented her current house. It was said that the owners of the mansions had gone abroad and weren¡¯ting back in a short time. That was why they rented the houses out. Yuliana had no idea if there was a new tenant or if the mansion¡¯s owner had returned. Yuliana was not a friendly person. She had been living there for several months. Apart from greeting thedies she met while on walks with her child, she didn¡¯t have many acquaintances. Therefore, Yuliana didn¡¯t pay much attention to the building beside hers. For the next few days, it had been raining in Jeahron, and it was chilly. So, Yuliana didn¡¯t take Rowan out. When the rain stopped, and the sun shone, she took Rowan on a walk around the mansion district when the weather warmed up. On their way back, she saw a familiar figure when she passed by the next-door mansion. That person was answering the phone with his back to her. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Yuliana stopped several steps away and waited for a while. After finishing his call, the man turned around and saw Yuliana. When their gazes met, Wesley reacted first and took two steps toward Yuliana. ¡°Ms. Livingstone,¡± said Wesley. Yuliana nced at the house behind him indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m no longer a teacher.¡± Wesley smiled and said, ¡°Am I not allowed to address you as Ms. Livingstone now that you¡¯re no longer a teacher?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t refute what he said. She paused and asked, ¡°Do you live here?¡± Wesley replied, ¡°Yes. I moved in recently. Do you live here too, Ms. Livingstone?¡± Yuliana smiled faintly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What a coincidence,¡± said Wesley. Yuliana said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ll let you return to whatever you were doing. We¡¯re going home first.¡± Only then did Wesley look at Rowan, who was in the stroller. The little guy was also looking up at him. He said, ¡°Kids grow up quickly.¡± Yuliana smiled softly again and left with Rowan. She didn¡¯t believe in such a coincidence. Wesley watched as they entered their house before taking a box of cigarettes from his pants pocket. He took one, lit it, and started smoking while looking at the house. Wesley turned around and left after he finished smoking the cigarette. For the next few days, Yuliana and Wesley met quite frequently. Every time she took Rowan out for a walk, she saw Wesley standing in the yard. He greeted her when she saw her. In the beginning, Yuliana answered his greetings. Later on, she began ignoring Wesley and walked past him. However, Wesley was shameless. He chased after Yuliana when she ignored him and kept doing so until she answered him. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Grill Although Yuliana didn¡¯t want to have too much contact with Wesley, she had never been unkind to those who meant well. Wesley was shameless, but he had never overdone it. He knew when to stop and would step back when Yuliana became wary or annoyed. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Over time, Yuliana didn¡¯t resist Wesley so much after learning more about him. After all, she didn¡¯t know many people in Jeahron, and even fewer people had a good rtionship with her. Besides, Rowan seemed to like Wesley very much and was more excited than usual every time he saw Wesley. He even said his first word to Wesley. It was Yuliana¡¯s birthday, and Callie was not in Jeahron. However, she called Yuliana early in the morning and asked Aaron to bring her gifts. Xandria and Kathryn also rushed to Jeahron from Juxshire to celebrate her birthday. Yuliana didn¡¯t want things to be too troublesome. So she nned to set up a barbecue stand in the yard, enjoy some wine or drinks, and get together with her friends. She and Hailey could deal with a few people, so they didn¡¯t find others to help them. After thinking about it, Yuliana decided to invite Wesley. That evening, while she, Xandria, and Kathryn enjoyed their food and a good chat, Wesley and Hailey were busy beside the barbeque stand. Rowan could walk by himself, but his steps were unsteady. Rowan probably didn¡¯t have much contact with adult men, so he was very clingy to Wesley and liked to imitate Wesley¡¯s behavior. Wesley sat on a small stool as he roasted the food, and Rowan followed him everywhere he went. Wesley feared the barbecue grill would scald Rowan, so he held him in his arms. Rowan watched as Wesley grilled the food and handed him the BBQ skewers. ¡°Mmph!¡± Wesley deliberately teased Rowan and refused to take the skewers. Yuliana also liked to provoke Rowan into speaking by using this method. Sure enough, Rowan got anxious and grabbed Wesley¡¯s ck T-shirt with his dainty hands. Rowan frowned as he started making humming sounds. Yuliana was not far away from the barbecue stand. She could see the interaction between Rowan and Wesley when she looked up. Since they were next to the barbeque stand, she was still worried even though Wesley and Hailey were there. She took a nce every few seconds. Wesley picked Rowan up and sat him on his knees. Wesley was expressionless but asked patiently, ¡°What is it? You must exin it, or I won¡¯t know what you want.¡± Rowan grew even more anxious, but he still refused to speak. He just stuffed the raw BBQ skewers into Wesley¡¯s hand. Yuliana knew that Rowan could understand what Wesley was saying. Many times, Rowan understood her when she talked to him. However, she didn¡¯t understand why Rowan refused to speak. Wesley nced at the BBQ skewers Rowan ced in his hand and asked, ¡°Do you want Mr. Wesley to grill them?¡± Rowan smiled sweetly and nodded. Wesley didn¡¯t directly ce the BBQ skewers on the barbecue stand. He looked at Rowan and said, ¡°Nodding doesn¡¯t count. You have to say it.¡± Rowan looked at Wesley nkly when he heard that. After hesitating for a while, he started shaking his head. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to do it?¡± Wesley smiled and touched the back of Rowan¡¯s head. That¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll teach you how. Look at my mouth and follow what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°Grill¡± Wesley spoke slowly and pointed at his mouth with the BBQ skewers in his hand. He asked Rowan to pay attention to the shape of his mouth. Rowan only looked at him expressionlessly but didn¡¯t follow what Wesley did. They were at an impasse momentarily. Wesley said. ¡°I can¡¯t help you grill these skewers if you don¡¯t say it.¡± His voice was slightly stern. Every time Rowan encountered that situation, he would habitually act coquettishly, and it worked all the time in front of Yuliana. However, it was Wesley he faced today, and Wesley intended to force Rowan intopliance. Therefore, Wesley didn¡¯t let Rowan have his way no matter how Rowan acted coquettishly or pretended to cry. Finally, Yuliana couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She rose and walked over to pick up Rowan from Wesley¡¯s arms. Yuliana asked Hailey to wipe Rowan¡¯s tears with a tissue. She wanted tofort Rowan, but she gritted her teeth and insisted when she met Wesley¡¯s eyes. She put Rowan on the ground and squatted while saying, ¡°Roe, I want to have some grilled chicken wings. Can you ask Mr. Duncan to help you cook them?¡± Rowan pouted, and his eyes were still red. He looked at Yuliana nkly when he heard what she said, with apparent resistance on his face. Yuliana didn¡¯t urge him. She only looked at him and waited patiently. After another impasse, Rowan suddenly threw himself into Yuliana¡¯s arms and rubbed his furry head against her while making coquettish sounds. Yuliana secretly sighed, exchanged looks with Wesley, and shook her head helplessly. As she was about to give up, Rowan suddenly stood up from her arms. He turned around and went to the small table beside the barbeque stand. After looking at everything there, he picked up a BBQ skewer with chicken wings and handed it to Wesley. Rowan said certainly, ¡°Grill.¡± Rowan¡¯s speech became increasingly smooth after saying his first word, and he had an excellent vocabry. Some of the things he said even surprised Yuliana. She had no idea where he learned all of it. Moreover, Rowan became talkative after he learned how to talk. He kept speaking even when ying with himself, and even Yuliana was annoyed by Rowan. In the blink of an eye, it was New Year. Yuliana and Rowan celebrated their first New Year in Jeahron. In June, Juxshire Prison sent news that Damian was urgently taken to the hospital due to a sudden illness. rpse. Yuliana hurried back to Juxshire but didn¡¯t make it in time to see Damian for onest time. When they rushed to the hospital, Damian was already a cold corpse. Yuliana informed Sabrina and Jacob, who were abroad. Sabrina immediately returned home with Jacob after she received the news. She handled Damian¡¯s affairs alongside Yuliana. Another yearter. After finishing thest document, Yuliana shifted her gaze to the window. Night had already fallen. Yuliana raised her hand and looked at the silver wristwatch on her hand. It was already eight o¡¯clock. She picked up her phone and called Hailey. When the phone was answered, Rowan¡¯s milky voice came from the other end of the line. Yuliana turned her neck and her lips curled upward as she said, ¡°Hailey.¡± ¡°Yuliana, when will you be home?¡± There was a hint of happiness in Hailey¡¯s voice. ¡°I made desserts for you this afternoon, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love them. I¡¯ve stored them in the refrigerator for you.¡± Yuliana wasn¡¯t a fan of cold desserts in the past, but she had grown fond of them during the past two summers Yuliana couldn¡¯t control her cravings and didn¡¯t know if it was a fluke as she felt that there was no difference ¡°I have an appointment tonight and should be home after ten o¡¯clock in the evening. I¡¯ll get them from the refrigerator when I¡¯m home.¡± Yuliana turned off theputer and said, ¡°Please pass the phone to Roe. I¡¯ll have a word with him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hailey then said in a slightly softer voice, ¡°Roe, It¡¯s Mommy on the phone.¡± Soon, Rowan¡¯s voice could be heard from the other end of the line, ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much. Pleasee back quickly.¡± Rowan was already over three years old and was attending kindergartenter that year. To make sure that Rowan could adapt to kindergarten life faster, Yuliana was already preparing him for school. However, she was too busy to keep an eye on him at all times. Besides, Rowan was a rxed child and never panicked, no matter what he did. Sometimes Yuliana was slightly worried about him. Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Acquaintance In the past, Yuliana had been a victim of Callie imposing her will on her. But now, as her perspective changed after Yuliana became a mother, she realized she was acting just like Callie. Yuliana thought, ¡°Maybe this is something that a woman will only experience after they be a mother!¡± Yuliana leaned against the chair, rxing before asking gently, ¡°Did you have a good study session with Mr. Henderson today?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Rowan replied cheerfully, ¡°Mommy, I had been a really good boy, and Mr. Henderson complimented me!¡± ¡°Roe, you¡¯re awesome!¡± Hearing this, Rowan tried to push his luck. ¡°Well¡­ Mommy, I want a reward!¡± Yuliana knew her son well, so she immediately guessed the reward that Rowan wanted. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s head out and have some fun this weekend.¡± Yuliana was always willing to oblige to Rowan¡¯s request as long as it was within the reasonable range. Besides, the woman was aware that she had been upiedtely and that her time spent apanying Rowan had been short. There was a hopping sound on the other of the phone before Rowan cheered, ¡°Thanks, Mommy!¡± ¡°I have something to do at night, so I¡¯ll be homete. Be obedient and listen to Granny Hailey¡¯s words. Sleep early, okay? Can you promise Mommy that you will do that?¡± said Yuliana. Rowan became silent upon hearing Yuliana¡¯s words. He was sullen as he stayed quiet. Yuliana soothed him for a while before hanging up hurriedly when her other phone rang. She picked up the ringing phone. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m downstairs.¡± ¡°Sorry, I was on the phone with my son just now, so I¡¯ve lost track of time. Please hold on. I¡¯ll be right down,¡± said Yuliana. The man chuckled gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We are in no rush. Take your time.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Yuliana hummed before hanging up the phone. Then, she packed her things and went downstairs. When the woman arrived, a ck car slowly glided forward and stopped before Yuliana. The driver got out of the car hurriedly after it stopped still. He opened the back door for Yuliana. ¡°Please get in, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana nodded at the driver before bending over and getting into the car. The man who was in it had a tablet in his hands. He was reading something on it. Yuliana nced at it and saw that it was crammed full of writing. On top of the article was a title in a huge, red color font. After Yuliana sat down, the man put away the tablet. ¡°Sorry. My flight was dyed.¡± Initially, Yuliana and the man, Caleb Jones, were supposed to meet for dinner at 7 p.m. However, since Caleb had been in Jeahron for conferencestely, he was caught on a dyed flight back to their city because of bad weather. Since the flight was pushed back a few hours, the duo could only push back their n to eat together. Yuliana smiled as she replied considerately, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have something to get done earlier too. You are right on time.¡± With that, Yuliana and Caleb stayed silent on their way to the restaurant. Yuliana and Caleb were introduced to each other by their acquaintances, and they had been dating for a while. As Caleb was a 33-year-old divorcee with a five-year-old daughter in tow, while Yuliana was a divorced woman with a son, they were a perfect match in the eyes of the outsiders. After they arrived at the restaurant, Caleb ordered food that Yuliana was into in a gentlemanly manner. He had already enquired about Yuliana¡¯s taste in food since they first ate together and remembered what she liked or disliked. Since then, Caleb would urately order Yuliana¡¯s favorite food without needing her to say anything. Yuliana felt that his understanding of her taste in food had saved her much trouble. While they were eating. Caleb asked, ¡°I heard that you are looking for a kindergarten recently?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°It¡¯s time for Roe to join a kindergarten during the second half of the year, so I¡¯m a bit anxious.¡± News about kindergartens had often made their rounds on the inte. With the added factor of the reputation of the kindergarten, the location, and other factors, choosing a suitable school was a trouble for Yuliana. Besides, the better the kindergarten was, the higher the requirement for a kid to enter it. Nowadays, many children have been carefully nurtured by their parents since they were born, and they have many special skills. Yet, in Rowan¡¯s case, Yuliana had only started arranging basic skills courses for him since the beginning of this year. Before this, she always thought that a kid shouldn¡¯t be pressured too much or be hasty in helping them to grow. Yet, seeing Rowan¡¯s peers excel in everything they do, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but worry about Rowan¡¯s situation. Caleb asked, ¡°Do you need any help?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuliana refused without hesitation. She paused and then added, ¡°I¡¯ll look around. I will ask you for help. if I can¡¯t solve this matter alone.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, the two of them finished their meal quietly without starting another topic. Yuliana went to the bathroom before they left the restaurant. While she stood before the basin to wash her hands, the cubicle door behind her unlocked. The woman who came out noticed Yuliana. She paused for a moment before walking over to the basin beside Yuliana. The woman put her hand below the sensor faucet and let the water wet her hands. Yuliana raised her eyes and nced at the person beside her through the mirror¡¯s reflection. She paused slightly before calling out, ¡°Joyce.¡± Joyce raised her head and stared at Yuliana through the mirror¡¯s reflection when she heard thetter greeting her. ¡°Just had your dinner here?¡± Yuliana hummed lightly. Both of them didn¡¯t speak anymore. After washing their hands, Yuliana stepped out of the bathroom first. Joyce walked slowly behind her until they reached the entrance to the dining hall. It was then that Joyce. voiced, ¡°Yuliana!¡± Yuliana halted in her steps and paused for a while. Then, she turned to Joyce and smiled casually. ¡°Anything else, Joyce?¡± Joyce walked over to Yuliana slowly with her bag in hand. She gazed at Yuliana intently before saying, ¡°Do you know Christopher¡¯s jail term has ended?¡± Yuliana¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She remarked nonchntly. ¡°Yes, I heard.¡± Hearing this, Joyce suddenly couldn¡¯t say speak further. She thought, ¡°It had been nearly three years. Even Juxshire had undergone dramatic changes, let alone humans. I still have hope, though.¡± Joyce gave a wryugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you.¡± Yuliana¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Joyce, please don¡¯t say that. I know you are just being kind, but¡­ some things should remain in the past. Whether it¡¯s Christopher or me, we both have already moved on.¡± ¡°Yuliana.¡± Joyce frowned, wanting to say more. But Yuliana immediately interrupted her, ¡°My apologies, Joyce. Someone is waiting for me. Why don¡¯t we arrange another meet-up?¡± Joyce knew she couldn¡¯t continue forcing the topic to go on when she heard this. The woman forced a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana nodded at Joyce and turned to walk toward the door. Joyce was curious about where Yuliana was heading, so she stood there and watched from a distance. Joyce observed as Yuliana strolled over to a man in a deep-grey suit. Yuliana said something to Caleb, and he turned sideways, smiling at her. Then, Yuliana linked her arm with Caleb, and they left the venue together. Yuliana looked out of the window absent-mindedly after getting into the car. Caleb looked at her. ¡°Did you meet someone you know?¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°You saw us talking?¡± Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 The Father Of Rowan Yuliana and Caleb had been honest with each other since they first met. Yuliana knew about Caleb¡¯s past. Simrly, Caleb also was aware of Yuliana¡¯s past. Moreover, Caleb must have seen Joyce asionally because of his current status, so he naturally knew about Yuliana¡¯s rtionship with Joyce. ¡°I wanted to look for you earlier since you went to the toilet for so long. I turned and saw you talking to Mrs. Sce, so I didn¡¯t interrupt,¡± said Caleb. Yuliana knew that Caleb was exining himself so she wouldn¡¯t overthink the entire situation. However, the duo didn¡¯t need to exin these things to each other. Yuliana said casually, ¡°I ran into Joyce at the toilet earlier. I think she had dinner with someone over at the restaurant, so we chatted briefly.¡± Caleb hummed a response gently, and silence befell them again. When they were about to arrive at Champs Manor, Caleb, who had been resting with his eyes closed, lifted his eyelids and stared at the night view through the window momentarily. Suddenly, he said, ¡°Did you know Christopher was released from prison?¡± Yuliana was slightly stunned. She looked at Caleb¡¯s face, which was sometimes highlighted by the lights outside the car and sometimes not. She replied, ¡°I know.¡± Just two months ago, new evidence surfaced in Scarlett¡¯s case. The police runched the investigation, and after many detailed and thorough inspections, it was confirmed that Christopher was wronged. The real killer was arrested just before Christopher was released from prison. Half a month ago, Christopher was acquitted. This incident caused a storm online, and a heated discussion immediately ensued. However, Christopher was not a celebrity or public figure, so the matter died down online after a few days. Currently, theizen¡¯s attention had already shifted entirely to another event. ¡°I¡¯ve browsed through his case.¡± Caleb turned around and gazed at Yuliana. ¡°He was indeed wronged. The relevant departments will alsopensate him for his suffering.¡± Yuliana found the situation hrious when she heard Caleb¡¯s words. ¡°Mr. Jones, why are you telling me this?¡± Caleb smiled. ¡°I thought you wanted to know.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips slightly. Seeing her reaction, Caleb added, ¡°No matter what happened, he is Rowan¡¯s father.¡± Mixed emotions appeared on Yuliana¡¯s face. She kept silent for two seconds before her face rxed, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re right. He will always be Rowan¡¯s father.¡± As the evening breeze blew at Champs Manor, Caleb alighted from the car with Yuliana. They stood face to face with a nearly three feet distance between them. Yuliana voiced, ¡°Thank you for driving me back. Please ask the driver to drive carefully while you go home.¡± Caleb nodded. He stared at Yuliana silently for a while before stepping toward her. Instantly, the gap between them closed. Yuliana was stunned, and she instinctively wanted to step backward. Caleb gently pressed her shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Yuliana blinked as she met his eyes. She followed his words, not moving away. Caleb leaned in and kissed her cheek. From a distance, there was an image of a tall man shrouding a gorgeous woman in darkness as they kissed goodbye. Soon, Caleb backed away in a gentry manner. He brushed his lips with his fingers. ¡°Have a good rest. I will be a little busy recently, so I may not be able to meet you. Call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m heading in now,¡± said Yuliana. Caleb raised his hand and motioned for Yuliana to enter, but he didn¡¯t leave immediately. He watched as Yuliana entered the house. Then, he looked in a particr direction for two seconds before turning around, getting into the car, and instructing the driver to send him home. Hailey weed Yuliana when thetter stepped through the door. ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re home.¡± Hailey yawned and took Yuliana¡¯s bag. ¡°Did Roe fall asleep?¡± ¡°He was fussing around earlier, so he had just fallen asleep.¡± ¡°Thanks for the help, Hailey.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be so polite with me.¡± Yuliana smiled and looked at Hailey¡¯s sleepy face. She changed her shoes, and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait up for me. You can go to bed early if you¡¯re sleepy.¡± Hailey smiled. ¡°I want you to try some desserts that I made, and I couldn¡¯t sleep without knowing what you think about them! Wait here! I¡¯ll bring them to you!¡± With that, she ced Yuliana¡¯s bag nicely and hurried to the kitchen. Yuliana had been working all day. Even though she was feeling fine outside, the woman began to feel lazy when she arrived home. She rxed her mind and body as shey on the couchzily, taking her phone and scrolling through Instagram. Thetest Instagram posting she saw was uploaded by Raymond two minutes ago. The caption consisted of only a full stop and two randomly taken photos. The photos showed various wine sses and bottles on the coffee table. The dazzling light shined on these alcohols, radiating a sense of depravity. A hand was visible in the corner of the photos. That hand was reaching out to get the ss on the coffee table, and then it was captured by the camera. Yuliana stared at the hand in the images for a while. Suddenly, Hailey stated, ¡°Yuliana, try these!¡± Yuliana returned to her senses, closed WhatsApp, threw her phone aside, and immediately took the dessert from Hailey. ¡°Thank you, Hailey.¡± Then, Yuliana scooped a spoonful of the dessert and tried it out. It was cooling, with a sweetness that didn¡¯t overpower her taste bud. The addition of coconut juice to the dessert gave it a refreshing sensation. Yuliana¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, and she gave Hailey a thumbs-up. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Hailey was thrilled to hear Yuliana¡¯spliment. She said. ¡°It¡¯s hot now, and matcha does a great job at cooling the body off. Initially, I wanted to make matcha ice dessert, but too much cold food can harm the body. And so, in the end, I decided to put this dessert into the fridge, so that it would be cooling to taste. Besides, I¡¯ve even added freshly-squeezed coconut juice into it.¡± After Yuliana finished eating, Hailey washed the bowl in the kitchen. She sat on the couch for a while more. She had wanted to go upstairs to wash up and rest when Hailey walked out of the kitchen, stopping her with some hesitation. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Yuliana asked, ¡°Hailey, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Hailey looked a little embarrassed. She smiled stiffly. ¡°Yuliana, I noticed someone sending you home just now. Who is¡­¡± Yuliana exined, ¡°His name is Caleb Jones. I¡¯ll introduce him to you when the chance arises next time.¡± After saying that, Yuliana turned and headed upstairs. Hailey stood in ce for a long time after hearing Yuliana¡¯s words. Then, she came back to her senses, sighing. Yuliana went to Rowan¡¯s room first after arriving upstairs, There were all kinds of toys strewn all over the room. Yuliana sighed as she returned the toys to their respective ces before she walked over to Rowan¡¯s bed. Rowan was asleep with his mouth open. The nket that was supposed to cover his stomach got kicked aside while he lifted his butt mid-air. Yuliana folded the nket and covered them over Rowan¡¯s abdomen. Then she sat by the bed and stared at Rowan for a while before returning to her room. On the weekend, Yuliana promised Rowan to take him to the arcade. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Chapter 328 A Can Of Coke On the weekend, Yuliana promised Rowan she would take him to the arcade. Despite her busy work schedule, she managed to carve out time to spend the weekend with Rowan. In the morning. Yuliana took Rowan to see a newly released cartoon show. Later, after lunch, the two took at casual stroll as they headed to the arcade. Rowan loved all kinds of gaming machines in the arcade, from simple fishing games to adrenaline- pumping car racing and shooter games. While he could not possibly y every game in the arcade, he found himself standing beside yers and getting engrossed in their gamey. Watching others ying was far more exciting to him than ying the games himself, as he could observe and learn gaming strategies from the other yers. Every time Yuliana brought Rowan to the arcade, Rowan would spend hours engrossed in the enticing world of arcade gaming. Today was no different. Despite many efforts to convince Rowan to go home, he stubbornly refused to leave. In the end, Yuliana had no choice but to resort to physically dragging and carrying Rowan away from the grasp of the arcade. After getting in the car, Rowan sat in the safety chair in the backseat, whining and throwing a fit about leaving the arcade. Yuliana remained focused on driving, paying no heed to his pleas and cries. After a while, Rowan could not sit still. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Yuliana ignored Rowan. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Rowanmented. Yuliana gave no responses. Rowan was a little nervous when he continued to receive no responses. When he realized his tantrums did not work on his mom, Rowan felt a little uneasy. He quickly regained hisposure and mustered up the courage to apologize to his mother. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sorry. Please, answer me, won¡¯t you?¡± Yuliana knew her son like the back of her hand. Rowan would quickly admit his mistakes, but he would soon repeat those mistakes. She slowly pulled over the car to the side of the road, turned to Rowan, and said, ¡°Tell me. What have you done wrong?¡± Her voice held not a hint of anger, and her expression remained calm and collected. Rowan blinked, his eyes turning red as he fought back tears. His lips curled downward as if he was about to cry. Tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. As expected, tears fell at the very next second. Rowan stretched out his little arms to Yuliana. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I was wrong. Can I have a hug?¡± he said, his voice sorrowful yet adorable. Yuliana¡¯s heart melted at Rowan¡¯s remorseful and endearing apology. She held back the urge to hold Rowan and handed him a tissue. ¡°I¡¯m driving now. I¡¯ll give you a hug when we get home, okay? Now, take this and wipe off your tears.¡± Yuliana said. ¡°Okay!¡± Rowan said excitedly. Rowan took the tissue, nodded heavily, and folded the piece of tissue into a square. Then, he slowly wiped the tears from his face. On the way home, Yuliana took Rowan to arge supermarket. She liked going to the supermarket. It was a ce that could bring her rxation. Rowan also enjoyed going on these trips to the supermarket. There were trolleys for children in there, and Rowan eagerly sat in a child-sized cart and had Yuliana push it back and forth along the aisles of the supermarket. ¡°Mommy, I want that!¡± he eximed. Rowan got out of the cart and quickly picked up arge bag of potato chips and handed it to Yuliana. Yuliana was not entirely against Rowan having snacks. Rather, Yuliana had been cautious to let him indulge in too many unhealthy treats. Though it was normal for kids to crave snacks, she thought there was no harm for Rowan to consume in moderation, so long as she could control the number of snacks. Yuliana picked up a smaller bag of chips, offering it to Rowan. ¡°You can have this,¡± she said. Rowanpared the sizes of the two bags of snacks. The bag of chips in Yuliana¡¯s hand seemed much smaller. He raised his head, shook his little body, and said in a sweet voice, ¡°Mommy, I want this.¡± ¡°No. If you don¡¯t want this bag of snacks that I chose for you, we will go home empty-handed,¡± Yuliana said. firmly. Despite her tendency to spoil Rowan with everything he wanted, and even the others would say she had spoiled Rowan too much, Yuliana firmly drew the line when it came to his health. Rowan also knew Yuliana¡¯s temperament. He hesitated for a moment before putting back the bag of chips that was held in his hands andter tossed the smaller bag of chips into the shopping cart. Yuliana picked up several snacks for Rowan before making her way to the women¡¯s hygiene aisle to grab a few sanitary items. Just then, she turned around, and Rowan was nowhere in sight. Nheless, Yuliana did not panic. This was not the first time Rowan had disappeared while they were shopping at the supermarket. Yuliana was frantically worried when it happened for the first time. After a few simr urrences, and knowing Rowan, she was a little less anxious. After finding no one in the nearby aisles, Yuliana pushed the shopping cart to the snacks and sweets section. Unsurprisingly, Rowan was found standing in front of the soda shelf, his head raised as he gazed intently at the cans of Coke. A man stood beside Rowan, holding a can of Coke in his hand, seemingly asking Rowan about something. Yuliana froze at the sight of that. Rowan followed Yuliana from behind and suddenly saw the cans of Coke on the shelves not far away. He walked toward the shelves. He was too short to reach the top shelf even if he stood on tiptoe. Just as Rowan looked around to ask for help, someone behind him asked, ¡°Do you need help?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Rowan turned around and saw a tall man standing behind him. Rowan nodded and asked in a sweet voice, ¡°Mister, can you help me to take a can of Coke?¡± The man picked up red can. ¡°This one?¡± Rowan shook his head. ¡°I want the blue can.¡± The man took the blue canned Coke and asked, ¡°This?¡± Rowan snatched it from the man while standing on tiptoe and tightly held the can of soda in his arms, afraid it would get taken away from him. He thanked the man and left to find his mother. However, when Rowan turned around, he saw Yuliana standing not far behind him. ¡°Mommy!¡± Rowan shouted when he saw his mother and ran toward her in a few steps. Abruptly, he stopped in his tracks and hid the can of Coke behind him, just so Yuliana would not find out. He looked at his mother timidly. Yuliana withdrew her gaze from the man and looked at Rowan, who was almost a miniature version of the man. She walked to Rowan and stretched out her hand. ¡°Give it to me,¡± she said. Rowan shook his head, refusing to hand over the can of Coke. Impatient, Yuliana yelled, ¡°Rowan!¡± Rarely did she address her son by his full name, reserving it only for serious and exasperating moments. Whenever Rowan heard his full name, he could not help but feel a hint of fear. He would not even dare to use his tricks to charm her with his adorableness. Rowan held back his tears and handed Yuliana the Coke hidden behind him. Yuliana took it and put it back on the shelf. Then, she held Rowan with one hand, pushed the shopping cart with the other, and walked toward the cashier. Yuliana did not take another look at the man again. Christopher watched as the two walked away. It wasn¡¯t until they were out of sight did he turn to look at the can of Coke that was put back into ce. He reached out and took the can of Coke off the shelf once again. After checking out at the cashier, Yuliana held Rowan¡¯s hand with one hand while he was still sulking, and with her other hand, she carried the shopping bag as they made their way to the parking lot using the elevator. When there was no one else in the parking lot, Rowan grabbed Yuliana by the hand and pouted as he said, ¡°You¡¯re a bad Mommy. I don¡¯t like you anymore!¡± With that, he snorted as he deliberately distanced himself from Yuliana. Yuliana was at a loss for what to do in response to her son¡¯s behavior and even felt a twinge of sadness upon hearing such hurtful words from Rowan, even when it was just a tantrum. Since Rowan had learned to speak, not once had he uttered the words, ¡°Mommy is a bad mother. I don¡¯t like Mommy.¡± Even when Yuliana had been firm with him, Rowan would only resort to charming the former with his endearing demeanor and tears to refute. Yuliana quickly regained herposure and reflected on her actions. It was not true to say that she hadpletely prohibited Rowan from drinking Coke at all. If he really wanted to drink some, she would let him have a small sip. Yuliana found herself in an unusual mood earlier in the supermarket. She had neglected to show Rowan any respect in the presence of strangers. Looking back, she was regretful for being self- centered and inadvertently took no consideration of Rowan¡¯s feelings. When they arrived at the underground parking lot, there was no one around. Rowan had to have been holding it in before erupting into a tantrum. Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Mr. Coke Yuliana quickly set aside the things in her hand and crouched down in front of Rowan. She reached out to wipe off Rowan¡¯s tears. However, thetter rebuffed her efforts and turned his face away, disying his resentment. With a pout and his downturned lips, Rowan looked at Yuliana with red, tearful eyes, feeling upset and wronged. Yuliana knew that Rowan was angry. She recalled an incident before when Rowan brought his favorite toy robot downstairs, and it was identally broken by one of his friends. It was the same disappointed expression as it was before. Rowan would often throw small tantrums but rarely got truly angry. Yuliana extended her arm and made Rowan look her in the face. Despite Rowan resisting her, she gently wiped his tears and said, ¡°Mommy is sorry. I was wrong to yell at you earlier. Please don¡¯t be angry with me, okay?¡± Rowan¡¯s cheeks remained puffed, but his gaze softened. He stared at Yuliana for a while, then threw himself into Yuliana¡¯s arms, wrapped his arms around her neck, and said in a nasal voice, ¡°Okay.¡± Two secondster, he kissed Yuliana¡¯s face again and said, ¡°I love you, Mommy.¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart melted at Rowan¡¯s words. She kissed his forehead and said with a gentle smile, ¡°Mommy loves you too. Stop crying?¡± Rowan pulled away from Yuliana¡¯s embrace and nodded as he said, ¡°Yes!¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Can you walk on your own? I have to carry things.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Rowan replied. Yuliana got up, picked up the things that were ced aside, and took Rowan to the parking area. But after a few steps in, Rowan tugged on Yuliana¡¯s clothes and shouted from behind, ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s Mr. Coke.¡± Startled, Yuliana turned around to see a man and a woman walking in their direction. The man was Christopher, who had helped Rowan to reach the can of Coke at the supermarket earlier. The woman was wearing a mask and a baseball cap, showing only her beautiful eyes. She was well- dressed and had a slender figure. Yuliana nced at them for a brief second and was ready to leave with Rowan. However, Christopher turned to look in their direction. Before Yuliana could withdraw her gaze, their eyes met. Unflinchingly, she averted her gaze. ¡°Be careful as you cross the road.¡± Rowan withdrew his gaze and followed Yuliana obediently, ready to leave the ce. Just then, Christopher left the woman beside him and hurried toward Yuliana and Rowan. Sensing the presence of someone behind her, Yuliana had no choice but to stop. Christopher looked at Yuliana first. Both of them looked calm. Then, he looked at Rowan beside Yuliana. The little boy was blinking his eyes as he looked at Christopher, puzzled. He smiled at Rowan and said to Yuliana, ¡°I have no ill will.¡± Then, he took out a can of Coke from his shopping bag and handed it to Rowan. Rowan¡¯s watery eyes lit up in an instant when he saw the can of Coke. When he was about to reach out to ept it, he couldn¡¯t help but look up at Yuliana again with pleading eyes. ¡°Mommy, please¡­¡± Rowan implored loudly. Yuliana could not resist the eager look of her son. Yet, her mind was gued by hesitations and some other thoughts. After gathering her thoughts, she touched Rowan¡¯s soft curly hair and urged him to thank the man before him. ¡°Go ahead and say thank you to Mr. Coke.¡± With his mother¡¯s permission, Rowan immediately took the Coke from Christopher and said happily, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Coke!¡± Christopher looked at Rowan and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Rowan held the Coke in his hands as if he had scored himself a rare treasure. He was so happy that his attention was wholly on the can of Coke in his hands. Christopher reached out his hand to touch Rowan¡¯s face, but Rowan¡¯s reflex was quick to dodge the former¡¯s hand. It was evident that Rowan was ufortable with being touched by strangers, even when the man had offered him a can of Coke. Christopher¡¯s hand froze in midair before he drew it back. Just then, the woman who was with Christopher walked over and cast a nce at Yuliana and the child beside her. She then turned to look at Christopher and asked, ¡°Do you know each other?¡± Christopher did not spare a passing nce at the woman and even deliberately disregarded her question. As the woman awaited his response, Christopher remained unresponsive, causing discontentment in the former. Nheless, the woman refrained from making a scene in front of strangers. Yuliana patted Rowan on the back and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rowan was confused as his focus was still on the can of Coke in his hands. After following Yuliana for a distance, he seemed to remember something. He turned to look at Christopher, who was standing and watching them from a distance. Rowan politely bid Christopher goodbye. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Coke.¡± Christopher smiled at him. After the two disappeared, Christopher headed in the other direction. The woman became infuriated when Christopher evaded her questions. She caught up to him and asked, ¡°Christopher, do you know the mother and son from just now?¡± The woman seemed to sense that there was something between Christopher and the woman with the child they had just encountered. Christopher ignored her words. When he arrived at his parking spot, he threw the shopping bag into the trunk and opened the driver¡¯s door to get into the car. The woman stood in front of the car, seemingly prepared for a confrontation with Christopher. Christopher shot an indifferent nce at her and went on to pick up a cigarette box from the armrest box. He took out a cigarette, lit it, lowered the window, and smoked slowly. His gray eyes were devoid of any emotions as he looked in the direction of the woman. It was as if he was looking through her, not at her. As the tension simmered between them, the woman eventually backed down. Fuming with anger, she could not help but stomp her foot before storming into the passenger seat. Her hands were quick to take off her mask and hat. Frustrated, she ran her fingers through her hair as she said, ¡°What do you mean? Does it take a lot for you to coax me?¡± Christopher gave her the side-eye as he flicked off the cigarette ash. ¡°That child just now was my son,¡± he stated. ¡°What?¡± the woman eximed in disbelief at the revtion. The woman could not believe her ears, though his words were unmistakably clear. Despite being in shock, she could easily read the situation. If the child was Christopher¡¯s son, the woman that they saw was¡­ All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Christopher seemed to have guessed her thoughts and said, ¡°You guessed it right. She¡¯s my ex-wife.¡± The woman¡¯s face darkened, and her eyebrows furrowed. She turned to look out of the window and remained silent for a long while. Christopher, too, did not continue to speak. The silence in the car was deadly. Several minutes went by. The woman eventually lost herposure. She looked at Christopher and asked angrily, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Christopher put out the smoke and said in a low voice, ¡°If it bothers you that much, we can call it quits now.¡± Hearing that, the wornan panicked at the thought of losing Christopher. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± she said. She pouted and looked at Christopher. In truth, she had only known Christopher for ten days, and their rtionship was undefined. They were still in the ambiguous stage, and they were just getting to know each other. Regardless, she had strong feelings for Christopher and believed that he felt the same way. The way Christopher had willingly revealed the truth to her seemed to solidify that belief. As she reflected on their interactions over the past few days, she came to know very well that Christopher was not a patient man who would go out of his way to appease a woman. That was precisely the reason she was drawn to him. However, she was determined to be different from all the women in Christopher¡¯s life. She wished to be the one who could change him. She wanted to make him understand that it was worth it to be patient and to take the time to understand and listen to her. Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Do You Want To Meet Daddy? However, she still hoped Christopher could treat her differently and break his rules to coax her patiently. ¡°Forget it. We haven¡¯t known each other for long. Let¡¯s take it slow,¡± she mused. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The woman tumed sideways and said solemnly, ¡°I do mind because I like you. If I don¡¯t like you, I wouldn¡¯t care if you had an ex-wife or a son. I¡¯m not a petty woman who can¡¯t even stand minor things like this. I was merely in shock just now, but I¡¯ve thought about it. They¡¯re just a part of your past, and the one that I know and like is you now.¡± With that, she put her hand on Christopher¡¯s forearm, bit her lower lip, and asked, ¡°Christopher, I like you. Do you like me too?¡± Although she felt that Christopher liked her, she still wanted to hear him say it himself. Christopher looked down at her hand on his forearm and responded, ¡°Of course.¡± The woman was a little disappointed, but soon she was flooded with happiness. She asked with a bright smile, ¡°Are we in a rtionship now?¡± Christopher replied, ¡°Yes. We are.¡± On the way back, the crimson sunset illuminated the sky However, Yuliana wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate the beautiful sky. She couldn¡¯t concentrate and was slightly distracted. Sitting on the safety chair in the backseat, Rowan had been holding the Coke and craving to drink it. ¡°Mommy, can I drink the Coke?¡± Rowan¡¯s voice pulled Yuliana back to reality, but she didn¡¯t catch what he had just said. ¡°Huh? What did you say? I didn¡¯t hear you just now.¡± Rowan¡¯s voice became softer as he repeated, ¡°Mommy, can I drink the Coke?¡± Yuliana looked at her son¡¯s eager eyes and replied, ¡°You can only take a sip.¡± Rowan frowned and lifted the Coke with one hand. ¡°But this is a big can of Coke. Granny Hailey told us not to waste food,¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°The rest is for Granny Hailey to make coke chicken wings for you. Didn¡¯t you like the coke chicken wings made by Granny Hailey a lot?¡± Rowan slumped on the chair and sighed. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana looked at her son from the rearview mirror and saw him holding the coke. His big eyes were half-closed as he looked out the window, looking sleepy. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Rowan rubbed his eyes and yawned in response to Yuliana¡¯s question. It was almost seven o¡¯clock, and they left the house at nine in the morning. They had been out for ten hours. They hadn¡¯t had a rest except for taking a nap in the car for around 20 minutes after lunch. Usually, they would take a nap for two or three hours at home. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you can sleep for a while. I¡¯ll wake you up when we get home.¡± Rowan nodded obediently, closed his eyes, and was ready to sleep. But after a while, he opened his eyes and said tiredly, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Coke is so tall. I also want to grow tall.¡± After saying that, Rowan closed his eyes and fell asleep. Conflicting emotions swelled in Yuliana¡¯s heart as she heard Rowan¡¯s words. Rowan, had never asked her about his father. She didn¡¯t know whether it was because he didn¡¯t have the concept of a father or he sensitively sensed something and didn¡¯t want to ask. Yuliana didn¡¯t intend to wipe Christopher¡¯s existence off Rowan¡¯s lifepletely. Moreover, it was also impossible for her to do so. As Caleb said, Christopher was Rowan¡¯s father, after all, which was a fact that could never be changed. However, she didn¡¯t know how to tell Rowan about it. She used to think that he was too young and wouldn¡¯t be able to understand even if she exined it to him. Hence, she had been dragging it until now. Yet, now that Rowan had started to understand things, she didn¡¯t know how to tell him anymore. She was afraid that Rowan would ask more questions, and she didn¡¯t know how to answer them. Previously, Christopher hadn¡¯t shown up, and she could still dy the matter. But now that Christopher had appeared in Rowan¡¯s life, thetter should have the right to enjoy fatherly love like other children. The more Yuliana thought about it, the more her mind was in a mess. She turned on the car stereo and chose a song with a strong rhythm to help her focus on driving. Rowan was probably thinking about the can of Coke. As soon as the car stopped in the garage, he woke up immediately and held the Coke tightly in his arms. After entering the house, he asked Yuliana to open the Coke for him. Yuliana took the Coke and looked at Rowan, who looked up eagerly at it. She felt a little ufortable as she wondered what Rowan would think and do if he knew his father had bought the Coke for him. Yuliana opened the can of Coke and said, ¡°You can only take a sip.¡± Rowan kept jumping as he reached out and grabbed Yuliana¡¯s hand to grab the Coke. He took a big mouthful of it until Yuliana pulled the Coke away from him by force. Then, he licked the corners of his mouth and stared at the can as if he didn¡¯t have enough. He raised one finger and said, ¡°Mommy, just one more sip, please.¡± ¡°We had a deal. You can only have one sip.¡± Yuliana handed the rest to Hailey and asked thetter to take it and put it in the refrigerator. Halley had prepared dinner. Yuliana had no appetite and went upstairs directly. She had spent the whole day ying with Rowan outside. She took a shower and went to the study room to deal with her emails and some urgent work. After eating, Rowan was tired after ying downstairs for a while. He fell on the couch and began to feel sleepy. As Hailey saw this, she immediately carried him upstairs to shower and put him on the bed. When Yuliana came over, Rowan was almost asleep on the bed. Hearing her and Hailey talking, he opened his eyes again. ¡°Hailey, I¡¯ll do it. You can go to rest.¡± Hailey nodded and gave space for them. Yuliana moved Rowan to the other side of the bed, leaned against the head of the bed, took a children¡¯s storybook, and flipped through it. She nned to tell Rowan a bedtime story before he went to bed. However, as she was flipping through the book randomly, she turned to the page with a story of a father and son. Yuliana wasn¡¯t sure whether Hailey had told Rowan about the story, but Yuliana had always subconsciously avoided telling him stories of a father and son. She hesitated for a while and decided to tell the story. In the past, when Yuliana told Rowan a bedtime story, Rowan would fall asleep before she could finish. This time, when Yuliana finished telling the story in the book, Rowan was still awake, furrowing his brows. Rowan got up from the bed, leaned against Yuliana¡¯s arms, wrapped his arms around her neck, and asked curiously, ¡°Mommy, does every child have a daddy?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Rowan furrowed his brows even deeper. He looked at Yuliana and said confusedly, ¡°I¡¯m also a child, but I don¡¯t have a daddy.¡± As Yuliana heard what he said, her heart seemed to be pierced by a needle. She gently caressed Rowan¡¯s soft hair and said, ¡°Of course, you have a daddy. Every child has a mommy and a daddy.¡± ¡°Then, where¡¯s my daddy?¡± Rowan didn¡¯t understand. ¡°I have never seen him before.¡± Yuliana¡¯s lips moved slightly. She wanted to tell Rowan that he had seen his father. But in the end, she did not say anything She asked, ¡°Roe, do you want to meet Daddy?¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°I do. Jasper¡¯s daddy yed with a toy car with him. I also want to y with my daddy.¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 I Could Not Be More Thankful Jasper, who was about the same age as Rowan, was the neighbor¡¯s child. The two children often yed together. They had a good rtionship, and he was Rowan¡¯s best friend. Hannah White, Jasper¡¯s mother, was a housewife, while Jasper¡¯s father, Donald White, was always busy with work and couldn¡¯t spend much time at home. However, he would always take time to y with Jasper as soon as he got home. Yuliana sometimes apanied Rowan to y with Jasper on weekends. When Donald came back from work, he would carry Jasper happily, and Jasper would giggle at him while Rowan was watching them quietly at the side. She didn¡¯t know how to describe Rowan¡¯s expression at that time. In fact, Rowan, a three-year-old child, didn¡¯t understand many things, but he was very sensitive and could feel that he was different from others. He just didn¡¯t know how to express himself. Yuliana fell silent for a moment. After he thought for a while, an idea popped into Rowan¡¯s mind. He buried himself in Yuliana¡¯s arms and asked, ¡°Mommy, how about Mr. Duncan? I want a Daddy like Mr. Duncan.¡± Yuliana came back to her senses, pinched his cheek, and said with a faint smile, ¡°Mr. Duncan is not your daddy. They¡¯re different.¡± Rowan buried his head in Yuliana¡¯s arms and said, ¡°I like Mr. Duncan.¡± Yuliana knew that the concept of a father to Rowan was an illusory and unimaginable existence, and Wesley was someone who existed in his life. Rowan¡¯s favorite man in the past two years was Wesley. She looked down at the sullen little guy in her arms and asked, ¡°Do you miss Mr. Duncan?¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°Yes, Mommy. I want to call Mr. Duncan.) Yuliana adjusted her posture, held him in her arms, and then tidied the hair on his forehead, saying, ¡°It¡¯s toote today. Mr. Duncan is taking a rest. Go to bed first, and you can call Mr. Duncan after waking up, okay?¡± Rowan obediently replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana gently patted Rowan¡¯s back, watching him close his eyes and breathe evenly. After he fell asleep soundly in her arms, she carefully moved him to the bed. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. When she came out of Rowan¡¯s room, her phone rang. She looked at her phone and couldn¡¯t help smiling. Then, she answered it directly. ¡°Just now, Roe said he wants to call you. I didn¡¯t expect you to call me first,¡± Yuliana said to the person on the other side of the phone. ¡°Roe is still up?¡± Wesley asked. ¡°He just fell asleep.¡± Yuliana paused and asked, ¡°Why did you call me at this time? Are you back?¡± Wesley replied, ¡°I just got off the ne.¡± ¡°Is everything going well?¡± Yuliana asked. ¡°Not bad. There were some ups and downs, and it took me two days to settle it. But I¡¯ve settled everything.¡± said Wesley. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Yuliana pushed the door and entered the room. She couldn¡¯t help but yawn. Wesley heard her yawn and asked, ¡°Are you tired?¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I took Roe out for a whole day today. I¡¯m a little tired.¡± Kids were always energetic when it came to ying. However, it would be challenging for the people who apanied them. She felt even more tired than working. Wesley said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up now. Have a good rest. I¡¯ll see you and Roe some other day.¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Okay, then. Bye.¡± With that, Yuliana hung up the phone. She came out of the bathroom and directly threw herself on the bed. Wesley stared at the dimmed phone screen for two seconds, put it away, and strode to the exit passageway of the international arrival hall. Outside the airport, a ck business car was waiting. He opened the door and got in the car. The man who was driving turned around and greeted, ¡°Mr. Duncan.¡± Wesley hummed faintly in response and then ordered, ¡°Send me to Kaiser Club first.¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. Duncan.¡± Kaiser Club was an entertainment clubhouse owned by Yahir. As soon as Wesley got off the ne, Christopher called and asked him to meet at Kaiser Club. When Wesley arrived at Kaiser Club, it was already past midnight. However, the night was still young in Kaiser Club. Wesley pushed the door open and went in The smoke lingered in the air, and the smell of tobo and wine mixed together was intense and disgusting Three or five women dressed sexily stood in an open space, singing and dancing, and several lecherous men were touching them. He looked around and saw Christopher sitting on the couch in the corner. Wesley didn¡¯t go over immediately. He stood there and stared at Christopher for a while. In fact, he hadn¡¯t seen Christopher for nearly a year. Thest time he met Christopher was in July or Augustst year, and the two of them didn¡¯t have a great conversation. Therefore, he stopped going to prison since then. Even if something happened, Wesley would just ask his men to pass on his words to Christopher. Obviously, Christopher had changed a lotpared tost year. During the few seconds of Wesley¡¯s silent observation, Christopher soon caught Wesley peeping at him and quickly fixed his cold eyes on thetter. They looked at each other across the air for two seconds, and then Wesley walked over. ¡°Mr. Duncan is here. Please have a seat.¡± Yahir was the one speaking. Yahir was sitting next to Christopher. There was a single empty couch on the other side, and a round table was in the middle of the three single couches. There were several bottles of wine and sses on the table, and cigarette boxes were next to them. Several cigarette butts were already in the ashtray. Christopher was wearing a dark-colored floral shirt with a pair of ck trousers. He crossed his legs and leanedzily on the couch. The piercing gaze he had when he looked at Wesley just now had disappeared. Instead, his expression was cold. Yahir first poured a ss of wine for Wesley, then stood up and said with a smile, ¡°You guys can talk. I¡¯ll go over there to serve Mr. Yantz.¡± It was noisy in the private room, but the corner that they were in was quiet. It was as if every sound had been isted out of that area. Christopher picked up the cigarette box on the table and shook it twice. A cigarette popped out, and he handed it to Wesley. Wesley didn¡¯t take it and said, ¡°I¡¯ve quit smoking.¡± The corner of Christopher¡¯s lips curled imperceptibly. He then took out a cigarette and bit it between his thin lips. He puffed and slowly exhaled smoke, saying. ¡°Have you made any progress going abroad this time?¡± Wesley replied, ¡°I found some leads, but it will take some time to get the result.¡± ¡°More time?¡± Christopher looked at him through the smoke. ¡°I¡¯ve given you three years.¡± Wesley picked up his ss and took a sip of wine. ¡°I¡¯m not just doing your business. When I epted your mission, I told you it would be hard, and I was not confident that I could aplish it.¡± Christopher flicked the cigarette ash and smiled as he asked, ¡°Are you not confident that you could aplish it, or are you distracted?¡± Wesley¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He raised his eyes at Christopher and said calmly, ¡°Mr. Sce, if you are not satisfied with my work, I can stop it now and return all the money to you.¡± Hearing this, Christopher jested, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯m just kidding. Why did you take it seriously? Besides, you¡¯ve been treating Roe like your son for the past few years. I couldn¡¯t be more thankful.¡± Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Traffic Congestion Wesley did not answer. He did not feel Christopher¡¯s gratitude and did not need it. Christopher lowered his gaze and hid in the dark. He smoked anxiously, and the flickering sparks illuminated his face. After smoking a cigarette, he crushed the cigarette butt in the ashtray before looking up at Wesley. Then, Christopher said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I believe in your ability. You¡¯ve been investigating this matter for so long. It¡¯s quite troublesome to rece you.¡± It was not a lie. Christopher had been cooperating with Wesley for so long and believed in Wesley¡¯s ability. Wesley turned the wine ss and said, ¡°Til send more people to help you get things done as soon as possible. I¡¯ll inform you right away if there¡¯s any progress. As for other people, there¡¯s no need to meet them if it¡¯s not important.¡± After saying that, Wesley put the ss back on the table. He got up and was ready to leave. ¡°Wesley.¡± Christopher stopped him. Wesley stopped but did not turn around. Christopher was silent for two seconds before saying, ¡°Yuliana and I have divorced. If you like her, you can go after her without worry.¡± He paused shortly. His eyes darkened, and he continued, ¡°I hope she can be happy.¡± Hearing that, Wesley headed out and left Kaiser Club without responding. The weekend soon passed. The new week began, and it was time for Yuliana to get busy again. In the past, when Yuliana was a teacher, she was busy mainly because of internal pressure and wanted to be responsible for her students. At that moment, as the CEO of Glory Corporation, the pressure was from the outside. Many things surrounded Yuliana every day and pushed her to move forward. On Wednesday, it was rare for Yuliana not to have to work overtime. She nned to go home early to apany Rowan. Unexpectedly, her phone rang as soon as she exited the office. She took her phone from her bag and looked at the caller¡¯s number. Just as she was about to speak after answering, Yuliana heard Rowan¡¯s soft voice. ¡°Mommy, are you off work?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana subconsciously curled up her lips. ¡°Yes, I am. Is Mr. Duncan there?* ¡°Yes!¡± Rowan¡¯s voice was a little muffled as if there was something in his mouth. After a while, he added, ¡°Mommy, how did you know that Mr. Duncan was here?¡± Yuliana chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call me with Mr. Duncan¡¯s phone?¡± Rowan suddenly realized. ¡°What? That¡¯s right. Mommy, guess where Mr. Duncan and I are?¡± Yuliana arrived at the elevator entrance and pressed the button, but the elevator would take some time to arrive. She stood at the elevator entrance and waited. Hearing Rowan¡¯s words, Yuliana thought of the timing. of Wesley¡¯s call and asked, ¡°Are you and Mr. Duncaning to my workce?¡± With a hint of dissatisfaction, Rowan asked, ¡°Mommy, why do you know everything?¡± Right then, the elevator door opened. Yuliana looked inside, only to see Craig in it looking down at the phone in his hand. Yuliana paused for a while. Then, she walked into the elevator and pressed the basement floor button. ¡°I¡¯ve entered the elevator. The phone reception inside is not good. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Hearing the voice, Craig looked up and put away his phone. Yuliana also hung up the phone and put it back in her bag. Craig asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, are you ready to get off work?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Mr. Newton, aren¡¯t you going to go home?¡± Craig put his hand into his pocket and nced at Yuliana. He smiled meaningfully and suddenly replied, ¡°I have an appointment, but the person hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± Yuliana did not continue to ask. They chatted about business and soon arrived at Craig¡¯s floor. ¡°See you tomorrow, Ms. Livingstone,¡± said Craig to Yuliana, and then he strode out of the elevator. In fact, since Yuliana took over Glory Corporation, she wanted to thank Craig. Yuliana could not have adapted to her job so quickly without his help. However, for some reason, every time Yuliana faced Craig, she felt slightly ufortable. The elevator arrived at the basement. Yuliana drove the car to the outside of the parking garage and called Wesley. After confirming the location of Wesley and Rowan, she drove over to meet them. Wesley booked a restaurant for dinner. It was rush hour after work, and the traffic was severely congested. Yuliana followed behind Wesley¡¯s car. It was a red light at the intersection in front, and there was a long line of cars. The weather was a little sultry. Yuliana opened the window to let the air in the car circte. Shet casually nced around and unexpectedly met the gaze of a man in a ck SUV in the opposite lane. Christopher was impatient with the traffic congestion. He lowered the window and lit a cigarette to suppress his agitation. When he puffed out the smoke through the window, he saw Yuliana¡¯s side profile in the oppositene. In an instant, his heart calmed down. The few seconds seemed to be elongated infinitely. They looked at each other, and Yuliana turned away indifferently. She looked at the car ahead and began to move slowly. She closed the window and drove to keep up with Wesley, who was in front of her. Christopher withdrew his gaze and heard a woman¡¯s slightly unpleasant voice beside him. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Are you listening?¡± The woman who spoke was the one who went to the mall with Christopher the other day. It was ine Moss. Earlier, ine was telling Christopher about her mother¡¯s birthday. It was at the end of that month. At first, ine did not n to bring Christopher to meet her parents that quickly. After all, she had not known Christopher for a long time. Although she had established a rtionship with him, it was still unstable. However, her mother was worried about ine having a new boyfriend. She insisted ine bring Christopher home to meet them. ine thought about bringing Christopher back to meet her parents on her mother¡¯s birthday. There were more than ten days left. She could also observe Christopher¡¯s attitude. She did not expect Christopher to not react at all after she talked for a while. Christopher drove the car slowly and said, ¡°Your family won¡¯t allow you to be with me.¡± Hearing that, ine immediately felt rebellious. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they disagree. It¡¯s fine as long as I like. you.¡± Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 An Aloof Christopher It was not true that ine did not care about her parents¡¯ feelings. She had a good rtionship with her parents, as she was the only child in the family. Since she was young. they had doted on her and always gave in to her. Of course, she was also a responsible and sensible child. She had never disappointed them. ine knew that she had fallen for Christopher very quickly. Although they had known each other for only half a month, and it was only a few days ago that they confirmed their rtionship, her life had already revolved around him. Whenever they were apart, she would involuntarily think about him and want to see him soon. When they were together, all her attention would be focused on him. She wanted to know everything about this man. Before ine was in a rtionship with Christopher, she dated other men. However, they were casual rtionships, and she was not serious about them. She always refused to bring them home to see her parents, even though her mother had requested her to. She knew that those rtionships would notst. She had never liked a man as much as Christopher. Christopher had juste out of prison. Although he was wrongfully imprisoned, he was still a criminal in her parents¡¯ eyes. Most importantly, Christopher had been married and had a son with his ex-wife. Her parents would definitely object to their rtionship. However, ine knew that as long as she was insistent, her parents would give in eventually. The only thing ine was not sure about was Christopher. ine could sense that Christopher liked her very much. Although he was usually aloof, he was willing to apany her to do the things that young girls liked to do. However, at times, when Christopher was focused on something else, ine felt very distant from him. She could not touch or feel his presence, even when he was close to her. Earlier, she was talking to Christopher excitedly about her mother¡¯s birthday, hoping that he could catch her hint. Christopher merely looked out of the window as he smoked his cigarette. He appeared so detached that ine wondered if he had heard her. However, his response showed that he heard what she said. ine felt a little resentful about Christopher¡¯s nonchnt attitude. She had never felt so insecure in a rtionship. She started throwing a tantrum as she huffed and said, ¡°You can tell me honestly if you don¡¯t wish to. Don¡¯t give me such excuses.¡± Christopher looked straight ahead and turned the steering wheel. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I will make your mother unhappy if I appear on her birthday.¡± ine was not appeased by Christopher¡¯s exnation. Christopher did not speak any further. Seeing that Christopher did not bother to coax her, ine felt more confused. She started to rationalize Christopher¡¯s behavior. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ine decided that Christopher was right. It was her mother¡¯s birthday. If she knew that ine¡¯s new boyfriend had been in prison before and was even married with a kid, she would inevitably get angry. When they were about to arrive at Glory Tower, ine turned to look at Christopher. ¡°I¡¯ve already promised my mom that you¡¯ll be there. How am I going to exin to her if you don¡¯t go? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be around. I¡¯ll make sure that my parents are fine with your presence.¡± Originally, ine thought she could take control of the situation by using her mother¡¯s birthday to test Christopher. Little did she know that she would now be the passive party. Finally, Christopher cast a nce at ine and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± With that, ine¡¯s unhappiness dissipated. The restaurant Wesley booked was not far from Glory Corporation. Yuliana had been there with her colleagues in the past.. Normally, it would take a few minutes to get to the restaurant, but it took nearly half an hour for them to get there because of the traffic jam. It was a traditional restaurant, but it was somewhat different from the other restaurants. Every dish was exquisite and unusual. They were suitable for a party of friends or a family of three to four. Wesley took some time off to pick Rowan up at thest minute. As he made the reservationste, all the private rooms were fully booked. They could only eat in the public dining area. The waiter led them to the table that was reserved by Wesley. The waiter handed the menu to Wesley, who casually handed it to Yuliana and gestured for her to order some food. Yuliana did not stand on ceremony. She looked at the menu and ordered a few dishes. She then asked Wesley if he wanted to order anything else. Wesley was serving water to Rowan. Hearing Yuliana¡¯s words, he replied, ¡°I can eat anything. Just order whatever you want.¡± Hence, Yuliana ordered two more items and handed the menu to the waiter. Rowan was probably very thirsty. He gulped down more than half a cup of water, and water was dripping from the corners of his mouth. Yuliana took a tissue to wipe his mouth. ¡°Did you eat something that you shouldn¡¯t eat just now?¡± Rowan¡¯s eyes rolled before turning to look at Wesley, who was sitting opposite him. Rowan said softly, Jasper said that if you marry Mr. Duncan, he can be my father.¡± Yuliana and Wesley were both stunned. They looked at each other. Wesley had a meaningful look in his eyes, while Yuliana avoided his gaze subtly. She smiled at Rowan. ¡°Do you know what marriage is?¡± Rowan thought for a while and said, ¡°Just like Jasper¡¯s father and mother. They live together.¡± Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Obviously, they wouldn¡¯t take a child¡¯s word seriously. However, Yuliana felt that Rowan was in a crucial period of getting to know the world. It was necessary for him to have a clear understanding of the rtionship between people instead of being vague and causing him to misunderstand. Yuliana turned Rowan¡¯s chair to face her and exined carefully, ¡°Mommy and Mr. Duncan are good friends. We are different from Jasper¡¯s parents.¡± Rowan didn¡¯t understand Yuliana¡¯s words. He tilted his head and asked, ¡°Why is it different?¡± In his view, Jasper¡¯s parents were a man and a woman. His mother and Wesley were also a woman and a man, which was good enough to be his parents. He looked confused. ¡°Granny Hailey said that a man and a woman can get married.¡± For a moment, Yuliana didn¡¯t know how to respond so that Rowan could understand. She thought briefly and said, ¡°It¡¯s like how you are good friends with Annie and Jasper, right?¡± Annie was also a child of Yuliana¡¯s neighbor. She was a beautiful mixed-race girl. She was a little older and already in school, so Rowan didn¡¯t have as much time to y with Annie as he did with Jasper, who yed with him every day. When Annie and Jasper were mentioned, Rowan nodded without full understanding. Both Annie and Jasper were his good friends. ¡°Mommy and Mr. Duncan are good friends, just like you, Jasper, and Annie,¡± Yuliana added. Rowan furrowed his light-colored eyebrows and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t good friends get married?¡± This question left Yuliana at a loss for words. She looked at Rowan¡¯s puzzled eyes and hesitated for a moment, realizing that his question was bing more and moreplicated, and she didn¡¯t know how to exin it clearly to Rowan. ¡°Yeah, can¡¯t good friends get married?¡± Wesley, who had been silent all this time, listening to Yuliana exining their rtionship to Rowan, suddenly joked. Yuliana nced at Wesley and saw that he didn¡¯t seem to be joking much. His deep eyes fell on her. She withdrew her gaze and looked at Rowan. Rowan¡¯s big eyes shone when he heard Wesley¡¯s words. He looked at Wesley and asked in surprise, ¡°Mr. Duncan, you don¡¯t know either?¡± Wesley leaned over and rubbed Rowan¡¯s head. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know, so I asked mom. But if you want me to be your father, marrying your mom is not the only way. I can take you as my godson.¡± your ¡°Can I?¡± Rowan was confused again. He looked at Wesley first and then turned to Yuliana. ¡°Mommy, can I?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t expect things to escte to this point. There was nothing wrong with Rowan having Wesley as his godfather, but she didn¡¯t expect it to happen so suddenly. Since Rowan learned that every child had a father, she could sense that he also wanted a father of his own. She touched Rowan¡¯s head, took a clean ss, and poured water into it. She handed the cup to Rowan and said, ¡°Since you want Mr. Duncan to be godfather, take this ss of water and give it to him.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± your Rowan jumped off the chair with a ss of water in his hand, then walked. carefully to Wesley. ¡°Drink some water, Mr. Duncan.¡± Wesley took the ss from Rowan and said with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal.¡± He just slipped that in there casually, but he didn¡¯t expect Yuliana to agree and even pour a ss of water for Rowan to bring it to him. Wesley took a sip of the water. He then put down the ss and picked Rowan up. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I got myself a son so cheaply.¡± Rowan defended himself, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not cheap. I¡¯m very expensive.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you are very expensive!¡± Wesley rubbed his fluffy hair. ¡°Good boy. Call me Daddy Wesley.¡± Rowan put his arms around Wesley¡¯s neck and gave him a kiss on his face. He eximed sweetly with his eyes curved, ¡°Daddy Wesley! Daddy Wesley! Daddy Wesley! I have a dad like Jasper now!¡± He shouted several times in a row, and Yuliana could feel how happy he was. Even during the meal, he clung to Wesley and kept calling him ¡°Daddy Wesley¡± while asking Wesley to pick up food for him. He wanted Wesley to y with cars and Lego with him as Donald did to Jasper. Throughout the whole process, he only cared about his newly recognized godfather and left Yuliana, his biological mother, aside. Wesley¡¯s phone rang halfway through the meal. He picked up the phone and said to Yuliana, ¡°You and Roe go ahead and eat. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Yuliana nodded and watched Wesley walk toward the entrance of the restaurant. Although she had never asked Wesley what he did for a living over the years, she could still guess a little based on some previous information. She had also encountered simr situations like today countless times, so she was not surprised. However, this time, Wesley was away for a long time. Yuliana and Rowan had finished their meals, but Wesley still hadn¡¯t returned. Yuliana was about to call the waiter over to pay the bill when Rowan, who was watching the bears on his phone, suddenly jumped off the chair and said. anxiously, ¡°Mommy, I need to pee.¡± Yuliana immediately picked Rowan up and headed toward the restroom. ¡°Hold on. We¡¯re almost there.¡± When they arrived at the restroom, Yuliana ced Rowan at the door of the men¡¯s room and said, ¡°Can you go in by yourself? I¡¯ll meet you outside.¡± Rowan nodded and rushed into the men¡¯s room. Yuliana had taught Rowan about these things before, and Rowan had also had the experience of going into the men¡¯s room alone, so she was not worried. After he finished urinating at the urinal, the anxiety on Rowan¡¯s face gradually eased. He walked over to the sink and wanted to wash his hands, but he found that the sink was too high, and he couldn¡¯t reach it even if he stood on his tiptoes. Rowan stood by the sink, feeling troubled and not knowing what to do. Suddenly, his body lifted off the ground. He turned around, and his eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Mr. Coke!¡± Christopher responded, ¡°Do you want to wash your hands?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Rowan nodded and hurriedly put his hand under the sensor faucet. He rubbed his little hands and rinsed them well under running water. After Rowan finished washing his hands, Christopher put him back on the ground. Seeing Rowan with his hands outstretched and his fingers spread, frowning at the water on his hands, Christopher took two pieces of paper towel from the dispenser on the wall, crouched, and gently dried his hands. Rowan looked at his dry hands and finally curved his eyes with satisfaction. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Coke!¡± Christopher gently pinched his soft face and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He stared at Rowan for a while and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your mom?¡± Rowan pointed in the direction of the door and said in a soft voice, ¡°Mommy¡¯s outside.¡± Christopher nced in the direction he pointed at and asked, ¡°You¡¯re amazing. You can go to the restroom by yourself?¡± ¡°Mommy said I¡¯m a big boy now, and I have to go to the restroom by myself,¡± Rowan said with a hint of pride. ¡°Mr. Coke, am I great?¡± Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Christopher replied firmly with a smile, ¡°Yes, you are! Rowan rolled his eyes and said. ¡°Mommy said if I do great, I will get a reward.¡± Only then did Christopher realize that he had fallen into Rowan¡¯s trap, and his smile became broader. ¡°Oh? What reward do you want?¡± Christopher asked. ¡°Coke!¡± Rowan said with a greedy look on his face, Christopher¡¯s expression slowly becante somber. Has your mom ever told you that children shouldn¡¯t drink too much Coke? And has she also told you not to ept food from strangers?¡± Rowan¡¯s cheeks puffed up, and his little face was full of seriousness. ¡°But, but¡­ Mr. Coke, you¡¯re not someone else.¡± Christopher fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring Coke today. I will give it to you next time. Your mom is waiting outside. You should go, else she will be worried.¡± After being reminded by Christopher, Rowan finally remembered that Yuliana was still waiting for hirn outside. He was about to run out with his short legs, but he suddenly remembered something. He stopped and turned to Christopher. ¡°Mr. Coke, don¡¯t forget your promise!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forget,¡± said Christopher. Only then did Rowan leave the restroom with peace of mind. Outside the restroom, Wesley returned to the restaurant after he finished the phone call, but he didn¡¯t see Yuliana. So, he called her. Just as Wesley was about to head toward the restroom, Yuliana saw Rowan, who ran out of there and hurled himself into her arms. She put her arm around Rowan¡¯s shoulder and said to Wesley on the phone, ¡°You don¡¯t have toe over. He¡¯s out.¡± With that, she hung up the phone. She looked at Rowan¡¯s hands and found that his hands were dry, so she asked, ¡°Did you wash your hands?¡± Yuliana paid particr attention to washing his hands after using the restroom and before meals. ¡°I did.¡± Rowan was in a good mood, especially when he thought of what Mr. Coke promised him. He said to Yuliana happily, ¡°Mr. Coke helped me wash my hands.¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°Mr. Coke?¡± Rowan replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Mr. Coke!¡± If Yuliana remembered correctly, the only person whom Rowan called Mr. Coke was Christopher. Since Christopher helped him pick up a can of C in the supermarketst time, he had been calling him. Mr. Coke. Yuliana nced at the door of the men¡¯s room, feeling a littleplicated. She led Rowan back to the restaurant and asked, ¡°Did you say thank you to Mr. Coke?¡± Bouncing, Rowan followed Yuliana and said, ¡°Yes.¡± When the voices outside slowly faded away. Christopher emerged from the restroom and walked toward the private room. ¡°You¡¯re finally back!¡± ine immediately picked up her bag and stood up when she saw Christopher return. Christopher looked at her and then at Craig. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Craig didn¡¯t say anything and turned his gaze to ine. ine walked up to Christopher and exined, ¡°My friend is having some trouble and I need to go there right away.¡± Today, she came to meet Craig with Christopher in Christopher¡¯s car, but she didn¡¯t directly ask Christopher to take her there. She just looked at Christopher with watery eyes. The meaning in her eyes was obvious. Christopher ignored ine¡¯s words and cast his eye on Craig. Craig stood up with a shrug and said, ¡°Im almost done eating, and I actually have something to do tonight. What do you say we call it a day and talk about the rest another time?¡± Hearing Craig¡¯s words, Christopher nodded and replied, ¡°Okay¡± After Christopher settled the bill, the three of them headed toward the elevator. As they arrived at the elevator, they saw a man and a woman waiting there with a child. Craig recognized Yuliana and her son Rowan at a nce. He looked at Christopher and ine out of the corner of his eye, eagerly waiting for a big scene to unfold. Rowan held Yuliana¡¯s hand with one hand and Wesley¡¯s with the other. He could not stop talking. ¡°Daddy Wesley, are you going to have dinner with me and Mommy tomorrow?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Wesley lowered his eyes to him and answered, ¡°I have something to do tomorrow. Maybe next time.¡° Rowan pouted. ¡°When is next time? Will it be long? You can¡¯t make me wait that long. Daddy Wesley, you promised to y with me and the cars!¡± Before Wesley could respond, Yuliana interjected gently. ¡°Roe, don¡¯t do this.¡± Although Wesley loved Rowan very much, he did not have any obligation toward him. He always felt that no matter how good a rtionship was, there should still be boundaries and that one should not take advantage of others¡¯ kindness. Rowan realized that what he said earlier didn¡¯t seem appropriate. However, he thought that since Wesley became his father, he would be able to y with him anytime like Jasper did with his father. He did not expect that it was still not possible. It seemed that Daddy Wesley was different from Jasper¡¯s father. Rowan began to feel a little emotional. He broke free from Wesley¡¯s hand and leaned closely against Yuliana¡¯s leg, burying his face in her waist. Yuliana noticed the change in her son¡¯s emotions and bent down to pick Rowan up. Rowan leaned against her shoulder and rubbed his slightly red eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Christopher and hispanions standing behind them. He was taken aback for a moment, then shouted, ¡°Mr. Coke.¡± When Yuliana and Wesley heard that, they subconsciously looked back and saw Christopher, Craig, and a beautiful young woman. The woman was holding Christopher¡¯s arm while standing next to him intimately. Craig was the first to speak. He nced at Wesley next to Yuliana and called out with a smile, ¡°Ms. Livingstone.¡± ine also recognized Yuliana and Rowan, the mother and son she saw in the supermarket garage the other day, who were also Christopher¡¯s ex-wife and his son. Although she had been giving herself mental preparation over the past few days to try to ept the fact that Christopher had an ex-wife and a son, and she thought she had epted, when she confronted them, she realized that she wasn¡¯t as calm as she had thought she was. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, are you here to have dinner with your friends?¡± Craig asked. Yuliana¡¯s gaze did not stay on Christopher and ine. She looked at Craig and answered without saying anything further. Craig shifted his attention to Rowan and asked, ¡°Rowan, do you remember me?¡± Rowan was feeling down at the moment. Heid on Yuliana¡¯s shoulder listlessly and nodded to Craig. ¡°I remember you, Mr. Newton.¡± There was a time when Hailey fell sick and couldn¡¯t take care of Rowan. Yuliana brought him to the company once, and Craig helped take care of him for an hour or two. Yuliana also brought Rowan along to a fewpany gatherings, so he was quite familiar with Craig. Craig pointed to Christopher and asked, ¡°Why do you call him Mr. Coke?¡± Rowan replied in a sweet tone, ¡°Because he is Mr. Coke. Craig was confused. ¡°What kind of exnation was that?¡± he thought. Christopher disengaged himself from ine¡¯s grip and took a step forward. ¡°Do you want me to hold you?¡± Rowan looked at Christopher and didn¡¯t answer right away. Yuliana¡¯s body stiffened when she heard Christopher¡¯s question, but she quickly rxed. She knew her son very well. Although Rowan wasn¡¯t very afraid of strangers, he didn¡¯t let just anyone hold him. For example, Rowan had seen Craig several times, but every time Craig wanted to hug him, he refused. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 You Are Not Daddy Yuliana¡¯s body stiffened when she heard Christopher¡¯s question, but she quickly rxed. She knew her son very well. Although Rowan wasn¡¯t very afraid of strangers, he didn¡¯t let just anyone hold him. For example, Rowan had seen Craig several times, but every time Craig wanted to hug him, he refused. However, Rowan shortly broke Yuliana¡¯s perception. ¡°Yes,¡± Rowan replied. Rowan let go of his hand holding Yuliana¡¯s neck and pounced on Christopher with open arms. Yuliana didn¡¯t expect that at all. As she was in stilettos, she lost her bnce and her body shook when Rowan pounced on Christopher. At that moment, a powerful and warm palm held the back of her waist. Today, Yuliana was dressed in a white silk shirt paired with a ck skirt that featured a lotus leaf border and fell to the length of her calves. Her feet had on a pair of ck stilettos that covered her ankles to her calves, exuding the sensuality of a woman. When the palm touched her, the muscles of her whole body flinched reflexively. After she stabilized herself, Christopher¡¯s hand retracted immediately. At the same time, Rowan was also taken over by the man from her arms. Yuliana panicked after sensing her arms were empty, and she subconsciously wanted to take the child back from Christopher. As she turned her head to look at Christopher holding Rowan with one hand, both father and son looked at her. In that instant, she felt her words catch in her throat and couldn¡¯t say anything. The faces of the man and the child were so simr. Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯ll carry him to the parking lot.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said nothing. She tacitly agreed with him. Yet, ine was not happy when she saw their interaction. She was unsure whether Christopher and Yuliana still had past feelings toward each other, but she could see that Christopher cared about her son. As long as the child was still here, Christopher and Yuliana couldn¡¯t bepletely separated. With a ding, the elevator arrived. When the door opened, several people were already in the elevator. Seeing people outside the elevator who wanted to enter, the people inside took the initiative to move to the innermost part to make room. Wesley held the elevator door and let the others in. As Yuliana stood in front of the elevator, she stepped into the elevator first, then followed by Christopher, who was holding the child. ine walked behind Christopher, followed by Craig and Wesley. The space inside the elevator was not spacious. Therefore, the elevator was packed after they entered. Within the elevator, Yuliana stood amid the crowd while Christopher stood near her. Their clothes touched, and hot breath emanated from his body, constantly steaming forth. She felt that the air in the elevator was vacuumed, making her almost unable to breathe. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Rowan suddenly voiced in the quiet elevator. Yuliana came back to her senses and looked at Rowan. She gently responded, ¡°Mommy¡¯s here. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rowan didn¡¯t say anything but stared at Yuliana. He wrapped his arms around Christopher¡¯s neck and leaned his head against Christopher¡¯s broad shoulders. He was very obedient and quiet. The mother and son looked at each other for two seconds, and the child couldn¡¯t hold his eyelids, opening his mouth to yawn. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. As the space in the elevator was too small and stuffy, Rowan¡¯s hair became wet and stuck on his forehead. Yuliana took out a tissue and wiped his sweat. She raised her eyes unexpectedly and met Christopher¡¯s expressionless eyes. Instantly, she curled up her hand with the tissue involuntarily. She withdrew her hand, averted her eyes from him, and looked in the direction of the elevator door. When they arrived, the underground garage was full, so Yuliana and Wesley parked their cars in an open parking area nearby. After getting out of the elevator, Yuliana wanted to take Rowan back from Christopher¡¯s arms, but she saw Christopher holding Rowan and walking straight to the exit of the hall on the first floor. She stood transfixed on the spot for two seconds. When she was about to catch up with them after snapping back to her senses, the woman with Christopher rolled her eyes and red at Yuliana. But the woman didn¡¯t say anything and immediately chased after Christopher. Wesley stood beside Yuliana. He looked at her silently for two seconds and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you right?¡± Yuliana shook her head calmly. Wesley¡¯s eyes darkened as he watched Christopher hold Rowan in his arms while walking away. As Christopher had long legs, he walked fast, leaving everyone behind. all ine wanted to catch up with Christopher, but she couldn¡¯t tolerate how he treated her. After chasing after him for a few steps, she slowed down with a cold face and kept neither close nor distant from Christopher. Based on her previous temper, she would have already pped him and left. In truth, she could do that now. She couldn¡¯t figure out why, but she just didn¡¯t want to do so. She would rather follow him, furious. Rowan was very quiet and didn¡¯t like to talk when he wanted to sleep. Now, he was like a harmless kitten leaning against Christopher¡¯s arms. Christopher hugged Rowan¡¯s soft body and felt an inexplicable emotion. He lowered his head to look at Rowan and queried, ¡°Do you want to y with a car?¡± Rowan¡¯s eyes lit up once he heard the word ¡°car¡± but darkened soon after. He frowned and said, ¡°I want Daddy Wesley to y with me.¡± He could y with the car himself. Yuliana and Hailey could also y car with him. But what he wanted was to y with his father as Jasper did. Christopher was silent for two seconds. ¡°Can I y with you?¡± Rowan opened his big clear eyes and nced at Christopher. ¡°You¡¯re not Daddy.¡± Hearing that, Christopher stopped. He looked at Rowan¡¯s innocent eyes, his face reflected in the latter¡¯s pupils. Christopher questioned, ¡°Do you want to y with your daddy?¡± Rowan nodded, shook his head, and then nodded again. Confusion and hesitation filled his face. ¡°Jasper has his daddy, and Annie has her daddy too. Their daddies y with them. Mommy said I also have my daddy, but I haven¡¯t seen him, and he doesn¡¯t y with me.¡± After walking a few minutes from the restaurant to the parking lot, Christopher arrived first, carrying Rowan in his arms. Later, ine, Yuliana, Wesley, and Craig reached the parking lot in sequence. ine was initially two steps away from Christopher. With an unhappy face, she looked at Rowan ying with the buttons on Christopher¡¯s clothes. When she saw Yuliana and the others, she immediately stood beside Christopher. Yuliana stepped forward and uttered, ¡°Give him back to me!¡± Christopher didn¡¯t hand Rowan over to Yuliana. Instead, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Where is your car?¡± Yuliana fell silent. Then, she turned around and walked straight to the ce where she parked her car. Christopher followed her. There was no unnecessarymunication between them. Seeing the scene, ine couldn¡¯t help but explode. ¡°Christopher!¡± she shouted at Christopher¡¯s back furiously. Christopher turned to look at her and said, ¡°Wait for me here.¡± After that, he continued to hold Rowan in his arms and follow Yuliana. ine felt a little relieved by Christopher¡¯s words, but she was still very displeased. As a result of easing up, she actually stood rooted to the spot and awaited Christopher to return. Wesley saw Christopher following Yuliana walking in the direction of her car. He didn¡¯t stay and also followed her. Craig looked at the three people and chuckled secretly. Then, he looked at ine with sympathy. Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 I Do Not Mind After Yuliana opened the door, Christopher put Rowan in the car. As soon as the young boy was out of Christopher¡¯s arms, he immediately reached out and grabbed Christopher¡¯s fingers. ¡°Mr. Coke, are you leaving?¡± Christopher froze for a moment and replied, ¡°Yes. You can¡¯t bear to see me leave?¡± Rowan hesitated before nodding in response. Christopher pinched Rowan¡¯s chubby cheek and said, ¡°I wille to see you someday.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°To y with your car.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Yuliana stood outside the car, quietly watching the interaction between the father and son. She felt slightly conflicted. Yuliana wondered if there was a strange connection between the father and son. It was clear that Rowan did not reject Christopher. Even after only meeting him twice, Rowan had an inexplicable reliance on him. Christopher closed the car door and nced at Yuliana, standing beside him. When their gazes met, he probed, ¡°I n to visit him more often from now on. Is that okay?¡± Yuliana knew that the ¡°him¡± referred to Rowan. In fact, she would never allow Christopher to disturb her and her son¡¯s life if this was back when they were just divorced. Nevertheless, it had almost been three years since then. Feelings like love and hatred could die down in those three years. ¡°Sure.¡± Yuliana paused and added, ¡°However, you can¡¯t tell him that you¡¯re his dad for the time being.¡± Yuliana did not do this out of selfishness. She was just worried that Rowan would have difficulty epting the fact for a while. It might irritate him instead. Moreover, there were many things that she still did not know how to exin to Rowan. After all, in Rowan¡¯s perception, his parents should live together like Jasper¡¯s parents. Christopher answered, ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Christopher walked away without saying anything else. There were two parking spaces between Wesley¡¯s and Yuliana¡¯s cars. When Christopher passed by Wesley¡¯s car, he looked at him. However, there was nomunication between them. Wesley only approached Yuliana when Christopher had left. He asked, ¡°Do you want me to give you a ride?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Yuliana chuckled at his question. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink. So why should you give me a ride? Besides, our houses aren¡¯t in the same direction. Isn¡¯t that troublesome for you?¡± Wesley stood with his back against the light. Hearing Yuliana¡¯s words, he stayed silent for a moment. Then, he replied in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Yuliana was a little stunned. She looked at him subconsciously and met his deep gaze. This time, Wesley did not bother to conceal his feelings. The surging emotions in his eyes were all for Yuliana to see. Yuliana was taken aback by his intense gaze. She did not know how to react to that. Wesley took two steps forward. The distance between them instantly drew closer. It was so close that it somewhat went beyond the boundaries of ordinary friends. Yuliana subconsciously tried to step back, but Wesley reached out and wrap his arm around her waist. He pulled her toward him. As a result, she bumped into his chest. Frowning, Yuliana called out his name. ¡°Wesley.¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice was not fierce. If anything, it was quite gentle. Nheless, Wesley could still feel that his actions made her feel ufortable. ¡°So what?¡± he thought. Wesley lowered his gaze and stared at Yuliana¡¯s plump and moist lips. He uttered with a smirk, ¡°Yuliana, the flower I¡¯ve been taking care of for three years isn¡¯t meant to be plucked by others.¡± Before Yuliana could realize the meaning of Wesley¡¯s words, she saw him lean down. Sensing what Wesley was about to do, Yuliana subconsciously tried to dodge. However, he grabbed her chin forcefully and kissed her lips gently. Then, he bit her lower lip. Yuliana frowned at the painful sensation and pushed him back. Wesley let go of his hand. He also released the arm that was holding Yuliana¡¯s waist. Furrowing her brows, Yuliana met his gaze. ¡°Wesley¡­¡± She wanted to say something. Nevertheless, she did not know what to say for a moment. Wesley raised his hand and stroked Yuliana¡¯s forehead and the corners of her eyes with his fingers. He said, ¡°Yuliana, you should know my feelings for you by now. I hope you will go back and think about it.¡± Yuliana frowned even more at those words. She wanted to say that she had always regarded Wesley as a friend. Nheless, it seemed somewhat awkward to still call him a friend after the kiss just now. Besides, she had no intention of starting a new rtionship right now. Yuliana contemted for a while and still wanted to make it clear to Wesley. He seemed to have figured out her intention and urged before she could say anything. ¡°Roe is watching. Quickly get in the car.¡± Yuliana looked toward the back of the car. Sure enough, a small figure was leaning against the window. ¡°I wonder if he has seen what happened just now,¡± Yuliana mused, feeling a little emotional. Looking at Wesley, she opened the door and got into the car without saying a word. Yuliana started the engine. When she was about to drive off, there was a sudden knock on the window. She wound down the window as Wesley rested his arm on the roof of the car. Bending down, he looked at her and remarked, ¡°Yuliana, what I said just now wasn¡¯t a joke, nor was it a discussion with you.¡± ¡°Wesley!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Wesley put his index finger to his lips. ¡°I know what you want to say. Still, you can¡¯t convince me, so don¡¯t waste your breath. I have to leave Juxshire for the next two days. I¡¯ll contact you when I¡¯m back. Drive slowly on your way back. Stay safe!¡± After saying that, Wesley straightened up and took a few steps to the side. Yuliana slowly let out a sigh of relief. After rolling up the window, she drove away from the parking lot. When Yuliana drove to the exit, she nced to the side and found that Christopher, ine, and Craig were still standing there. Christopher and Craig seemed to be talking about something, whereas ine stood next to them impatiently. Christopher nced at the car from the corner of his eye when Yuliana drove past them. He watched until the car disappeared into the traffic before retracting his gaze. Thursday and Friday went by in a sh. Yuliana had to meet an important client on Saturday afternoon. After having lunch with Rowan, she left the house. It was time for Rowan to take a nap after lunch. He usually slept from one o¡¯clock to about three o¡¯clock. After putting Rowan to bed, Hailey also nned to go back to her room and take a nap. Just as Hailey put down the things in her hands and was about to return to her room, she heard the doorbell ring ¡°Who could be visiting at this hour?¡± she wondered as she went to open the door. However, Hailey froze as soon as she opened the door. ¡°Hailey.¡± Hailey was stunned for a while. It was not until Christopher called out to her first that she came back to her senses Hailey¡¯s gaze was filled with sadness. She stepped forward and sized up Christopher carefully with tears in her eyes. Thankfully, you didn¡¯t lose weight. You look even more muscr than before. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve be tanner.¡± Seeing the changes in Christopher, Hailey was both relieved and heartbroken. The person in front of her looked exactly the same as Christopher. Despite that, Hailey felt as if he was a different person, which made her feel sad. Hailey wiped her tears and let out a long sigh. ¡°Come in, don¡¯t just stand at the door.¡± She dragged Christopher into the house. Christopher scanned the surroundings. The mansion was not big, but the decoration inside was harmonious. Instead of looking like a gloomy show house, there was a sense of home. The corner of the living room by the window was covered with a thick carpet, on which were some children¡¯s toys. There were traces of life everywhere else. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Let Me Hold Him After asking Christopher to take a seat, Hailey hurriedly poured a ss of water and then went to the kitchen to wash some fruits After putting down the fruit te, she suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, Mr. Sce, have you had lunch?¡± Rowan had to take a nap at one o¡¯clock. Therefore, they usually had lunch before noon. Since it was only passed one o¡¯clock, Hailey did not know if Christopher had eaten lunch when he came over at this time. Looking at how restless she was, Christopher answered, ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten lunch. Hailey, you can rest now. I came to see Roe Where is he?¡± Hearing Christopher¡¯s polite voice, Hailey felt a little embarrassed. However, she did not reveal her emotions. She sat down on the side and replied, ¡°Roe just fell asleep in the room upstairs. Should I take you up?¡± After saying that, she got up again.. ¡°No need Let him sleep.¡± Christopher said tly Hailey hummed in response before sitting down again. Christopher sat quietly on the couch as he picked up the ss and slowly took a sip of water. Taking out his phone, he nced at it, tapped on the screen a few times, and put the phone away again. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Looking at him, Hailey did not know what to say for a while. The person in front of her was the child who had grown up under her watch. Nevertheless, she was particrly unfamiliar with him. If anything, she felt awkward at that moment. The living room was too quiet. Hailey wanted to say something, but she did not know what to say after thinking for a while. When Christopher was imprisoned three years ago, the Sce family changed drastically. Hailey still felt sad whenever she recalled those things, not to mention Christopher, who used to be a privileged person. ¡°Mr. Sce¡­¡± Hailey finally spoke up. However, before she could finish her words, Christopher interjected, ¡°Hailey, stop calling me Mr. Sce Just call me by my name.¡± Hailey opened her mouth and wanted to say that he would always be ¡°Mr. Sce¡± for her. Nheless, looking at Christopher¡¯s indifferent expression, it seemed that he did not care at all. She hesitated for a moment and nodded ¡°Okay I¡¯ll call you Chris like Mrs. Sce from now on.¡± Christopher nodded lightly in agreement ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Roe after you came out, have you?¡± Hailey probed. ¡°I have¡¯ Christopher briefly told Hailey about his two encounters with Rowan. Hailey replied, ¡°It shows that you two are destined to meet each other. There¡¯s still a blood rtion between the father and son. It¡¯s destiny that you meet each other.¡± Hailey believed in ghosts and spirits. She also believed in destiny. She felt that the two chance encounters between Christopher and Rowan were God¡¯s way of letting the father and son meet each other Since Christopher was imprisoned, Yuliana originally wanted Hailey to return to the Sce residence. Nevertheless, the Sce family also kept getting into trouble immediately afterward. So, Joyce took the initiative to terminate Hailey¡¯sbor contract to allow her to continue taking care of Rowan with Yuliana. Although Yuliana agreed to let Hailey continue to take care of Rowan after some consideration, she requested Hailey in advance that she could not mention Rowan¡¯s father, Christopher, in front of the boy Hailey promised Yuliana to do so. Hence, in the past two to three years, she had never mentioned Christopher to Rowan, nor did Yuliana. Rowan never knew the identity of his father. He did not even know what his father looked like. Hailey watched Christopher grow up and treated him almost like her son. It was no surprise that she was biased toward him. She also hoped the father and son would get along normally one day. Hailey¡¯s eyes became red-rimmed again. She valued family ties as she got older. Sheposed herself and exined with a smile, ¡°Roe is a good child. He was weaker than other children before he turned two, which worried Yuliana a lot. Over the past year, he has grown very well,¡± Rowan was born prematurely. Premature babies were weaker than those born at full term. Before the age of two, Rowan did create a lot of trouble for Yuliana. He would easily catch a cold, especially in winter, if she was not careful. Children¡¯s colds were different from that of adults since children had weaker immune systems. Therefore, medications must be used with caution. Furthermore, it would take them longer to recover. Children were prone to recurrence if they were not careful. Hailey remembered that in the winter beforest, Rowan was infected with pneumonia and stayed in the hospital for almost a month. A few days after being discharged, he was admitted to the hospital again. Moreover, he constantly had a high fever every night. Yuliana did not dare to sleep all night and stayed by his bedside. That winter, Yuliana could not eat or sleep well. She was as thin as a stick. She only weighed around 88 pounds despite her tall figure. Hailey could not help but feel sorry for Yuliana when she thought of this matter. Then, Hailey told Christopher about what had happened in the past three years. She mostly talked about matters rted to Rowan. She did not say much about Yuliana. After spending a few years with Yuliana, Hailey knew a little bit about the former¡¯s temperament. It was impossible for Yuliana and Christopher to get together. When Hailey was talking, Christopher did not interrupt her. He merely listened to her quietly. Time ticked by. Suddenly, there was a faint noiseing from the stairway and followed by Rowan¡¯s sleepy and cute voice, ¡°Granny Hailey¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hailey was speaking with Christopher at that moment. Hearing Rowan calling her, she immediately responded and quickly got up and walked toward the stairway. Rowan came downstairs barefoot in his robotic cat-patterned pajamas. He held onto the handrail with one hand while carrying a rabbit plush toy in the other. His eyes were half-opened as though he had not woken up yet. ¡°Sweetheart, why aren¡¯t you wearing shoes?¡± Hailey immediately picked Rowan up. Rowan yawned and flopped on Hailey¡¯s shoulder. Rowan had a dream just now. In the dream, his father yed Lego and cars with him. In addition, his father also brought him to the arcade to y the fishing game. His father was very tall and dressed in the same clothes as him, with Superman printed on his clothes. However, when Rowan tried to see what his father looked like, he woke up from his dream. Rowan could not remember anything after waking up. He had already forgotten what he had dreamt of. Despite that, the world of children was very simple. Rowan would not dwell on his forgotten dream. He was feeling groggy as he had not woken uppletely. Just as Rowan rested on Hailey¡¯s shoulder and was about to shut his eyes again, a tall figure suddenly appeared in his sight. ¡°Hailey, let me hold him.¡± Rowan, who was half asleep, slowly woke up after hearing this familiar voice. He forced himself to open his eyes and shouted in a daze, ¡°Mr. Coke¡­¡± Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Are You Convenient? Hearing this familiar voice, Rowan, who was half asleep, slowly felt awake. He forced himself to open his eyes and took a nce. He then said to the person in a daze, ¡°Mr. Coke¡­¡± Christopher took Rowan from Hailey¡¯s arms and let the kid hang on him like a ko, holding his little butt with his arm. Hailey sighed with relief and said, ¡°Please take care of him for a while. I¡¯ll go upstairs to find his shoes. Roe usually loved to be barefoot. Although the weather has gotten hot, the chilly air is still easy to seep into his body from the soles of his feet, so we still need to be more careful.¡± Hailey went upstairs to find Rowan¡¯s shoes, while Christopher held Rowan to the couch and sat down. ¡°Mr. Coke, why did youe to my house?¡± When Rowan saw Christopher, he felt awake from his drowsiness. Christopher tidied up Rowan¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°I promised toe to see you and y the car with youst time, didn¡¯t I?¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Hailey came back downstairs with Rowan¡¯s shoes and put them on for him. After about more than ten minutes, Rowan waspletely turned into an excited state from his sleepiness, and his mouth could not stop talking. He then started to drag Christopher to take out his toy car. After that, he wanted Christopher to drive the toy car with him next door to find his friend, Jasper. Yuliana received a call from Hailey in the afternoon, saying that Christopher hade to Champs Manor. She was a little worried, so after finishing the meeting with her client at around four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, she rushed home directly. She saw the father and son sitting barefoot on the carpet by the yard¡¯srge window when she entered the house. They were also catching the plushies inside with a children¡¯s w machine. At that moment, it was Christopher¡¯s turn to catch one. He slightly leaned down his upper body and held the button on the w machine with his right hand. His expression looked very serious. Rowan was almost in the same posture as Christopher. He was staying beside Christopher, holding a plushie caught from the w machine in his hand. His eyes were curved, and heughed happily with his teeth exposed. Rowan used to alwaysugh, especially when he was ying excitingly, but Yuliana still felt he looked quite different. Christopher already noticed her when Yuliana appeared in his field of vision. However, he did not look at Yuliana immediately. Instead, he rotated the button of the w machine to catch a blue plushie out and handed it to Rowan. He only then raised his head and looked up at Yuliana. Rowan felt delighted by holding the two plushies and immediately moved the w machine in front of him. ¡°Mr. Coke, I want to catch the pink one. Mommy likes pink, and I want to give it to her.¡± Hearing her son¡¯s words, Yuliana walked over. ¡°When did I say I like pink?¡± Rowan raised his head subconsciously after hearing Yuliana¡¯s voice, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Mommy!¡± He abandoned the w machine and got up from the carpet, rushing towards Yuliana. Yuliana caught Rowan and asked, ¡°What have you been ying this afternoon?¡± Rowan answered excitedly, ¡°Mr. Coke and I yed with the toy car! Mommy, Mr. Coke is awesome. He can drive the toy car with me, but Jasper¡¯s father cannot. Jasper can only drive the car alone.¡± Yuliana thought her son was being silly. It was not that Christopher was awesome. It was just that Donald was too heavy to sit in the toy car. Once, Donald wanted to experience his childhood memories and wanted to have a try, but he directly broke the car. Hannah told her Jasper was so angry that he cried and ignored his father for a few days. Later, Donald bought a new one, and Jasper never let his father get in the car again. Yuliana nced at Christopher, who was still sitting on the carpet. His gesture looked quite rxed, and his gray eyes fell on Rowan. Yuliana withdrew her gaze and squatted down to Rowan. She said, ¡°You y with Mr. Coke first for a little longer. Mommy still has some work to do. After finishing it, I¡¯lle down to stay with you, okay?¡± Rowan nodded obediently. ¡°Mommy, you have to finish it quickly and stay with me. Yuliana replied, ¡°Okay. You can go to y now.¡± Rowan ran away again, lying on the carpet, and continued to y with the w machine. Yuliana stood still for a few seconds and then walked towards the stairs. In fact, she did not have any urgent work. After seeing his son this happy, she just wanted him to y with. Christopher more for a longer time. Although she hadpletely gotten over her feelings for Christopher, she still could not interact with him normally as usual at the moment due to the things that happened in the past. Yuliana first went upstairs to change her clothes and then went to the study room to prepare the project-rted documents she had discussed with the client in the afternoon, sorting them out again. Since the work was not much, it waspleted quickly. Yuliana took a nce at the outside, and it was sunset just in time. She got up and walked towards the window. She stared at the sky for a while, and the study room door was knocked. When she was about to say e in¡±, she suddenly realized something. Rowan would not disturb her when she was busy with work, while Hailey would knock on the door twice and then call her name once habitually if she needed something from her. However, the door was knocked on four times. It was twice in a row, paused, and then twice in a row again. Yuliana held her breath but still walked over to open the door. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. She looked at Christopher who¡¯s standing outside the door. ¡°Anything you need from me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Christopher asked, ¡°Are you convenient?¡± Yuliana stayed silent for a moment and then turned around. She replied, ¡°Come in.¡± The space in the study room was not big. There were severalrge bookshelves ced around, and a table and chair were ced in the empty area in the middle of the room. At that moment, there was a monitor and aptop on the table. A photo frame was next to the items. Inside was a photo of Yuliana and Rowan. There was also a milky-white cup on the table. Christopher did not open his mouth immediately. Instead, he walked around all the bookshelves. Each bookcase was filled with books of various types, including economics, finance, psychology, history and literature, and evenws and politics rted. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 The Rtionship With Caleb Christopher casually took a book from a shelf and flipped through it. Seeing that he did not say anything or was not in a rush to speak, Yuliana rxed her body and leaned her back against the desk. She supported herself with one hand on the edge of the desk and watched Christopher¡¯s behavior silently. She also saw him take a book from the bookshelf and flip through it. The books on the bookshelf were not ced ording to the strict ssification. Usually, they were stuffed back after seeing there were empty gaps in the bookshelf. However, Yuliana had a good memory. Normally she could find the same book quickly soon after she put it back. Therefore, she could guess which book Christopher had taken just now from the color and the text on the book cover. The book was about parent-child rtionships and family education. Yuliana personally recognized the contents of the book, so she flipped through it back and forth several times. She also did some annotations and notes on it. The book cover and pages inside turned a little worn. Christopher acted like he was here to read, as he held the book and lowered his head, reading it for a while. Yuliana believed in herself that she had controlled her temper quite well all these years. She could stay calm when facing Christopher again three yearster. But now, she still slightly felt a hint of irritation in her mind when staring at the big and tall figure of this man. Compared with Christopher before he was imprisoned, he currently looked more peaceful, mature, and calm. His emotions also became more introverted, which made him somewhat look simr to Kendrick. The difference was that Kendrick had been in the upper position for many years and would show an oppressive aura with his every movement. Christopher did not have that on him, and even the arrogance on him before had vanished. She did not know whether he had matured and grown from the three-year prison or if he was restraining himself deliberately. He only wore a simple and loose ck T-shirt today with a pair of long casual pants underneath. After being released from prison for quite a while, his hair turned slightly longer, looking like chestnut with his hair standing upright. Yuliana stared at his back from head to toe for a moment, and then her eyes fell on the white scar on the back of his head. It was around two and a half inches, which was very eye-catching in the dense ck hair. Nobody could easily ignore it. Just as she was looking at the scar and was deep in thought, Christopher suddenly turned around. He closed the book in his hand and showed the cover to Yuliana. He asked, ¡°Can you lend me this book for a few days?¡± Yuliana nced at the book. As expected, it was the book she had guessed. ¡°Sure.¡± Seeing that Christopher spoke first, Yuliana asked next, ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡± Christopher¡¯s gaze met Yuliana¡¯s. The look was sharp like a falcon¡¯s eye. He moved his thin lips. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Caleb?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The look from Yuliana at Christopher was a little dumbfounded. Yuliana then frowned imperceptibly and answered lightly. ¡°This is my own business. I don¡¯t need to answer you.¡± In fact, before letting Christopher in, she had already guessed what he wanted to talk to her about. With her current rtionship with Christopher, the only thing that made her could still interact with him was Rowan. That was why she let Christopher in. However, she did not expect that Christopher would ask her about her rtionship with Caleb. ¡°You really don¡¯t need to,¡± Christopher responded indifferently. He turned around and faced the bookshelf. raising his head and staring at the books on the shelf for a while. Then, he took another book and flipped through it. He said with the same indifferent tone, ¡°But if your rtionship with Caleb will affect Roe, don¡¯t you think I need to know about it?¡± Yuliana frowned slightly. ¡°Roe is my son. No matter what rtionship I have with Caleb, it won¡¯t affect that. I won¡¯t let anyone or anything override Roe and hurt him.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t have to be worried.¡± She added and paused slightly. Then, a faint smile formed from the corner of her lips, and she said in a sharp tone, ¡°Besides, I have Roe¡¯s custody. Although you are his father, and I don¡¯t object to you meeting him, it doesn¡¯t mean you can interfere in my affairs with Roe.¡± Christopher did not react much. He put the book he had taken back on the shelf and turned to face Yulianal once again. He said, ¡°Yuliana, I know what you want to do, but with your ability, you can¡¯t do anything at all, and you will even put yourself and Roe in danger.¡± Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Do Nof Want To Let Go Listening to Rowan¡¯s words, Yuliana felt a little distressed. She could not say anything about it anymore. She held him in her arms and said gently, ¡°Yes. When you miss Mr. Coke, just ask Granny Hailey to call him.¡± Yuliana hugged Rowan andforted him for a while. Then, she apanied him to y with Lego for a little longer to distract Rowan. Finally, Yuliana made the little guy happy. Hailey¡¯s meal was ready. When Yuliana and Rowan were about to go to the dining room, the doorbell rang again. Yuliana went to open the door. Wesley stood by the door with a small suitcase in his hand and with a travel-worn expression. He looked tired, as if he had not slept for several days. Thinking of what happened on Wednesday night, Yuliana felt a little difort while facing him again. However, Wesley kept his usual expression and looked at the room. He asked, ¡°Is Hailey ready for dinner?¡± In recent years, Wesley had been a regr guest of Yuliana¡¯s house. Moreover, Hailey¡¯s cooking skill was very suitable for his appetite. Yuliana nodded and answered, ¡°You came at the right time. Hailey just finished cooking.¡± Then, she moved aside to let Wesley in. Wesley put his suitcase at the entrance. He changed his shoes and went straight to the dining room. Wesley said, ¡°I can smell the beef ragout. Hailey must have expected meing and especially made it for me.¡± Yuliana walked behind Wesley and did not answer. However, she knew clearly that the beef ragout was definitely not made for him. When Hailey was at Jeahron, she learned about the beef ragout from the housekeeper of her neighbor. Although this dish was nothing special, it was not easy to make a dish with authentic vor. With the arrival of Wesley, Rowan was the most delighted. Wesley came after Christopher left. Was there anything happier than that? Hailey also liked Wesley. Every time he came, she would cook some dishes that Wesley liked. In Hailey¡¯s opinion, Wesley was good in all aspects. Most importantly, he was good to Yuliana and Rowan, especially when they were at Jeahron. Hailey knew clearly that he helped Yuliana a lot. Hailey thought, ¡°If Yuliana can be with Wesley, she will definitely have a happy life. But¡­¡± Hailey put all her thoughts on the bottom of her heart and did not express them. With Wesley present, Rowan started to talk and could not keep silent during the meal. He said proudly, ¡°Daddy Wesley, Mr. Coke yed cars with me this afternoon! And he also yed catching dolls with me. He is so amazing since he caught all the dolls.¡± Upon hearing that, Wesley nced at Yuliana. She ate quietly without looking at him. Wesley put a coke chicken wing in Rowan¡¯s bowl and asked, ¡°Is that Mr. Coke or Daddy Wesley amazing?¡± Rowan took a while to think. After thinking carefully, he said, ¡°Daddy Wesley, you haven¡¯t yed cars and the w machine with me. You have yed Lego with me, but Mr. Coke hasn¡¯t yed with me before. So, I don¡¯t know,¡± Wesley smiled and replied, ¡°I will y with youter, okay?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay!¡± Rowan responded excitedly. After dinner, Wesley took Rowan to y with the w machine while Yuliana helped Hailey put the bowl into the kitchen. After getting along with Hailey for a few years, Yuliana did not treat the former as her housekeeper but as her family and elder. Hailey washed them in the sink first, then Yuliana rinsed them clean beside the former. Hailey said, ¡°Roe likes Mr. Duncan very much. Every time hees, Roe will be very happy.¡± Yuliana was thinking about something in her mind, so she could not catch the deep meaning of Hailey¡¯s words. She responded casually, ¡°Yes.¡± Hailey was silent for a moment and then asked, ¡°What about you, Yuliana?¡± Yuliana was stunned and realized what Hailey meant. She answered, ¡°Hailey, I know what you¡¯re thinking, but Wesley and I are just¡­ friends.¡± Hailey sighed and replied, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re still so young. Don¡¯t disbelieve in love because of two failed. marriages. You see, my husband and I have been married for so many years and long-distance for a long time. We don¡¯t meet much in a year, but our feelings for each other are still the same.¡± Yuliana listened to Hailey¡¯s words while remaining silent. In fact, Yuliana still believed in love. She just thought marriage was not a necessity, but Hailey¡¯s view was different from hers. Hailey thought that all women had to get married and have a family and someone to depend on. Hailey continued, ¡°Mr. Duncan is a good person. He is kind to you and Roe. Although I have some selfish desires, I hope you can find your own happiness.¡± Yuliana smiled and uttered, ¡°I know, but I have no n to remarry at the moment.¡± When they left the kitchen, Rowan and Wesley were having a good time. Yuliana did not join in. Instead, she picked up the tablet and sat on the couch. She found a drama to watch. When Yuliana was a teacher, she did not like to watch dramas. She always watched movies when she had time. Now, Yuliana was busier than before. Nevertheless, she was not interested in movies but could watch an exaggerated drama. When it was nine o¡¯clock, it was Rowan¡¯s bedtime. Then, Wesley was ready to leave. Hailey took Rowan back to his room to wash up. Yuliana sent Wesley to the door and asked, ¡°Did you call a taxi?¡± Wesley replied, ¡°No, ke ising to pick me up.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Then, I will stop sending you. After you go back, have a good rest.¡± Wesleyughed and asked, ¡°Is it obvious?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Your eye sockets are all sunk. Have you been up for a few days?¡± Wesley answered, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t sleep. I just didn¡¯t get to sleep for long.¡± Wesley had only slept for two or three hours in the past two nights. When he was in his twenties, his body could withstand it, but now he was in his thirties. Even if he could withstand it mentally, his body was still pronounced. Yuliana nodded lightly. She wanted to talk to Wesley, but seeing him spend an hour or two with Rowan tiredly. she thought it would be better to wait for him to rest and talk another day. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go in first. Be careful when you go back.¡± After saying that, Yuliana turned around and was about to enter the room, but Wesley grabbed her hand. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Wesley held her hand tightly and did not give Yuliana a chance to break free. He continued, ¡°ke¡¯s car is parked at the entrance of the mansion district. Can you send me there?¡± Yuliana nced at her hand tightly held by Wesley. She understood that Wesley would not let her hand go even if she refused. Yuliana nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Wesley loosened his grip slightly. Yuliana thought he was about to let go, but the next second, he put his fingers into the gap between her fingers and locked around hers. Wesley held her hand with one hand while carrying the suitcase with the other hand. They walked toward the gate of the mansion district. Yuliana tried to break free for a while but could not. Then, she called his name, saying, ¡°Wesley.¡± Wesley tightened his grip on her instead. He asked, ¡°Did Christophere here this afternoon?¡± Yuliana was stunned, and the movement of her struggle eased. She frowned and said, ¡°Can you let go of me?¡± Wesley turned to nce at her and said shamelessly, ¡°I can. But I don¡¯t want to let it go.¡± Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Her New Boyfriend The area was very dark and had some tall green nts next to it. Wesley¡¯s eyes were deep and heavy, as if something was brewing inside. His fingertip gently brushed the back of Yuliana¡¯s hand, and his thumb scratched her palm, making her feel itchy. Undoubtedly, this behavior offended Yuliana somewhat, Yuliana was stumped for words. In the past, Wesley would never say that kind of word. The two of them had always kept a proper and comfortable distance from each other. They had never crossed the line. However, those two times, Wesley¡¯s actions toward Yuliana twice made her think that he seemed to have changed. It could be Yuliana had never truly known Wesley. They walked side by side on the dark road in the mansion district. After a moment of silence, Wesley suddenly asked, ¡°Are you still thinking about him?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips gently and said, ¡°Wesley, I¡¯ve always treated you as a friend. Whether I think about him or not, I can¡¯t be with you. Besides, I don¡¯t have any ns for love now.¡± She stopped her steps. Yuliana thought it would be better to take this opportunity to make it clear to Wesley. Wesley rubbed Yuliana¡¯s palm. It was very soft, as if her hand had no bones. He had thought about holding her hand countless times in the past few years. As expected, it was better than his expectation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You don¡¯t want to fall in love now. I can wait until you have the n for love.¡± Wesley¡¯s voice was a little low and somewhat hoarse. Yuliana frowned and did not know how to express herself in a way to dispel Wesley¡¯s thoughts. Or, perhaps, Wesley would not listen to her no matter what she said. Thinking of that, Yuliana pursed her lips and kept silent for a while. She sent Wesley back to the car without saying anything. Only then did she walk slowly back to the mansion. In the next few days, Wesley seemed to have nothing to do. He picked up Yuliana every day and had dinner at her house. Then, he yed with Rowan for an hour or two before leaving. Yuliana suddenly did not know what to do with Wesley. In those few years, Wesley had helped her a lot, especially when Rowan had pneumonia. It had been snowing outside at night, and thick snow was all over the ground. He apanied Yuliana in sending Rowan to the hospital. Every time Yuliana felt that she could not hold it anymore, with Wesley by her side, she felt a sense of relief for no reason. Rtives and friends that Yuliana cherished in her life were very few. So, she cared about Wesley as her friend. She did not want to affect their rtionship due to the matter. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of June. Caleb, who had not been in touch for many days, called Yuliana. Caleb asked, ¡°Do you have any arrangements for Thursday night?¡± Yuliana nced at her schedule and found that she had many things to do on Thursday. ording to the normal situation, she had to work overtime at night. However, Yuliana replied, ¡°No. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Caleb answered, ¡°This Thursday is Aunt Priscilia¡¯s birthday. She asked me to have a meal together. Do you want to go with me?¡± Yuliana knew the ¡°Aunt Priscilia¡± that Caleb was referring to. Caleb was from Jeahron. He was transferred to Juxshire two years ago. He had no other rtives in Juxshire except for his aunt. Yuliana replied, ¡°Okay. What do I need to prepare?¡± Caleb said gently in a deep voice, ¡°No, I¡¯ll arrange everything else.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± answered Yuliana. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up on Thursday afternoon,¡± added Caleb. After the discussion, the two hung up the phone. Yuliana could not figure out what Caleb thought about their rtionship. However, they always got along like this. They would talk if they had something to share. On the other hand, if they had nothing to talk about, they would not be in touch for ten days or even half a month. It was normal for them. In Yuliana¡¯s opinion, it was normal. However, what did Caleb think? Yuliana put away her thoughts in her mind. On Thursday afternoon, Caleb suddenly had something to do, so he arranged for a driver to pick up Yuliana. When they arrived at Caleb¡¯s aunt¡¯s house, it was already dark. ¡°Caleb, I heard from Andie that you suddenly had work to do in the afternoon. I thought you couldn¡¯t come!¡± Caleb¡¯s aunt, Priscilia Jones, was in her forties. However, she was well-maintained and looked only in her early forties. Today, Priscilia was wearing an improved gown with a floral print. She looked graceful, gentle, and kind, with a good temperament. Caleb replied with a smile, ¡°Fortunately, it was solved in time. Otherwise, if I really missed your birthday, I¡¯ll be the one to me, Aunt Priscilia.¡± After they greeted each other by the door, Priscilia fixed her eyes on Yuliana beside Caleb. She looked up and down carefully and took Yuliana¡¯s hand. Priscilia asked, ¡°Is this Yuliana?¡± Caleb nodded and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Priscilia smiled gently. Her eyes could not pull away from Yuliana. She said in satisfaction, ¡°She looks so beautiful!¡± Yuliana smiled politely and addressed, ¡°Mrs. Moss.¡± Priscilia smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Mrs. Moss. Just follow Caleb and call me Aunt Priscilia. I heard from my sister-inw that Caleb had a beautiful girlfriend some time ago. I didn¡¯t believe her at first because he was busy with work all day. I thought, how could there be any beautiful girl who would fall in love with him? | didn¡¯t expect it to be true!¡± Priscilia was really happy. She hurriedly took Yuliana into the house and sat down. The table had already been set up, apparently waiting for people to arrive to have dinner together. Caleb looked around and asked, ¡°Where are Uncle Andie and ine?¡± Priscilia replied, ¡°Andie went out to buy wine and said he would drink with youter. You know, I don¡¯t allow him to drink normally, so there is no wine at home. As for ine, that kiddo, I don¡¯t know what she has been up totely. She had a boyfriend recently. I asked her to bring him to us to have a look. She also agreed to bring him home. However, I don¡¯t know what is happening to them. I called her just now, and she hung up directly.¡± When Priscilia said those words, she still put on a gentle expression. It could be seen that she was really good-tempered. There was a noise at the door when they were talking. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Priscilia stood up with a smile and said, ¡°Sit down. I¡¯ll go and see. Your uncle should be back.¡± Yuliana looked around. This was a house with slightly more than 1,000 square feet, but the decorations were simple and warm. There were several photo frames of different sizes hanging on the photo wall. Yuliana¡¯s eyes stayed on the photo frames for a moment She was suddenly stunned. Yuliana stood up and walked to the wall, staring at the photo frame. Caleb noticed her movement. He also got up and followed Yuliana. He stopped a few steps behind her, saying. ¡°The photo shows the three of Aunt Priscilia¡¯s family.¡± Yuliana knew that that was a family of three. However, she did not expect that Caleb¡¯s cousin was the girl with Christopher. She thought it was such a coincidence. With thebination of Priscilia¡¯s words, Yuliana could guess that ine¡¯s new boyfriend was Christopher. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. Finally, I waited for you toe back.¡± Priscilia¡¯s voice aroused Yuliana¡¯s attention. The former continued, ¡°Caleb and your sister-inw are here. I don¡¯t think you care about me at all.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not trying to bete on purpose!¡± ine took Priscilia¡¯s arm and red at Christopher. She added, ¡°That¡¯s because I went to buy your favorite cake for you, I don¡¯t know what happened today. There were so many people who ordered cakes that even the cake baker can¡¯t bake them in time, so I was a littlete.¡± Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Why Are You Here? Priscilia snorted and tapped ine¡¯s nose. ¡°How could I not know about your little thoughts?¡± However, Priscilia could not help looking up and down at the man behind ine. He was impable. He was tall, handsome, and dressed in simple and generous clothes. It made him look mature. Priscilia thought he and ine were a good match when they stood together. Compared with the boyfriends that ine had made before, he looked much more reliable. However, Priscilia felt he was a little familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere. Seeing that Priscilia was looking at Christopher, ine hurriedly loosened Priscilia¡¯s arm. She turned around to hold Christopher and said proudly, ¡°Mom, is my boyfriend super handsome?¡± Priscilia nced at ine and then looked at Christopher. She said, ¡°This kiddo is not reliable. I still don¡¯t know how to address you.¡± Christopher replied. ¡°My name is Christopher Sce, Mrs, Moss.¡± He was calm, with neither a humble nor overbearing attitude. Priscilia thought Christopher was not nervous, reserved, or a tterer when he came to her house for the first time. Priscilia appreciated Christopher, but there was a trace of worry in her heart. She thought, ¡°How could a man who truly loves a woman not feel nervous when he visits the woman¡¯s parents for the first time?¡± Priscilia smiled and said, ¡°Then I will call you Chris.¡± As soon as Priscilia finished speaking, ineined, ¡°Why do you want to call him Chris? That¡¯s a bad nickname!¡± Priscilia was stunned by ine¡¯s rebellion and looked at Christopher subconsciously. He smiled politely and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a nickname. You can call me whatever you want.¡± ine red at Christopher. Upon seeing that, Priscilia felt a little relieved. In the past, ine was arrogant and had high standards for men. Few people could suppress her temper. It was good to have someone who could cure her. As Priscilia thought of that, the more she looked at Christopher, the more satisfied she became. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and bring Chris in. It¡¯s the first time that Chris hase here. What¡¯s wrong with you, silly kiddo,, letting someone stand by the door?¡± ine made a silly face and took Christopher to the living room. Thinking of what Priscilia said just now, she asked, ¡°Caleb brought his little girlfriend here?¡± Priscilia followed behind them and scolded, ¡°Why did you say that with a ¡®little¡¯ in front?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Beatrice say she is much younger than Caleb?¡± retorted ine. The three of them arrived in the living room while talking. Hearing the voice from the door, Yuliana had already returned to her chair. She looked calm, but she was a little nervous. Yuliana never expected that she would meet Christopher in that situation. Caleb patted the back of her hand and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yuliana stared at the calmness in Caleb¡¯s eyes and calmed down slowly. ¡°Caleb!¡± shouted ine. Caleb and Yuliana had their backs facing the door. Upon hearing ine¡¯s voice, Yuliana did not move while Caleb turned around and looked at the former. He said, ¡°ine, you¡¯re back.¡± Then, Caleb turned to Christopher beside ine and joked with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce him to me?¡± ine was slightly embarrassed and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you know about him? What else can I introduce to you? He is my boyfriend, Christopher.¡± Then, she said to Christopher, ¡°He is Caleb. Do you know about him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Christopher moved his thin lips and stepped forward. He reached out his hand and uttered, ¡°Mr. Jones, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Caleb reached out and shook Christopher¡¯s hand, looking at each other. Before he could say anything, ine said in surprise, ¡°Is this my future little sister-inw?¡± As ine walked over, she wanted to see what her future sister-inw looked like. However, when she bypassed the couch and saw Yuliana¡¯s face, the smile on her face instantly froze. She stood on the spot for a long time without moving. After a while, ine asked coldly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± The answer was obvious. Yuliana, who was Christopher¡¯s ex-wife, was Caleb¡¯s girlfriend and ine¡¯s future sister-inw. However, why did it have to be Yuliana? Yuliana got up and smiled faintly at ine. She said, ¡°Hello. I also didn¡¯t expect you to be Caleb¡¯s cousin.¡± What Yuliana meant was that it was just a coincidence. Yuliana thought, ¡°It was indeed a coincidence for me and ine. However, didn¡¯t Christopher know it in advance?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Caleb asked as he withdrew his hand and looked at them gently. ine calmed down slightly. She looked at Caleb and wanted to say something, but when she met his warm and deep eyes, she chose not to say anything. ine thought that she did not need to worry about Caleb. ¡°Nothing,¡± ine replied awkwardly and sat down on the couch. Two secondster, she seemed to think of something. ine looked at Christopher and waved her hand with a bossy expression as if she were calling a dog. She said fiercely, ¡°Come here.¡± Christopher walked to ine obediently like a dog and reminded her in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene. Today is Mrs. Moss¡¯ birthday.¡± ¡°How can I not know today is my mom¡¯s birthday? Do I still need your reminder?¡± retorted ine. ine snorted, but she was a little happy in her heart. At least at that moment, the thing Christopher cared about was her mother¡¯s birthday instead of Yuliana. Caleb walked to Yuliana and stretched out his hand around her shoulder. He patted her gently and motioned Yuliana to sit down. Caleb said, ¡°My cousin is just like this. Don¡¯t take it seriously. She is not bad person.* Yuliana nodded with a smile and sat down with Caleb. ine observed them from the corner of her eyes. Although Caleb had a good personality, it was not easy to lie to him. However, she was a little worried about whether Caleb and Beatrice knew about Yuliana¡¯s past. ine was also wondering if she wanted to ask Caleb privately. If Caleb had already known that, then ine did not have to meddle in that matter. If he did not know about Yuliana¡¯s past, thetter would be suspected of deceiving Caleb. His temperament would certainly not stand her to do so. Logically speaking, what happened between Yuliana and Caleb had nothing to do with ine, but the latter was with Christopher now. If Yuliana and Caleb got married, she and ine would meet often in the future. If outsiders knew the rtionship between them, they mightugh behind their backs. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. For a moment, ine thought about it too much and too far. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Priscilia returned after keeping the cake. She noticed there was something wrong with the atmosphere in the living room. She asked, ¡°Why are you guys sitting still without talking to each other? ine, didn¡¯t you always want to meet Yuliana? Why didn¡¯t you say hello to her when you saw her?¡± ine raised her eyebrows and looked at Yuliana. She said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve greeted you just now, haven¡¯t I, Yuliana?¡± Yuliana replied with a generous smile, ¡°Yes, ine has greeted me just now.¡± Priscilia sat beside ine and said to Yuliana, ¡°My daughter has a bad temper. Yuliana, please bear with her. Her father and I had spoiled her.¡± ine leaned against Christopher¡¯s chest, looking at the phone in her hand while whispering to Christopher. He looked down at the phone screen, moving his fingers from time to time to scroll the screen. After a while, they could hear ine giggle. Listening to theughter, others looked at them. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Sending You Home First Priscilia was very pleased that the two could be together. Moreover, they were able to tolerate each other and take care of each other. It could not be better than that After all, she did not expect ine to find a wealthy and prestigious man. She only hoped that the man would be nice to ine, pamper her, and spoil her. After a while, Andie finally came back after buying some alcohol. ¡°You can even take a long time just to buy alcoholic drinks!¡± When Priscilia spoke, her gentle and elegant attitude immediately changed. In fact, there was a hint of a young woman¡¯s gentleness in her tone and manners. Andie smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for Caleb and ine¡¯s boyfriend toe to our house. Thus, I must buy good alcoholic drinks to treat them.¡± ¡°But I think it¡¯s you who want to drink it!¡± ¡°We have agreed on this before You have to get ready to drink two sses today!¡± Priscilia smiled. ¡°Ill not waste my time talking to you. We¡¯ve been waiting for you toe back so that we can have our meal. The children must be hungry.¡± Having said that, Priscilia invited everyone to the table, The dishes were ready for quite some time. However, as the weather was hot, it was still fine. They were all homemade dishes, but it could be seen that they took a lot of effort to be made. There was braised chicken, steamed fish, and some seafood dishes. As they were about to start eating, Priscilia said, ¡°Caleb, Yuliana, and Chris, please do as you wish. Treat this ce like your home. No need to be polite. My cooking skills aren¡¯t that good. So, I hope that all of you like the dishes.¡± Then, she added, ¡°Yuliana, why don¡¯t you try the fish that I¡¯ve steamed? I used red pepper kes on purpose to pickle the fish so that it won¡¯t be too fishy. It should taste savory. Caleb likes this steamed fish dish the most.¡± Priscilia used a serving spoon to lift a piece of the steamed fish for Yuliana. The former deliberately picked the most tender part. Yuliana¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment. Then, she reacted quickly and epted the fish. ¡°Thank you. Mrs. Moss.¡± However, after taking it, Yuliana was in a dilemma. She stared at the fish on her te. She knew that it was difficult for her to eat it, but it was wrong for her not to eat it either. Moreover, she did not even want to touch her bowl. Fortunately, the others¡¯ attention was turned away from Yuliana. Andie began to be concerned about ine¡¯s matter. He stared at Christopher for a while without any expression on his face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your job?¡± Christopher put down his utensils, met Andie¡¯s eyes, and said, ¡°I¡¯m busy with an esports club recently.¡± ¡°Esports?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Andie frowned. ine knew clearly what Andie¡¯s expression meant, so she said, ¡°Dad, esports is just like other sports these days. It¡¯s a legitimate profession. They can make the country proud, and it¡¯s very profitable.¡± Andie pursed his lips briefly before he met Christopher¡¯s gaze again. However, Andie did not say anything anymore. Priscilia was slightly dissatisfied when she heard that Christopher was engaged in esports. She did not particrly understand what esports meant, but only knew that it was rted to games and was somehow unreliable. That was especially true upon noticing that Andie did not seem to approve of it as well. The atmosphere in the dining room was tense for a while. Yuliana poked the fish on her te. After struggling for a long time, she ate it reluctantly. However, there was a heavy smell of red pepper kes mixed with the fish, and she almost vomited it out. Caleb changed the topic and started to drink with Andie and Christopher. After a few drinks, the atmosphere livened up, and there was a smile on Andie¡¯s face. Yuliana¡¯s mouth was filled with the lingering taste of red pepper kes after she ate the fish. As the taste did not disappear, she started to lose her appetite. Priscilia was very enthusiastic and continued to serve the food to Yuliana. In fact, Yuliana¡¯s te was already filled halfway with food. Yuliana could not help but worry. Suddenly, someone touched her knees briefly. She looked down and saw a mint candy on a wide palm. It was the kind of mint candy that people would find at the cashier¡¯s desk after they had their meal in a restaurant. It was small and wrapped in a yellow package. Yuliana did not reach out to take it. She looked up at the person who gave her the candy, but he did not look. at her. However, there was a faint smile on his face, and his face was red because of the alcohol. At that time, he was drinking with Andie. She did not understand what the meaning behind Christopher¡¯s action was. In the end, she continued to ignore the candy. Then, she picked up her wine ss and drank up half a ss of wine. After a few rounds of drinks, the three men were chatting happily. ine joined their conversation from time to time. Meanwhile, after Yuliana finished eating, she fallowed Priscilia to the living room to sit on the couch. Yuliana also drank a few sses of wine. For more than a year, she had attended a lot of business meetings. Therefore, she was able to drink more than before, but her tolerance did not change tremendously. After a few sses of wine, Yuliana¡¯s mind was slightly jumbled up. Even when she was talking to Priscilia, she could not help but be distracted. A lot of things and images suddenly came to her mind. When Caleb finished eating, he walked out of the dining room and walked toward them. He saw that Yuliana¡¯s face was unusually red, and her gaze was slightly unfocused. Therefore, he guessed that she was already drunk. He walked over to her and touched her face before asking, ¡°Are you okay? Do you want me to send you back first?¡± Yuliana let him hold her face and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just slightly dizzy.¡± Caleb hummed in response faintly. He stared at Yuliana for a while. When he looked up, he saw ine and Christophering out of the dining room. Their eyes met, and they proceeded to avert their gaze nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Yuliana suddenly got up. Caleb looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you want me to take you there?¡± Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°No need for that. You can sit here and chat with Mr. Moss. I can go there myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with Yuliana!¡± At this time, ine volunteered. Yuliana looked at the smile tugging at the corner of ine¡¯s lips. Then, the former paused briefly before she said, ¡°Okay.¡± It was not difficult to find a bathroom in a house that had an area of slightly more than 1,000 square feet. However, ine said, ¡°There was a problem with themon bathroom outside a few days ago, and we haven¡¯t asked anyone to repair it. Let me take you to the bathroom in my room.¡± Yuliana did not say anything and followed ine to the bathroom in thetter¡¯s room. When Yuliana went into the bathroom, ine waited outside. After a while, Yuliana came out of the bathroom. ine sat by the bed and looked with boredom at the manicure on her fingers that she had just recently made. She had only done the manicure that afternoon, but it was poorly done. It was because she had a slight disagreement with Christopher when she was having a manicure session. The source of her unhappiness was that Christopher was ying with his phone as he sat next to her when she was having her manicure. She did not know what he was ying, but when she talked to him, he ignored. her for a while. At that time, she was already slightly unhappy. Later, other customers arrived at the store to do manicures as well, and there were two young beautiful women in particr. As one of the women was there to apany her friend, the former sat at the side and waited. Therefore, she started to talk to Christopher. Unexpectedly, Christopher responded to her. All of a sudden, ine lost her temper and argued with Christopher right there and even scolded the shameless woman. The situation went slightly out of control, and Christopher left with a grim expression. Thinking of what happened after that, ine became more and more unhappy. Just then, the door of the bathroom was opened, and Yuliana came out. ine stared at Yuliana coldly and sized thetter up casually. Then, she asked, ¡°Does Caleb know that you were married before and have a son?¡± Yuliana looked at her as well. ¡°Yes, he does.¡± ine sneered, ¡°You must be very attractive, or perhaps you had some tricks. You can even make someone like Caleb fall in love with you.¡± Yuliana did not understand what she meant. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t Caleb fall in love with me because ! was married before and have a son? But isn¡¯t he the same? He was married before and has a daughter. Or perhaps, in your subconscious mind, women are supposed to be inferior to men?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way!¡± ine stood up and added, ¡°I simply think that you¡¯re not good enough for Caleb.¡± Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 This Is A Marking ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way!¡± ine stood up and added, ¡°I simply think that you¡¯re not good enough for Caleb.¡± From the time when she was young until she reached adulthood, there was only one person that she admired the most. It was Caleb. Caleb was the most outstanding and excellent man she had ever met. However, for some inexplicable reason, such an excellent man did not have a good taste in women. He always ended up with the wrong woman. In fact, after hearing that Caleb was seeing someone, she deliberately inquired about the woman who would be his wife in the future. However, both Priscilia and Beatrice said that Yuliana was not only very beautiful but also excellent in all aspects. In addition, Yuliana was also a good match for Caleb. Therefore, before she knew that Caleb¡¯s wife-to-be was in fact Yuliana, ine was full of expectations and was curious about how beautiful and excellent the woman would be. Indeed, Yuliana was beautiful. At the very least, she was more beautiful than Caleb¡¯s former wife. However, ine was unable to see that Yuliana was an outstanding woman. At least, ine did not think that Yuliana was good enough for Caleb. It was ine¡¯s intuition. However, she was merely Caleb¡¯s cousin, and they were not even immediate rtives. Thus, she had no right to meddle in his affairs.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ine said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to meddle in the affairs between you and Caleb. But as you¡¯re with him, you have to be loyal to him. I advise you to stop meddling in other matters and other people.¡± Yuliana understood her words and gave a smile. ¡°Is Christopher the person that you were referring to as ¡®other matters and other people¡¯? Ms. Moss, are you not confident in yourself? I thought you were a very confident person. Christopher and I have already divorced. For me, everything was over between us three years ago. Thus, you can stop worrying, Ms. Moss.¡± ine fixed her eyes on Yuliana. When ine looked at Yuliana¡¯s smile, the former felt very unpleasant and ufortable. After thinking about it carefully, even without Christopher around, ine felt that she would not be able to be a friend to someone like Yuliana. It was because they were not the same kind of people at all. Yuliana asked, ¡°Ms. Moss, do you have anything else to say? If not, I¡¯ll go out first.¡± ine frowned and hesitated for a while. ¡°The kid-¡± ¡°Are you talking about my son?¡± Yuliana looked at her conflicted expression and was able to roughly guess what she was thinking about. After pausing for a while, Yuliana said, ¡°He¡¯s my son with Christopher. It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be changed forever. He¡¯s already here even before you met Christopher. I admit that I¡¯m more selfish on this matter. But if my son wants to see his father, I won¡¯t stop him.¡± Of course, it might not be fair to ine. In the end, Yuliana added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± When ine heard Yuliana apologize to her, the former felt that she was too selfish. Indeed, what Yuliana said was true. Before ine met Christopher, the child was already there. Thus, since she chose to be with Christopher, she had to ept the fact. Her expression softened a little. ¡°I hope you can keep your word.¡± Yuliana smiled and nodded at ine. Then, the former turned around and walked to the door. When Yuliana opened the door, she suddenly paused upon seeing the person standing outside the door. They looked at each other and were not able to avert their gaze. Christopher¡¯s expression was very calm. However, there was something ambiguous and inexplicable in his gray eyes. In fact, since the divorce, Yuliana had been unable to understand him and did not understand why he wanted to get involved in her affairs with Caleb. Even though Christopher had said that it was for Rowan¡¯s sake, she still did not know how much he knew about Damian. Moreover, she could not understand the matter with the mint candy when they were at the dining table. In an instant, a lot of things shed in Yuliana¡¯s mind. Just then, Christopher turned to the side and moved out of her way. Yuliana lowered her eyes and walked out of the room. When Yuliana opened the door, ine already saw Christopher. Upon seeing Christopher and Yuliana standing very close to each other, ine¡¯s first reaction was to pull them apart and force them to stand far from each other. However, in the end, she merely stood rooted to the spot and did not move. As she watched them standing together, she even forgot to breathe. She stared at Christopher¡¯s face intently as she held her breath. However, there was no expression on Christopher¡¯s face, and he had allowed Yuliana to walk away. ine breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and stepped forward. After that, she pulled Christopher into the room before closing the door. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Her voice was somewhat coquettish and soft. Christopher did not look at ine¡¯s face. On the contrary, he looked around the room. The room was not big. and it was filled with many dolls. Moreover, there were mystery toy boxes, replica models, and animation collectibles. The room was decorated in pink. Moreover, there were a lot of things in the room that showed the preference of a young woman. ine was 26 years old and was only younger than Yuliana by more than a year. However, Yuliana never had these things in her room. Her room was always simple and neat, and there would only be some small necessities. Moreover, she did not like pink much. She only wore pink dresses several times during the time right after Rowan was born. ine pinned Christopher against the door and put her arms around his neck. Then, she raised her head and looked at Christopher¡¯s eyes with bright eyes. The desire in her eyes was very clear, but Christopher did not move at all. ine looked down at Christopher¡¯s lips. Then, Christopher reminded her, ¡°Mrs. Moss told us to go out so that we can cut the cake.¡± ine snorted softly, and her voice became softer. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. We just finished our meal, and it would be better to have the caketer.¡± Having said that, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Christopher did not dodge or avoid ine. He merely paused briefly before putting his arms around her waist. Then, he turned around and pinned her against the door. After they ended their kiss, ine was breathing quickly and her gaze was unfocused. On the contrary, Christopher was still calm as usual. There was not even any change in his breathing. He caressed ine¡¯s hair and chuckled. ¡°Are we done now?¡± The desire in ine¡¯s eyes had not disappeared. When she heard his low and casual tone, a longing feeling suddenly appeared inside her. If they were not at home that night and there were still some matters to attend toter on, she really wanted to sleep with Christopher. They had known each other for a long time, and they had kissed before. However, they had never gone any further than that. In her opinion, it was normal for men and women to sleep with each other when they were in love. ine wrapped her arms around Christopher¡¯s waist and put her head against his shoulder. Then, all of a sudden, she raised her head and bit his Adam¡¯s apple hard. After that, she sucked it deeply. After seeing a striking red mark on it, she let go with much satisfaction. She smiled and pointed at the hickey. ¡°This is a marking to prove that you belong to me.¡± Christopher did not respond to that and simply said, ¡°Let¡¯s go out. Mr. Moss and Mrs. Moss are waiting for us.¡± US When they came out of the room, Priscilia had already taken out the cake. Meanwhile, Yuliana helped her to unpack the cake box. Priscilia smiled and said, ¡°I knew that you were hiding somewhere to avoid doing work!¡± ine made a face at her and immediately took the box from Yuliana. ¡°Yuliana, let me do it.¡± Yuliana agreed and handed it over to ine. Then, the former stood to the side. When she looked up inadvertently, she saw Christopher standing next to ine. The bright red mark on his Adam¡¯s apple was very eye-catching under the light. She averted her gaze and walked toward Caleb. Then, she sat down next to him. After they had their cake, Caleb and Yuliana were prepared to leave. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 I Want Mommy After finishing the cake, Caleb and Yuliana said their farewell. With their arms linked, ine and Christopher sent Caleb and Yuliana downstairs. Together with Priscilia and her husband, they then watched Caleb and Yuliana leave in the car. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Moss, it¡¯s gettingte. I should go back too,¡± Christopher also proposed to leave as soon as Caleb and Yuliana left. ¡°It¡¯s still early. What do you mean it¡¯s gettingte? Didn¡¯t you usually sleep at two or three o¡¯clock at dawn? It¡¯s only ten o¡¯clock now!¡± ine argued as she did not want to separate from Christopher yet. ¡°ine,¡± Priscilia warned and tugged her daughter. Although they were a couple, both of them were still new in the rtionship. Hence, it was impossible for them to stay overnight under the same roof. With a nce at Christopher, Andie invited, ¡°Let¡¯s head upstairs and have a cup of tea with me to cure my hangover.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Christopher nodded in agreement and followed. In early July, Yuliana had to go to Romdale for about three to four days due to work. Over the past year, she did not go out for business trips much. Most of the time, she arranged for Craig to go on important business trips, mainly with the consideration of Rowan. Rowan was distraught when she first started to work back then; it would be even more upsetting for Rowan not to be able to see Yuliana if she had to go on a business trip for a few days. However, this time, she had no choice. Craig was arranged for a business trip to Jeahron, and the project in Romdale was crucial, with no room for mistakes. Since she felt uneasy about leaving the work to others, she had to go there in person. Rowan still held Yuliana¡¯s waist in tears and would not release her when she was about to leave home, albeit she had tried to prepare Rowan a few days before the business trip mentally. ¡°Mommy, can you not go on the business trip?¡± Rowan begged. His eyes and nose were swollen, and his pitiful appearance made Yuliana feel utterly sorry for her son. Yuliana squatted down, kissed his nose and eyes, and consoled gently, ¡°Mommy needs to go to work now. You have to work when you grow up too, and you will also go on a business trip by then. At that time, Mommy will also wait for you at home. Roe, Hailey is here to apany you at home. Perhaps, Mommy can also ask Aunt Xandria toe over and keep youpany for these two days, okay?¡± Even so, Rowan still kept shaking his head in refusal. ¡°No Hailey, no Aunt Xandria, I just want Mommy.¡± She was on the brink of missing the flight as the time was ticking. With no other options, Yuliana endured her broken heart and handed Rowan to Hailey. Immediately, she hurried out to her destination with her luggage. in hand. In panic, Rowan struggled and broke free from Hailey, then he wailed while he chased after Yuliana. Seeing that, Hailey quickly followed up with Rowan as she was worried that he would trip. A lengthy persuasionter, only then did Yuliana manage to get in the car and rush to the airport. On the contrary, Hailey began to face trouble with Rowan. Rowan had been crying non-stop as soon as he lost sight of Yuliana. He even asked Hailey to take him to his mommy while attempting to drag Hailey out with him. Seeing Rowan¡¯s sobbing before her, Hailey felt sorry in her heart as she could not do anything to make him. feel better. All of a sudden, she thought of Christopher. Thest time Christopher visited them, both the father and son had a good time. She started to consider the possibility of making Rowan stop his crying in Christopher¡¯s presence. While her thoughts progressed to this, Hailey wiped Rowan¡¯s tears with a tissue and said, ¡°My dear Roe, please stop crying. If you continue crying, my heart will be broken. Why don¡¯t I call and ask Mr. Coke toe over to y with you?¡± Despite hearing that, Rowan shook his head, he insisted while he sobbed. ¡°No, I want to look for Mommy.¡± ¡°But, Mommy has to work. You should understand Mommy. If you keep crying, Mommy will be very worried about Roe.¡± Hailey continued tofort Rowan on the one hand and proceeded to dial Christopher on the other hand. When Christopher received the call, he was at the Summit Club. Summit Club had been established for several years. It was pretty popr in the earlier years and had even won three championships in a row. Nheless, due to poor management in the past two years, many contestants retired and quit, resulting in a sharp decline in the club¡¯s poprity. And since the former boss was not capable enough to continue the business, he passed the business to others. Christopher was the one who took over the Summit Club, He was having a meeting with the coach and contestants of the club when Hailey called. As he noticed the caller, he motioned to hold the meeting, then walked out of the meeting room with his phone in hand. ¡°Hailey,¡± he greeted as he answered the call. Through the connected call, Christopher could hear Rowan¡¯s wailing in a raspy voice. Feeling concerned, he questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Roe?¡± Hailey briefly exined to Christopher about the situation. Afterward, she asked expectantly, ¡°Chris, do you have time now? Can youe over to apany Roe? I tried to coax him for a long time, but he is still crying. I¡¯m afraid that if he continues this, his body will not be able to take it.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right there,¡± Christopher replied without any hesitation. After hanging up the phone, Christopher informed the club manager to make arrangements for the meeting. and left the scene immediately. Later on, when he arrived at the Champs Manor, he saw Rowan, who appeared to be in a sorry state. He was curled up on the sofa; his eyes were swollen and reddened like a rabbit¡¯s. With his little body trembling while he sobbed, he was still chanting about wanting to look for Yuliana. Seeing that, Christopher approached and picked Rowan up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Roe?¡± ¡°I want Mommy,¡± Rowan replied when he registered it was Christopher. ¡°Mommy is on a business trip.¡± Christopher pulled out a tissue to wipe his face. Following that, he taught, ¡°Roe is a boy, and a boy should be strong at heart.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be strong. I only want Mommy!¡± Hearing Christopher¡¯s words, Rowan¡¯s bawling became fiercer. He immediately pushed Christopher¡¯s hand away with all his might. At the same time, he rejected. Christopher by wiping his tears and struggling to get out of Christopher¡¯s arms. That was not within Christopher¡¯s expectation. Learning that Christopher was not a good choice to help console Rowan, Hailey sighed, ¡°Roe has never been separated from Yuliana for so long. When Yuliana first started working, Roe also did not adapt to it. However, knowing that, Yuliana woulde back at noon to apany Roe. It took Roe two or three months to get used to that.¡± Although she had been taking care of Rowan for the past few years, in fact, Yuliana was the one who took care of every little thing about Rowan by herself. Later on, Yuliana got busy after one year of working, but she would still find some time to apany Rowan. Hearing Hailey¡¯s words, Christopher went silent for a while. Then he suggested, ¡°Roe, I will take you to find Mommy, okay?¡± Dumbfounded, Hailey cast a disbelieving nce at Christopher. Rowan looked at Christopher in confusion as he registered Christopher¡¯s words. Gradually, he began to stop crying. ¡°Okay, I want to go now.¡± On the other side, it was two o¡¯clock in the afternoon when Yuliana arrived at Romdale. The person in charge of Shenton Technologies arranged for a driver to pick her group up. First, they were brought to the hotel for check-in. After a short rest, Yuliana and her assistant met the person in charge of Shenton Technologies. Then, both of them were led to visit Shenton Technologies. Beforeing to Romdale, Yuliana had already learned Shenton Technologies in detail; she had even secretly sent someone to go over and investigate it. Although it was somewhat different from the actual information she obtained, the general information was still about the same. At nightfall, the person in charge of Shenton Technologies arranged for their dinner. Both Yuliana and her assistant were then sent back to the hotel after the hearty feast. In the car, Yuliana sat silently while looking out the window to watch the beautiful night view of Romdale. All of a sudden, she recalled thest time when she was here in Romdale. With her thoughts in mind, she noticed that it was still early, and she did not want to return to the hotel yet. So, she instructed the driver to stop on the roadside and informed her assistant, ¡°You can head back to the hotel first. I want to walk around.¡± The assistant was a man, who was a few years older than Yuliana. He was the assistant picked by Craig for her when she joined Glory Corporation back then. He was a reliable assistant in all aspects. ¡°Alright, Ms. Livingstone, be careful. Call me if you need anything,¡± the assistant advised. Acknowledging his words, Yuliana nodded and proceeded to get out of the car. Romdale¡¯s July had heat waves gushing onto her face. With her bag in her hand, she wandered slowly on the sidewalk, exploring the city bit by bit. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 A Surprise Wee The memory of this city was also slowly returning to her mind. In fact, she finally remembered that she had been to Romdale once. Back then, she did not have the chance to get to know the city well. Even though she felt unfamiliar with the city, she felt as if it had been a long time since she had been there. She walked on the street for a long time. When her legs started to feel like they were filled with lead, she halted her footsteps as she could no longer walk. So, she hailed a taxi and went back to the hotel. Unexpectedly, as soon as she opened the door with the key card, a familiar figure dashed toward her and threw himself into her embrace. Yuliana subconsciously reached out to catch him, but her thoughts did not catch up to her actions. At one second, she even thought she was having an illusion. ¡°Mommy!¡± A young voice rang by her ears. Hearing the child-like voice, she then came back to her senses. ¡°Roe?¡± She let out her voice in surprise when she found out that it was her son. ¡°Mommy, where have you been? Mr. Chaser has been back for a long time. Why did you onlye back sote? Rowan asked in concern. He put his arms around Yuliana¡¯s waist and looked up at Yuliana. The Mr. Chaser called by Rowan was Yuliana¡¯s assistant, James. Yuliana squatted down to look at Rowan¡¯s familiar and adorable face. Again, she had confirmed that she was not seeing an illusion, and her heart was instantly filled with joy and gentleness. She asked gently. ¡°Mommy was having a walk outside. I¡¯m sorry I returned homete. Why did youe here, Roe?¡± Rowan clung to Yuliana¡¯s neck and snuggled into her arms. He did not want to let go. After a while, he looked behind him and responded, ¡°Mr. Coke and I came by ne.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana was surprised. She looked toward the room, following Rowan¡¯s gaze. Christopher was present a few steps away from them. He stood there quietly while he stared at the mother and son who were holding each other by the door. Their gaze met, but none of them broke the silence. However, Yuliana¡¯s silence caused anxiety in Rowan¡¯s heart. He looked up at Yuliana¡¯s expression and promised cautiously, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll be good. I won¡¯t disturb your work. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡± Yuliana withdrew her gaze away from Christopher with Rowan¡¯s words, then looked at his nervous face and said, ¡°Mommy is not angry.¡± As she finished her words, she picked up Rowan and went into the room. When she passed by Christopher, he gave way to her. Yuliana put down Rowan and chatted with him for a while. The little guy had been active for the entire day. Perhaps he was exhausted; he fell asleep soundly in her embrace a short momentter. Meanwhile, Christopher sat on the sofa beside her with his chin in his hand, he did not disturb her. Noticing Rowan was asleep, Yuliana ced him on the bed. Then, she wiped his face and body with a towel, took clean clothes from the suitcase, and changed Rowan into clean clothes. After everything was done, she proceeded to deal with the other person in the room. ¡°When did you reach here?¡± Yuliana questioned. While waiting for Christopher¡¯s answer, she poured herself a ss of water, then sat on the sofa to drink. Christopher¡¯s lips curved upwards when he heard her question, and he replied, ¡°We arrived at Romdale at 7:30 p.m.¡± Following that, he adjusted his posture. He put down his long legs to the ground, stretched out, and picked up the cigarette on the table. Just as he was about to ignite the cigarette, he raised his head and looked at Yuliana. ¡°Do you mind?¡± ¡°Go ahead and smoke,¡± Yuliana uttered indifferently. With her permission, Christopher lit the cigarette and bit it with his lips. It was apparent that he had wanted a cigarette for a long time as he was puffing on it in a hurry. Yet, she remembered that Christopher was not a heavy smoker before this. Back then, he was not as addicted to cigarettes. After the cigarette was half burned, only then did Christopher slow down his smoking. He held the cigarette between his fingers and flicked the ash, muttering, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was the one who brought Roe over here. I will take care of him in the next two days; it won¡¯t affect your work.¡± Yuliana found it to be a little ridiculous when these words came from Christopher. Despite that, no sign of a smile was evident on her face. Coldly, she mentioned, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going to take my rest.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he replied Christopher hummed and said nothing more. After pressing half of the cigarette into the ashtray, he left Yuliana¡¯s room. The room fell into silence following the sound of the closing door. Sitting on the sofa, Yuliana drank up the water in her ss slowly. She made a phone call with Hailey before she got up to wash up. When sunshine was cast onto thend again, Yuliana woke up. Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, she was dazed for a brief moment. As she looked down, her gaze landed on the little boy sucking on his thumb in her arms, sleeping soundly. Feeling warmth in her heart, she ced a light kiss on Rowan¡¯s forehead. Yuliana and James arrived at Romdale quitete yesterday, so they only got to visit Shenton Technologies briefly. She knew that they also needed to meet up with the managers and engineers of the Research Department in order to understand the detailed and professional information about the product. After those werepleted, they would have to discuss other matters with the person in charge of Shenton Technologies. As soon as Yuliana got up from the bed, Rowan, who was asleep, opened his eyes. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Rowan squeezed out his voice as he pouted and got up. Hey on top of Yuliana like a ko. Looking at adorable Rowan, Yuliana patted him on the back and consoled him, ¡°Mommy is getting up and going to work. Roe, can you sleep on the bed?¡± Rowan shook his head in denial with his eyes half open. Not knowing what to do, Yuliana felt that Rowan was such a sweet burden to her. To be exact, Rowan had not been so clingy to her for a long time. He had only felt slightly insecure in the first two or three months of work. Besides that, she would always sleep with him at night, and he would be roused awake by her slightest movement in the morning. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Yuliana knew that Rowan¡¯s clinginess now was due to the trauma from her cruel departure yesterday. Rowan was afraid that she would leave him again by getting into the car just like that. ¡°Mommy wille back to have lunch with you, okay?¡± Yuliana coaxed him softly. She paused momentarily, then added, ¡°Mommy will send you to Mr. Coke¡¯s ce. You can y with Mr. Coke for a while, and then Mommy will return soon.¡± Rowan buried himself in Yuliana¡¯s arms without saying anything. After a while, he nodded gently in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡± With Rowan¡¯s agreement, Yuliana quickly packed up and called Craig. Once she got Christopher¡¯s contact information from Craig, she dialed. ¡°Hello?¡± A voice sounded from the other end of the call. The man was obviously still sleepy, and his voice was deep and husky. Yuliana fell into a daze for a short while, then she snapped herself out of it and questioned, ¡°Do you have time today?¡± Christopher¡¯s silencested a few seconds before rustling sounds could be heard from the call, simr to the rubbing sound of fabrics. ¡°Yes.¡± His answer then sounded. At first, Yuliana wanted to politely request him to help take care of Rowan. However, she came to the thought that Rowan was also his son. In turn, she asked, ¡°Which room are you in? I¡¯ll take Roe there.¡± A short pauseter, Christopher hummed and then reported his room number. He was staying on the same floor as Yuliana, just one room after her own. Yuliana took Rowan¡¯s schoolbag with one hand, then held him with her other hand. When she exited the room, she tried to look out for Christopher¡¯s room. However, as she raised her head, she found that the door of the opposite room was open. The room number on the opposite door was exactly the room number Christopher mentioned. No one responded despite her knocking on the door. Yuliana hesitated for a while, then pushed the door further open and brought Rowan to enter the room right away. No sign of Christopher was seen in the room, but the sound of flowing water sounded from the bathroom. Yuliana nced in the direction of the bathroom. Then decided to wait in the room with Rowan. Feeling confused, Rowan blinked and looked up at Yuliana. ¡°Mommy, is this Mr. Coke¡¯s room? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡± Just as his words echoed, the bathroom door opened. Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Get To The Point As soon as she finished speaking, the bathroom door opened. The two looked over at the same time, only to see Christopher emerge from the bathroom with water droplets on his face, wearing only a pair of ck casual pants and no shirt. It was apparent that he had just freshened up. Inevitably, Yuliana¡¯s attention turned to him. In fact, she had been unconsciously ignoring Christopher¡¯s presence and the changes that his three years in prison had brought about ever since his release, when the two of them first met in the supermarket. Despite the fact that she was aware of everything, she had never given it much thought. And now, as she examined the various scars on Christopher¡¯s honey-colored skin, some deep and some shallow, they all drew her attention. Despite her familiarity with his body, looking at it now made her feel somewhat unfamiliar. When Christopher noticed Yuliana¡¯s gaze, he paused his wiping motion and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go in and put on a shirt.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything and turned around. Christopher entered the room, took a T-shirt from his luggage, put it on, and turned around to see Rowan standing behind him, tilting his head and staring at Christopher. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± He rubbed Rowan¡¯s head. Rowan¡¯s hair was soft and curly, simr to Christopher¡¯s when he was younger, as was to be expected of his child. If one hadn¡¯t known any better, they might have assumed he had some foreign genes in his DNA. His hair did, however, grow out nicely as he grew older. Then, Rowan climbed onto the bed and gently touched the scar on Christopher¡¯s shoulder with his fingers. ¡°Mommy said blowing on it will make it stop hurting.¡± he said as he lightly furrowed his brow and gently blew on the scar twice. When Christopher saw that, his heart tightened. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from hugging Rowan, who was still clinging to him. He replied, ¡°Thank you, Roe. I feel much better now.¡± ¡°But thest time I got a shot, it hurt a lot,¡± Rowan said as he looked at the scar on Christopher¡¯s shoulder. ¡°With such arge scar, how could it not hurt?¡± Rowan wondered. Christopher exined, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still young, Roe. It doesn¡¯t bother me because I¡¯m an adult.¡± Rowan didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Really?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Yes,¡± reaffirmed Christopher. When Christopher carried Rowan out of the room, Yuliana turned around, opened Rowan¡¯s backpack, and said, ¡°This is Roe¡¯s cup. He only drinks water from this, and it should be warm water. Because his digestion is weak, avoid giving him cold water or cold food. I also included some snacks inside so you can offer them to him when he¡¯s upset. There are also some toys he enjoys and tissues he can use.¡± After she finished exining the items in the backpack, she added, ¡°Roe hasn¡¯t had breakfast yet. Take him out to eat, and I¡¯ll return at noon to have lunch with him.¡± Christopher carefully listened and responded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll remember to do it.¡± Yuliana returned his gaze to Rowan, took a step forward, touched her son¡¯s hair, and said, ¡°Roe, be good. If you miss me, have Mr. Coke call me. Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± Rowan nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± Only then did Yuliana feel at ease and leave. James was already waiting downstairs in the lobby, and the car arranged by Shenton Technologies had arrived. Yuliana didn¡¯t have time to eat breakfast because Rowan had dyed her departure, so she hopped in the car with James in a hurry. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I have a sandwich here. Would you like to eat it?¡± After saying that, James took a sandwich from the paper bag and handed it to Yuliana. Yuliana, who did not have an appetite, shook her head and said, ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not hungry.¡± It was nearly 9:50 a.m. in the morning when they arrived at Shenton Technologies. The two parties had agreed to meet at 10 am. Even though they weren¡¯tte, Yuliana still had some preparation work to do, and time was of the essence. After a highly focused morning, she hadn¡¯t even had time to go to the restroom. After finishing her morning tasks, she checked the time and saw that it had already passed 12:30 p.m. However, she had not received any phone calls from Christopher, so she had no idea how he was getting along with Rowan. She had intended to apany Rowan to lunch, but by the time she returned to the hotel, it would have been past lunchtime. Yuliana called Christopher while standing by the window of Shenton Technologies¡¯ conference room. ¡°Are you finished with your work?¡± Christopher sounded indifferent. Yuliana nodded and asked, ¡°Have you had lunch with Roe?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Christopher paused and asked, ¡°Did you have your lunch?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just finished my work,¡± Yuliana replied. After she said that, James returned from the restroom and told Yuliana, who was unaware of the phone call, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, Mr. Xenakis has made a reservation for us to have lunch together.¡± On the other end of the phone, Christopher heard those words. Christopher interrupted Yuliana¡¯s response to James by saying, ¡°I recall in the morning you promised to have lunch with Roe this afternoon. Right now, Roe and I are close to Shenton Technologies. Do you want toe over?¡± Yuliana remained silent for two seconds before saying, ¡°Send me the location.¡± When she hung up the phone, she said to James, ¡°You should go and have lunch with Mr. Xenakis. I¡¯ve agreed to meet Roe for lunch at noon. Could you please exin it to Mr. Xenakis?¡± James responded, ¡°Noted, Ms. Livingstone.¡± ¡°Call me if there¡¯s anything else,¡± Yuliana added. With that, she picked up her bag from the chair and left Shenton Technologies. Yuliana opened the navigation after Christopher texted her the restaurant name, and it showed that it was only half a mile away from Shenton Technologies. It would only take about ten minutes to walk there. Christopher had already ced her order when she arrived at the restaurant, and the food had already been served. ¡°I don¡¯t know if your tastes have changed, but I ordered the dishes based on what you used to like,¡± he exined. Yuliana noticed that the dishes on the table were dishes she had previously enjoyed. She only said thank you in response to what Christopher said. During the meal, they were both very quiet, with only a little chatter from Rowan in between them, which helped to rx the atmosphere. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m going fishing and shooting with Mr. Coketer. Would you like toe along with us?¡± Halfway through the meal, Rowan suddenly remembered something, set down his spoon, and looked at Yuliana. Instantly. Yuliana realized that Rowan was talking about the arcade. ¡°I have work in the afternoon. You can go with just Mr. Coke,¡± she replied. Hearing that, Rowan was a little disappointed. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t bear looking at Rowan. In reality, her afternoon work was not that important, and she could finish it early. If she wanted, she could apany Rowan to the arcade. The phone on the table began to vibrate at that precise moment. Yuliana instinctively looked over and noticed that the screen of the phone in front of Christopher had lit up. with the word ¡°wife shing on it. ¡°I want to eat short ribs, Mommy,¡± Rowan said, pointing to the braised short ribs. Hearing that, Yuliana ced a piece of braised short ribs on Rowan¡¯s te with her fork. Christopher nced at Yuliana before picking up his phone and standing up, saying, ¡°You guys go ahead and eat. I need to answer this call.¡± After saying that, he left his seat with his phone. When Christopher went outside the restaurant, he answered the phone. ¡°Christopher, what are you implying?¡± ine¡¯s irritated voice could be heard over the phone. ¡°Why has your phone been turned off for the past two days? If you want to end the rtionship, just say it. There¡¯s no need for you to try to hide from me. I¡¯ve had enough!¡± Christopher waited for her to calm down after hearing her bellowing before responding. ¡°I¡¯ve got some matters to attend to, so I¡¯m not in Juxshire right now.¡± Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Heartbroken? Dazed, Yuliana stared at the red stud on the young man¡¯s ear. When she returned to her senses, the man had put a mask made of feathers in her hand and said, ¡°Today is the fifth-anniversary celebration of our bar. There is a discount for going in. On top of that, our bar has also prepared special events. We guarantee that you will not be disappointed.¡± The young man diligently exined and promoted the bar to Yuliana. Yuliana looked at the feathered mask in her hand and was taken aback. She asked, ¡°Do we have to wear this going in?¡± The man smiled and answered, ¡°Yes. Every customer whoes to the store today will be given a mask. There will be some events in the barter, and the mask is for those events.¡± Yuliana cheerfully put on the mask and entered the bar. It was not yet nine o¡¯clock in the evening, so there were not many people in the bar. That made the bar look a little deserted. The music ying in the bar was also soothing, and the waiters in there served wine to the customers in each interspersed seat. Some of the customers in the bar wore the masks given by the bar, and some did not. Thetter group casually put their masks beside them. Yuliana chose a seat in a corner seat and ordered a cocktail. A man wearing a white fox mask approached her not long after she had sat down. The blonde man was wearing a white monogrammed T-shirt and was sporting several tattoos of peculiar designs on his arm. ¡°Hello, beautifuldy. You¡¯re here alone?¡± He sat down directly next to Yuliana and rested his arm on the back of her chair. Yuliana looked into his eyes, and the corners of her lips lifted up into a smile. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you want to go over there and have fun with me?¡± The man nced at the seat not far away, where several young men and women in trendy clothing were sitting. Upon seeing Yuliana look over, they smiled and raised their sses in greeting. Yuliana said, ¡°No. I just want to sit alone for a while.¡± The man raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Did you get your heart broken?¡± Yuliana just smiled and said nothing in reply. The man did not give up. He leaned even closer to Yuliana, and his breath brushed her cheek. ¡°You won¡¯t get a new man if you¡¯re still hung up on your previous one. There are so many men in the world. Why bother being so sad for that one man? How about you look at me¡­¡± The man paused before continuing in a low voice, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be worse than your ex-boyfriend!¡± Yuliana really turned her head around this time and stared at the man beside her suspiciously. She examined him from his blonde hair to his straight nose and thin lips before finally setting her gaze on his deep eyes. She raised her hand, gently brushed her fingers across those eyes, and said, ¡°Your eyes are very beautiful.¡± ¡°My friends say the same thing. The man said proudly. ¡°The color of my eyes is a little light. They will look quite gray in the sunlight. Everyone who meets me for the first time thinks I¡¯m wearing cosmetic contact lenses. Please, I got this pair of eyes from my mother, okay?¡± Although the man only showed half of his face, he should be young, judging by his words and deeds. She asked, ¡°Are you still studying?¡± The man froze for a moment before asking, ¡°Is it obvious?¡± Yuliana did not confirm nor deny. Instead, she asked, ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a junior year student.¡± ¡°So, 21 years old?¡± The man hummed in answer. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s 21 years old? That¡¯s really young!¡± Yuliana eximed inwardly. Yuliana did not tell the younger man her age, but she still had a casual conversation with him. She had never thought that she would chat with a junior-year boy in a bar. The activities the bar had nned were about to start. The young man¡¯s friend also called him over. He hurriedly took out his mobile phone, clicked on WhatsApp. and said, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s exchange our phone numbers. We can arrange a meet-up sometime later.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Yuliana took out her phone and clicked on the screen. Then, she found that there were several missed calls. She froze for a while before ignoring the missed calls and adding the younger man¡¯s phone number on WhatsApp. At that time, the atmosphere in the bar was gradually heating up. On the stage, the emcee was exining the rules of the evening¡¯s activities while young men and women cheered enthusiastically. Yuliana sat in her seat and did not listen carefully to the emcee. Her previous two sses of wine were not strong, but their aftereffects were quite potent. Yuliana was a bit tipsy at the moment. The music ying in the bar also hurt her ears and left her feeling dizzy. She got up and nned to leave, However, there were too many people in the bar. It was a little difficult to walk through them, and the throngs of people made her feel woozy. Suddenly, the lights went out, and the entire bar fell into darkness. Excited screams from men and women resounded throughout the whole space. Yuliana could not see anything, and she was constantly bumped into by the people around her. She hadpletely lost her direction. She was hit just when she wanted to take out her phone and turn on the shlight. Her phone was knocked out of her hold, and she also almost fell down. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and took her away from the crowd. Yuliana reacted and subconsciously tried to push the person away. However, the man suddenly sped the back of her neck and kissed her. The smell of minty alcohol mixed with a faint scent of tobo flooded her nose. The scent swept her reason away. Yuliana pressed her hand against the man¡¯s chest and struggled vigorously. The man¡¯s fingers gently stroked the soft flesh on her waist in response. Yuliana¡¯s figure softened in an instant as a result. The lights in the bar flickered before everything fell into darkness again. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana saw the white fox mask through the flickering lights. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe the man in front of her was just too good at kissing, but Yuliana wanted to indulge herself. She threw away all her reason and stopped struggling. In a daze, she stretched out her fingers, and they slowly climbed up the man¡¯s shoulders from his firm chest. She stood on her tiptoes and responded enthusiastically to the man¡¯s kiss. The man noticed her movements and paused for a while. He then kissed her twice as hard as if wanting to possess all the air in her lungs. The white lights flickered again, and the music eased down. Yuliana almost could not breathe. Yuliana clenched her fists and pushed the man away. His actions also eased up, and he gently brushed his lips against hers as ifforting her. The man¡¯s gentleness was so easy to indulge in and made her unable to break free. Yuliana opened her eyes when the white lights flickered for the third time. Her gaze met a pair of deep eyes, and she saw her figure reflected in those eyes. She was taken aback for a moment. Before she could react, a prickling pain suddenly assaulted her lower lip. and the smell of blood permeated her mouth. Yuliana frowned and turned her hands over to resist. However, the man suddenly let go of her at that moment. Upon noticing his intention, she subconsciously reached out to grab the man¡¯s arm, but she could only manage to sweep her fingertips across the man¡¯s warm arm. In the darkness, she lost her train of thought for a moment. The lights in bar suddenly lit up, and they were then surrounded by pairs of men and women who were embracing each other. Yuliana looked around and subconsciously searched the crowd for the man. Finally, her sight fell on the man wearing a fox mask not far away. The man also saw her and pushed away a woman who was standing beside him before walking toward Yuliana. ¡°Miss, I thought you have left!¡± Yuliana stared at his masked face for a while before muttering, ¡°Just now¡­¡± The man stared at her wounded lip and asked, ¡°What?¡± Yuliana shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Go on and have fun. I¡¯m going home.¡± The man smiled and reminded her, ¡°Be careful, miss. Bar Street is quite messy. Not everyone is a good person like me.¡± Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 I Am Looking For You The man nodded. ¡°Be careful, miss. Bar Street is quite dangerous. Not everyone is a good person like me.¡± Yuliana thanked him with a smile and went out of the excited, bustling bar. With the dryness of the wind blowing outside, Yuliana¡¯s rationality slowly returned to her mind, and she felt entirely clear-headed. She turned around and looked at the bar behind her. What had happened before was like an enchanting dream. Currently, she had woken up from the dream. Yuliana hailed a taxi and went back to the hotel. It was about a five-minute drive. When she arrived at the floor of her hotel room, she took out the keycard and paused for a second before opening the door. She turned around and walked to the opposite door, then knocked on it with her raised hand After waiting about half a minute, the door opened from the inside. Christopher nced at Yuliana, and his gaze finally stopped at her lips. A half-smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I haven¡¯t seen you for a few years, and it looks like you had a good time. Seems like you¡¯re easy to get on with others, too!¡± His hair was wet, and he was wearing a gray sleeveless shirt and shorts, with a towel hanging around his neck. His body had a moist coolness, indicating that he had just finished showering. Yuliana ignored his words and asked, ¡°Where is Roe?¡± ¡°He¡¯s asleep.¡± After saying that, Christopher turned around and entered the room. Yuliana followed behind to enter the room. She hesitated for a few seconds when she saw Christopher go into the room, but in the end, she decided to follow him. In the room, Rowan¡¯s body turned sideways with his butt sticking out in the air. He was sleeping soundly, and his mouth was sucking his thumb. Yuliana thought, ¡°He really has gotten tired from ying today.¡± Yuliana stepped forward and lifted the nket. She picked up Rowan and proceeded to go back to her room. Christopher moved his slender legs and blocked her path. Yuliana held Rowan¡¯s butt with one hand and his back with another. She looked up at Christopher. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Your private life is none of my business.¡± Christopher lowered his eyes and looked at her indifferently. Not much emotion could be seen in those eyes. ¡°But since Roe is with me, and I have called you, shouldn¡¯t you, at least, take the call?¡± ¡°I just didn¡¯t hear the phone call,¡± Yuliana replied. The corner of Christopher¡¯s mouth tilted down. ¡°You didn¡¯t really hear it?¡± Yuliana stayed silent for two seconds. ¡°Yes.¡± She indeed did not hear Christopher¡¯s phone call, and when she did notice the call afterward, she also did not think of calling back, even though she knew that Christopher¡¯s call was probably rted to Rowan. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened further, and coldness was shown, too. He sneered. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, you sure can lie without blinking an eye.¡± They stared at each other for a few seconds. Yuliana ignored and bypassed him. She then went straight out of the room. Christopher stood still. Upon hearing the sound of the door closing, he picked up the towel on his neck and wiped his dripping hair. Suddenly, he paused, then squeezed the towel with his fingers and threw it onto the ground. Yuliana carried Rowan back to her room and gently put him on the bed. As soon as she put him down, the little kid¡¯s eyelids and eyshes moved. Rowan then opened his eyes a little and looked at Yuliana. ¡°Mr. Coke¡­¡± Yuliana paused and stared at Rowan for a while. The little kid curled up his fingers and closed his eyes slowly, falling back to sleep. After waiting for Rowan to fall asleep soundly, Yuliana slowly pulled her hands away and went into the bathroom to get a towel. She wiped Rowan¡¯s body gently with it. After finishing wiping. Yuliana muttered softly, ¡°What a smelly kid you are after not bathing for two days!¡± She could not help but lower her head and kiss Rowan¡¯s cheek. She said sadly. ¡°You¡¯ve only met Mr. Coke a few times and already like him this much? You¡¯re even thinking about him in your sleep.¡± The next day, when Yuliana got up, Rowan was still asleep. Yuliana did not wake the other up. When she had finished packing up and was ready to leave, she went to greet Christopher and then gave the keycard to him. After that, she went to Shenton Technologies with her assistant. That day, she mainly talked with the head of Shenton Technologies about the matters of contract signing. The legal adviser of Glory Corporation had already prepared the first draft of the contract, and the specific details needed to be discussed with Shenton Technologies. Beforeing to Romdale, Yuliana had actually known about Shenton Technologies¡¯ requirements, and Glory Corporation could meet them. Therefore, Yuliana thought that the contract could be signed smoothly by morning. However, she did not expect changes to happen. Shenton Technologies¡¯ side had changed its mind and proposed to give up only 45 percent of the shares. Initially, they had discussed it to be about 55 percent, with absolute control of the shares. Both sides spent the whole morning negotiating on the issue of the shares, which resulted in fruitlessness. It was not the first time Yuliana had encountered such an issue, but her mood was still somewhat affected. She even lost her appetite for lunch. She only asked James to buy her a cup of coffee and made a phone call to Craig. Her mind was nning how to deal with Shenton Technologies in the afternoon. However, despite all the nning she could think of, the chance of sess was not high. ording to Craig¡¯s meaning, Shenton Technologies had probably found other business partners who offered better terms. In addition, thepany had already reached a subject-to-contract agreement with Glory Corporation, so it was difficult to break the contract directly. Therefore, Shenton Technologies had to change the negotiated terms with Yuliana. Shenton Technologies knew that she would not agree, so thepany wanted to make her back out and give up. However, a lot of effort had been put into the current project of Shenton Technologies, and the company was thought highly of, too. It was just that once she lost absolute control of the shares, Glory Corporation would have no control over the future development of Shenton Technologies. While Yuliana was worrying, her phone suddenly rang. She nced at the caller and frowned imperceptibly. She paused for a while before clicking the button to answer the call. The person on the other side of the phone did not speak. Yuliana also stayed silent, then asked, ¡°Is Roe looking for me?¡± Christopher replied, ¡°Roe is taking a nap. It¡¯s me who¡¯s looking for you.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips. ¡°What is it?¡± Christopher sat on the armrest of the couch by the window, flicking the ash of the cigarette between his fingers. He said, ¡°Craig gave me a call and said you¡¯re in a bit of trouble.¡± Yuliana smiled. ¡°Mr. Newton sure is double-crossing to the fullest.¡± Christopher did not exin anything and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you a document. You can choose whether you use it or not.¡± After that, he hung up the phone. A few minutester, Yuliana¡¯sputer received a new email alert. She stared at theputer screen for a while and finally clicked on the email. The content of the email was information about apany called Vortex Investment, including even some of its confidential details. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. After reading the email, Yuliana understood that once the email contents were disclosed to Shenton Technologies, the sess rate of the negotiations in the afternoon would be 90 percent, even if there was no 100 percent chance of winning. However, she knew that getting that information about Vortex Investment was not easy. If she used it, she would owe Christopher a favor. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, your coffee.¡± After taking his lunch, James brought Yuliana coffee, and his eyes. unintentionally nced at Yuliana¡¯sputer screen. Yuliana thanked him and took the coffee. She unsealed and drank a sip from it, then passed the computer to James. James quickly browsed the entire document, and the sadness on his face was immediately reced with a smile. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, this information about Vortex Investment¡­¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°You¡¯re thinking it right. It should be the reason why Shenton Technologies changed its n.¡± ¡°If Mr. Xenakis reads this information, he will definitely choose to coborate with us, not with Vortex Investment¡­ This is definitely a fraud!¡± James eximed, Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 No Need To Be Strict James paused and asked tentatively, ¡°But, Ms. Livingstone, who sent this information to you? There is quite a lot of confidential data in this. Other than the senior executives of Vortex Investment, ordinary people can¡¯t get these at all.¡± Yuliana did not respond. She held the hot coffee in her hand and drank it slowly, her eyes drooping. She was weighing and thinking about the matter over and over again. James sat beside her quietly. He did not say anything so as to not disturb her. More than ten minutester, Yuliana knocked on the table with her finger and said, ¡°James, I¡¯ll send you this information. I would like you to go out and find a graphic store to print two copies of this.¡± ¡°Noted, Ms. Livingstone.¡± With the information of Vortex Investment, the negotiation in the afternoon went smoothly, and the contract was signed ording to the terms agreed upon beforehand. Daniel Xenakis from Shenton Technologies escorted Yuliana and James to thepany entrance and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, Mr. Chaser, we apologize for what happened on this matter. Ms. Livingstone, I¡¯m very grateful to you for not minding our mistakes. How about this? You and Mr. Chaser can go back to the hotel for a rest first, and I will hold a banquet tonight and treat both of you well.¡± Daniel knew that Yuliana would go back to Juxshire the next day. In order to express his apology and hope for the smooth progress of their future cooperation, he still nned to entertain and apologize to her through the banquet. It was Daniel who had broken his promise first. Yuliana shook her head. ¡°Mr. Xenakis, there¡¯s no need for all this trouble.¡± Daniel persuaded again, ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all! Ms. Livingstone, please don¡¯t decline it. It¡¯s such a rare asion for you toe to Romdale, so there¡¯s no need to be polite about it!¡± Yuliana paused for a while and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to decline. The main reason is that my son also came with me this time, and I haven¡¯t been staying with him properly these days.¡± ¡°Well, then¡­ You can take him along, Ms. Livingstone. I also have a son who bes five years old this year and must be about the same age as your son. I can take my son with me and have him y with yours.¡± Daniel said. Upon hearing the suggestion, Yuliana knew that it would be inappropriate for her to decline further. She nodded and replied, ¡°Well, then¡­ Mr. Xenakis, I would like to thank you and your son.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Ms. Livingstone. I look forward to working with you, too.¡± Daniel escorted Yuliana and James to their car with a smile. On the way back to the hotel, Yuliana sent a message to Christopher, asking if he and Rowan were in the hotel. Christopher did not reply, and Yuliana also did not call him. When she returned to the hotel, she first went to the front desk at the hotel lobby to get the spare keycard. When she arrived at the door of the room, she found that it was open. A burst of childish giggles echoed from inside the room, apanied by a deep voice of an adult man. Yuliana paused at the door for a while and then pushed it open, entering the room. She could not help but feel irritated, it was as if she could feel veins pop out of her forehead. She looked at the two people hitting each other with pillows in their arms. She suppressed her anger and tried to calm herself down. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± The pillows on the couch were scattered on the ground, and the clothes Rowan had brought were also scattered on the couch and the floor, making the whole room aplete mess. Upon hearing Yuliana¡¯s voice, the two stopped tacitly. Rowan threw the pillow down and ran to Yuliana barefoot. He tugged on her clothes and skillfully climbed on her. Yuliana was full of anger, but she was still afraid that Rowan would fall, so she stretched out her hand to hold his butt and looked at Christopher coldly. Thetter was the other culprit who made the room messy. Christopher did not expect to be so tired after ying with a child, and he copsed onto the couch. ¡°Mommy! Mr. Coke and I are having a pillow fight. Can you y with us? Please?¡± Rowan had sweated from ying. His hair waspletely soaked, and his face was flushed, too. Yuliana did not respond, and her face darkened slightly. She put the briefcase in her hand on the cab beside her and then carried Rowan while walking straight to the bathroom. ¡°I will take you to wash.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Before stepping into the bathroom, Yuliana turned her face slightly and said to a certain someone, ¡°Please put everything back in ce before Ie out.¡± After entering the bathroom, Yuliana realized that she had forgotten to bring some of Rowan¡¯s clean clothes. She put Rowan down and said, ¡°Stand still and don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Mommy, are you angry?¡± Rowan reached out and grabbed Yuliana¡¯s clothes. Yuliana turned around and looked at her son¡¯s uneasy face. She squatted down and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t be reacting like this. But haven¡¯t I told you before that you can¡¯t destroy other people¡¯s things when we¡¯re outside?¡± She continued, ¡°We¡¯re only staying in this room for a few nights, and there will be other people. staying here in the future, too. They will also use the things in the room. If you make things dirty and damage. them, what about the other people who would stay here in the future?¡± Although everything in the hotel room would be cleaned up by the workers, Yuliana still wanted Rowan to understand and know that it was wrong to do so. Rowan realized his mistake. Upon facing Yuliana¡¯s sternness, his eyes immediately turned red, and he pouted his mouth as if he was about to cry. Upon seeing that, Yuliana felt a little regretful. When she was about tofort Rowan, a voice came from behind. ¡°I was the one who wanted him to y. You don¡¯t have to be so stern with him!¡± Christopher waved to Rowan. ¡°Rowan,e here. Come to me.¡± Rowan looked at Christopher and then at Yuliana, whose expression looked a little gloomy. He broke free from Yuliana¡¯s hand and rushed toward Christopher. Yuliana was stunned and turned to look at Rowan, who was crying with his face buried in Christopher¡¯s thigh. Her heart felt a little empty, and she felt somewhat terrible. Those emotions felt heavy. She felt as if they clogged up her heart, and she could not vent them out. She raised her eyes and looked at Christopher coldly. Christopher nced at her. He bent down and picked up Rowan, then left the bathroom. Yuliana stood up slowly, and her legs felt a little numb. She stood still, and Christopher¡¯s voice comforting Rowan echoed from outside. Even though they were very close, she still felt that she was far away from them. Not long after, Rowan, who was outside the bathroom, stopped crying, and the room quieted down. Yuliana slowly exhaled a breath. When she was about to go out, her waist was hugged by a pair of soft arms. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be angry anymore. I love you, Mommy. I¡¯ve done something wrong. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Upon hearing her son¡¯s soft and cute voice, the suffocating feeling in Yuliana¡¯s heart instantly disappeared. She picked up Rowan and held him tightly in her arms. ¡°I was also wrong. I shouldn¡¯t be so fierce to you. Roe, don¡¯t be angry with me, okay?¡± Rowan kissed Yuliana¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I love you the most, Mommy.¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart almost melted. At the bathroom door, Christopher listened to the conversation between the mother and son. He pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile and walked away. He picked up the pillows and clothes scattered in the room, putting them back in ce, one by one. Yuliana helped Rowan take a shower and change into clean clothes. She also cleaned herself up slightly and changed into a ck dress. She then put on a white loose suit jacket over it. After she had finished packing up, Daniel¡¯s phone call came. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, the car I¡¯ve arranged has arrived at the hotel you¡¯re staying in. You can leave the building with your son.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you, Mr. Xenakis.¡± After hanging up the phone, Yuliana was ready to take Rowan out. Rowan asked curiously, ¡°Mommy, where are we going?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°I will take you out to eat. There is someone there you can y with, too.¡± Rowan carried his little bag on his back and nodded. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, ¡°Mommy, is Mr. Coke going with us, too?¡± Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Please Carry Rowan For A While Daniel introduced his wife and son. Then, he looked at Christopher and Rowan, who came with Yuliana, and asked, ¡°Are they your husband and son, Ms. Livingstone? They¡¯re so handsome and show a remarkable resemnce to each other.¡± Christopher raised his brows and nced at Daniel. He curled his lips and did not say anything. Yuliana wanted to exin, but Daniel¡¯sst sentence stumped her. She whispered inwardly. ¡°Look at their faces. Anyone can tell they are father and son.¡± Smiling, she exined, ¡°Mr. Xenakis, this is Christopher Sce. He¡¯s not my husband.¡± Momentarily stunned, Daniel had his eyes darted back and forth between Yuliana and Christopher. He seemed to realize something andughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting it wrong. Nice to meet you, Mr. Sce. Please ept my apologies if I have caused you any difort.¡± As he spoke, he stepped forward to shake hands with Christopher. Christopher curled his lips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s me who should apologize for bothering you, Mr. Xenakis. After exchanging pleasantries, Daniel ordered the waiter to serve the dishes. The restaurant served authentic Romdale dishes, which were mainly spicy. Almost every dish was cooked with chili peppers. Yuliana often followed Fiona to eat spicy food when she was teaching at Juxshire Primary School, so she could still take it. There was no problem for the two children since they sat separately. James, who came from Xanfield, could take spicy food too. As such, Christopher was the only person who couldn¡¯t eat spicy food. In the beginning, he got choked by the spicy food, coughed a few times, and took a sip of wine. Afterward, he put down his fork and only drank wine. Yuliana did not pay attention to Christopher. Daniel, the deputy CEO, and the technical director of Shenton Technologies had been toasting to her and talking about the project. She could not be bothered thinking about anything else. Since Daniel had guessed the rtionship between Yuliana and Christopher, he did not talk much to Christopher and almost disregarded his presence. There was no way Yuliana could avoid drinking alcohol in such a kind of social engagement, and she had a lot of it. Even though James was helping her, she still drank a lot. When they were about to leave, her legs were weak, as if she was walking on cotton. Luckily, James was holding her, so she didn¡¯t fall. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, watch your step.¡± Just as James¡¯ words fell, Yuliana missed her step and twisted her right foot. An intense pain instantly shot through her ankle. Hearing Yuliana¡¯s low cry, the people around immediately walked over. Lydia Xenakis, Daniel¡¯s wife, nced at Yuliana¡¯s feet and asked, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, are you okay?¡± Frowning, Yuliana forced herself to endure the pain and waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Lydia hurriedly walked over and held Yuliana¡¯s other hand. ¡°Let me help you downstairs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can walk by myself.¡± Since Yuliana drank alcohol earlier, her emotions intensified, and she didn¡¯t like being held by others. She exerted a little force and pushed Lydia away before she shoved James¡¯ hand away. She tried to walk by herself and felt that her foot didn¡¯t hurt that much after the intense pain earlier. Holding the sleeping Rowan, Christopher lowered his head and swept his gaze across Yuliana¡¯s sprained foot. Yuliana took two steps forward and smiled at Lydia, ¡°Look. I can walk by myself.¡± Lydia¡¯s hands hung in midair as she looked at the staggering Yuliana. She was afraid that thetter would roll down the stairs. ¡°Mr. Chaser,¡± Christopher, who had been silent the whole night as if he did not present, suddenly called out. James looked at Christopher. Christopher walked forward and said, ¡°Please carry Rowan for a while.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± James was a bit slow to react. After James took over Rowan slowly, Christopher walked up to Yuliana. Seeing Christophering. Yuliana was a little annoyed. ¡°I said I don¡¯t need your help.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t help you. Just walk by yourself,¡± Christopher said. Yuliana looked at him for a while before continuing to go downstairs, Christopher followed behind her. When they arrived at the first floor, Yuliana smiled proudly at Christopher, ¡°Seel I said I can walk by myself!¡± Christopher looked at the smile on her face and chuckled lightly. ¡°Yes. You can walk by yourself.¡± The group of people walked outside the restaurant. Daniel had arranged a car toe over. James carried Rowan into the car first, while Yuliana bade Daniel and the group farewell. Daniel said, ¡°It¡¯s quite a rush this time, Ms. Livingstone. The next time you visit here, I¡¯ll take you to have fun around Romdale. Romdale not only has a lot of delicious food, but also exciting attractions.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Sure. Thanks for your hospitality tonight, Mr. Xenakis. We shall leave now.¡± After saying that, she turned around and walked toward the car parked on the side of the road. But because of her swaying body and previously sprained feet, she lost her bnce when she turned around and nearly fell. Just when she was about to fall, a strong arm reached out to her. The person wrapped his arm around Yuliana¡¯s waist and pulled her into his arms, making Yuliana pounce on his chest. The scene frightened the people aside, and they only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Yuliana fall into Christopher¡¯s arms. Then, they looked at the duo meaningfully. Yuliana was dizzy for a moment. After she stabilized herself, she slowly recovered. Sheid her hands on Christopher¡¯s chest, pushed him twice, and got up from his arms. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Christopher loosened his embrace but did not remove his hand from Yuliana¡¯s waist. He looked at the people standing beside them and said, ¡°Mr. Xenakis, we shall leave now.¡± Daniel smiled, ¡°Goodbye, Ms. Livingstone, Mr. Sce. Pleasee to Romdale again.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Christopher nodded slightly and helped Yuliana to get into the car. James closed the door, walked to Daniel and the group, and politely greeted them, ¡°Mr. Xenakis, Ms. Livingstone and I will return to Juxshire tomorrow. We will arrange for others toe to deal with relevant matters after this.¡± ¡°Okay, I will cooperate well when the timees.¡± After Daniel finished speaking, he couldn¡¯t help but nce at the back seat of the car. However, the door was closed, and he could only vaguely see inside from the window. He hesitated for a moment before asking curiously, ¡°Mr. Chaser, about Mr. Sce and Ms. Livingstone¡­¡± James smiled and didn¡¯t answer his question, ¡°Mr. Xenakis, Mrs. Xenakis, Mr. Landon, Mr. Whitman, Ms. Livingstone and I have to make a move first. Thank you for your hospitality tonight.¡± Daniel smiled and watched Yuliana and her group leave. On the way back, Yuliana felt very uneasy. The back seat could amodate two adults and one child well. However, Rowan, who was sleeping, stuck his butt out in the air and upied a lot of space, which made Yuliana feel ufortable. She closed her eyes tightly and covered her lips with her hands, suppressing the suffocating feeling in her chest. She sat in the middle, with Rowan sleeping with his butt sticking out in the air on her right and Christopher on her left. She felt as though she was trapped between rocks, and there was no room for her to breathe. ¡°Are you feeling ufortable?¡± The man¡¯s low, inquiring voice came from the side. Yuliana closed her eyes and didn¡¯t want to talk to him. She was afraid that taking a breath would make her vomit. Suddenly, a pair of warm hands gently attached to her forehead. Yuliana opened her eyes and looked aside. Upon seeing Christopher¡¯s dark eyes, she couldn¡¯t help pursing her lips and shoved his hand away. Christopher didn¡¯t do anything to her anymore but ordered the driver at the front, ¡°Please pull over for a while.¡± The driver hummed in response upon hearing that. He drove forward for a while and pulled over the car at the side. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Chapter 356 I Did Not Ask For It James also drank a lot. After hopping into the car, he felt his head throb and had been resting with his eyes closed. Not knowing what happened to Yuliana in the back seat, he only opened his eyes and looked back after hearing Christopher¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is Ms. Livingstone not feeling well?¡± Christopher did not answer James¡¯ question. He opened the door and said to Yuliana, ¡°Get off.¡± As the car stopped, Yuliana felt her stomach churn even more, and the urge to vomit had reached its limit. As soon as Christopher¡¯s words fell, she rushed out of the car. She quickly headed to the trash can by the roadside, opened the lid directly, and vomited. It was rare to see Yuliana in such a state, not even when she was pregnant with Rowan and had morning sickness. She vomited profusely while holding the trash can and nearly puked everything in her guts. Finally, she felt better. Having exhausted all her strength, she sat directly on the ground and barely raised her hand to brush away the hair on her face. Just then, someone handed her a wet wipe. ¡°Take this and wipe yourself.¡± Yuliana looked up and saw Christopher standing beside her with a bottle of mineral water and a wipe in each hand. She took the wipe over, wiped her face, and then wiped her hands. After she cleaned herself, Christopher handed her another wipe. After Yuliana cleaned herself three times, Christopher unscrewed the cap and handed the mineral water to her. His voice was gentle as if he was coaxing Rowan as he spoke, ¡°Rinse your mouth.¡± Yuliana took the mineral water and rinsed her mouth before having two sips of water. She finally felt better. Seeing some color on her pale face, Christopher asked, ¡°Can you walk by yourself?¡± Yuliana nodded and tried to stand up. But as soon as she stood up, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle and sat down again. She didn¡¯t dare to exert any strength on her right ankle. Her right foot was twisted once a few years ago. Although it had recovered, she could still feel a difference between her feet on rainy days, and there would be some slight difort in her right foot. Once again, she sprained her right foot that night. She did not feel much earlier, probably because of the influence of alcohol. However, the pain struck her after she threw up. Christopher stared at Yuliana¡¯s foot for a while before he bent down to scoop her into his arms. Yuliana was stunned and looked up at Christopher. She pursed her lips and whispered. ¡°Thank you.¡± Christopher replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± After returning to the car, Yuliana soon drifted off to sleep due to the influence of residual alcohol in her body. After she slept for around 15 minutes, the car arrived at the entrance of the hotel. Christopher woke her up. Yuliana became much more energetic after having some sleep. Christopher got out of the car first and carried Rowan out. Yuliana then alighted from the vehicle and followed Christopher into the hotel lobby. However, her feet still hurt, and she couldn¡¯t walk too fast. When they returned to the room, Christopher put Rowan on the bed while Yuliana sat on the couch, took off her shoes, and checked her right ankle. Christopher left the room and saw Yuliana putting her feet on the footstool. She tucked her hair behind one ear and lowered her gaze with a slight frown. As she exerted different forces on her ankle, her expression changed slightly. She was still wearing a white coat, but it slipped a little, revealing her shoulders in a ck sling dress. The thin ck straps on her fair skin were eye-catching. Although he only stood there for a few seconds, Yuliana noticed it. Sensing Christopher¡¯s dark gaze, she calmly adjusted her coat. Just when she was about to kick him out, he suddenly asked, ¡°Should we wake Rowan up to wash up?¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°No need. It¡¯s not easy to coax him if we wake him up now. I¡¯ll wipe his bodyter. Thank you for tonight. You should go back and take a rest.¡± After saying that, she put her feet down and put on her slippers. Christopherughed at her actions. ¡°Is this the part where you abandon me after getting my help?¡± Yuliana¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your help.¡± Christopher grunted in acknowledgment. Silence ensued in the room for a moment until Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked the hotel staff to bring an ice pack over. You¡¯d better apply it on your feet. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to walk tomorrow. Where is Rowan¡¯s towel? I¡¯ll wipe his body.¡± ¡°No need. I-¡± Before she could finish her words, Christopher interrupted her, ¡°Rowan is my son.¡± They both looked at each other. Yuliana¡¯s gaze gradually became colder when she heard that. She smiled. The words she wanted to say three years ago had reached her mouth, but in the end, she swallowed them back little by little. It was unnecessary and meaningless to her. She replied lightly. ¡°The towel is in the bathroom, the blue one.¡± Hearing that, Christopher went to the bathroom, wrung a warm towel, and wiped Rowan¡¯s body. After helping Rowan put on his pajamas, Christopher returned to his room. The doorbell rang shortly after he left. Yuliana limped to the door and saw that it was a hotel staff in uniform. It was only then that she opened the door. ¡°Miss, this is the ice pack you requested.¡± Yuliana took it and thanked him. It took Yuliana nearly 20 minutes to apply the ice pack on her ankle before she washed up and went to bed. Perhaps she had overslept in the car before she returned to the hotel. It was difficult for Yuliana to fall asleep, and she only managed to do so after midnight. At dawn, she woke up. Her return flight to Juxshire was scheduled for 10 a.m. Yuliana got up early to pack her luggage. When Rowan got up, she took him to the hotel¡¯s second floor for breakfast. After breakfast, it was just in time for them to head to the airport. When leaving the hotel for the airport, Yuliana gave it a thought and asked Rowan to cali Christopher. The phone was soon connected. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Coke!¡± Rowan¡¯s voice was soft and sweet. ¡°It¡¯s already morning. Are you up?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Christopher had just done washing up. He drank some cold water and said, ¡°Yes, Rowan. How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already up.¡± Rowan leaned against Yuliana¡¯s arms and said. ¡°I¡¯m on the way to the airport with Mommy. Mr. Coke, Mommy asked me to say goodbye to you.¡± Christopher, who was lighting his cigarette, paused his movement and asked, ¡°You guys are on the way to the airport?¡± ¡°Yes. Mommy said we are going home to see Granny Hailey. I miss her. Mr. Coke, when will youe over? I will miss you.¡± The little one spoke earnestly, and his words were sentimental. ¡°I will miss you too, Rowan.¡± After saying that, Rowan paused and added, ¡°I will visit you in two days.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The father-son duo chatted for some time. When Yuliana and Rowan were about to arrive at the airport, she reminded Rowan. Only then did the father son duo end the call. The next day after Yuliana and Rowan returned to Juxshire was Saturday. Yuliana received a call from Sabrina, asking her to take Rowan over for dinner. Yuliana hadn¡¯t seen Sabrina and Jacob for a while. As she was a little tired after the business trip, she nned to have a good rest for two days and took Rowan to Yrinas. Sabrina only decided to stay with Jacob in the country after Damian passed away. It had been nearly a year since she returned to the country. She had been living in the house left by Yuliana¡¯s grandparents in Yrinas and sent Jacob to school there. Jacob was already fourteen years old. He had just finished his summer holiday and would start ninth grade in September. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Jacob opened the door and saw Yuliana and his nephew standing outside the door. His eyes instantly lit up. and he could not help but smile. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Chapter 357 My Father ¡°Yuliana!¡± Jacob opened the door and saw Yuliana and his nephew standing outside the door. His eyes lit up, could not help but smile. He turned around and shouted to the room, ¡°Mom, Rowan and Yuliana are here.¡± and he Jacob was around 15 years old. It was the time that his body grew. Thest time he saw Yuliana was during All Souls¡¯ Day. In just a few months, Jacob seemed to have grown taller than her. His features had also matured, and he looked increasingly like his father, Damian. However, he was as gentle and polite as Sabrina. ¡°Aunt Sabrina, are you busy?¡± Yuliana held on to Rowan and walked into the house. + Rowan did not have many chances to interact with Jacob, so he was not close to thetter. He had stayed in Jeahron for a while, so he was closer to Aaron. While facing Jacob, Rowan was a little restrained. Jacob said, ¡°My mom is preparing food.¡± Sabrina had always been like that. Before Jacob¡¯s father¡¯s ident and Yuliana still went home, Sabrina would specially prepare more dishes that thetter liked, for fear of neglecting her. However, on the contrary, it made Yuliana feel that she was not a member of the family but a guest in that house. Of course, she knew that Sabrina¡¯s intentions were not malicious. It was just that feelings were subjective. Sabrina felt that such behavior was expressing her good feelings for Yuliana and showing that she valued thetter, but Yuliana felt ufortable. Presently, Yuliana no longer felt that way. She just felt that it was too troublesome for Sabrina. ¡°Yuliana, you are here!¡± Sabrina came out of the kitchen with a smile on her face and an apron around her waist. She and Callie were twopletely different women. She was not as beautiful, not as powerful, and not as ambitious as Callie. Sabrina felt that she only needed to be a good wife and mother. Most of the time, people were captivated by brilliant and dazzling women like Callie, but they often ignored Sabrina and treated her like an ordinary woman. In the past, even Yuliana could not figure out why Damian had married Sabrina. After Damian had died, she gradually understood it. ¡°Aunt Sabrina.¡± Yuliana called out to Sabrina, handed over the things in her hand, and said, ¡°I just came back from a business trip to Romdale. I bought some local specialties and brought some for you and Jake.¡± Sabrina took the things and put them on the shelf. Then, she took candles from the shelf and said, ¡°Go and light candles in memory of your father.¡± Yuliana nodded and took Rowan to Damian¡¯s memorial que to light a candle. Rowan did not understand her actions, but he obeyed Yuliana¡¯s order. After Yuliana had lit the candle, Sabrina washed some fruits and said, ¡°You must be tired after driving for so many hours. Take a rest with Rowan, and dinner will be ready soon.¡± Yuliana had driven for more than three hours from Juxshire Her body, especially her shoulders, neck, and ankles, did feel rather tired. She sat on the sofa and asked about Jacob¡¯s study situation while resting. After all, he had been abroad for several years, and there was still a big difference between what was taught locally and abroad. She wondered if he could keep up with the schooling pace. Jacob said, ¡°It was a little hard at first, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t worry, Yuliana. I will study hard.¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°If you have any difficulties, you can tell me.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Originally, she had nned to let Jacob attend school in Juxshire. The educational resources there would be better than that in Yrinas. However, Sabrina refused. Yuliana knew that Sabrina did not want to trouble her. Jacob nodded and chatted with Yuliana for a while. Then, he went to the kitchen to help Sabrina. Sabrina cooked seven or eight dishes that Yuliana and Rowan loved. Sabrina did not have much money in her hands, but she had a good educational background. Before she married Damian, she had had enough work experience. She got an administrative job, worked on weekdays from nine to six, and earned 750 to 900 dors a month. Furthermore, she had some savings from before, so it was enough. After dinner, Jacob took Rowan out to y in the yard. Sabrina made a pot of tea and sat in the living room with Yuliana. ¡°Yuliana, has there been any progress made in the matter regarding your father?¡± Sabrina asked carefully. Yuliana was silent for two seconds before sheforted Sabrina, ¡°Aunt Sabrina, don¡¯t worry.¡± Upon hearing that, Sabrina¡¯s face darkened immediately. It had been a whole year, and no progress had been made. A man had died in a cold hospital without his family next to him. Upon thinking of that, Sabrina felt ufortable. At that time, if it weren¡¯t for her son¡¯s safety, she would not have left Damian and taken Jacob abroad. However, she had thought, ¡°Damian is in prison. As long as his prison sentence ends, we can always be reunited.¡± She had never thought that it would be thest time they met. Sabrina¡¯s eyes became sore. She held her face with both hands and covered the tears that welled up in her eyes. Upon seeing that Sabrina was only about 40 years old and her hair had turned half-white, Yuliana could not help but sympathize with Sabrina. Sabrina was more than ten years younger than Callie, but Sabrina looked older than Callie. Yuliana could not bear it andforted her. ¡°Aunt Sabrina, do you know Caleb?¡± Sabrina adjusted her emotions and said in a slightly astringent voice, ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I have some contact with him through my mother, but I don¡¯t know if he can be trusted, so I can¡¯t give him the evidence for the time being.¡± The evidence had been left by Damian. It was left in a safety deposit box, and the password was Yuliana¡¯s birthday. In addition to that evidence, a letter was left to Yuliana and Sabrina. Damian had expected that he would go to prison, but if he had the evidence, he should be able to get out of prison safely. However, in case Sabrina and Yuliana would be involved, he had made arrangements in advance and sent them abroad. Furthermore, those two letters were also an added precaution. Just in case something happened to him in prison, they could use the evidence. However, Damian felt rather conflicted. On one hand, he wanted them to do something with the evidence, and on the other, he was worried that it would be dangerous for them to get involved. Therefore, the letter did not clearly tell them what to do. Yuliana said, ¡°Aunt Sabrina, we just have to wait a while more.¡± Sabrina nodded and said apologetically, ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m sorry. Jake and I can¡¯t help you with your father¡¯s matter, so I have to rely on you.¡± Yuliana nced at Damian¡¯s memorial que and said in a calm tone, ¡°Aunt Sabrina, he is my father.¡± Her feelings for Damian wereplicated. When he divorced Callie, she resented him. When he chose to marry Sabrina, she hated him. Later, after he was sentenced to prison formitting a crime, she felt ashamed of him and even thought that it would have been good if he were not her father. However,ter, when she learned that he was injured and sick in prison, she still could not ignore him. When she learned that he had died¡­ Yuliana stayed in Yrinas for two days with her son. Then, she drove back to Juxshire on a Sunday afternoon. When they got home, they saw an uninvited guest. ¡°Yuliana, ady with the surname ¡®Moss¡¯ is here. She said that she¡¯s looking for you.¡± Yuliana was stunned and said, ¡°How long has she been waiting here?¡± Hailey said, ¡°It has been a few hours. I told her that she should leave since you weren¡¯t home. She said that she would wait for you toe back.¡± Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Do You Like Him? Hailey said, ¡°It¡¯s been a few hours. I told her that you weren¡¯t home. She said that she would wait for you toe back.¡± As soon as ine came, Hailey felt that something was wrong and called Yuliana. However, Yuliana was probably driving at that time and did not answer her call. Yuliana changed Rowan¡¯s shoes and said to Hailey, ¡°Halley, take Roe upstairs.¡± ¡°Yuliana, why don¡¯t I take Rowan up ande downter? I think Ms. Moss¡­¡± Hailey did notplete her sentence when she realized that Rowan was still there. ine was not a good-tempered woman. Hailey was afraid that Yuliana would be bullied. Yuliana smiled and said, ¡°No need. I can handle it.¡± Just as she finished speaking, a loud voice rang out. ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯ve left me here waiting for a really long time!¡± ine stood about 15 feet behind Hailey, chuckled coldly, and looked at Yuliana, who was standing at the entrance. Yuliana raised her eyes and looked at her. She pursed her lips slightly and said nothing. ¡°Mommy, who is she?¡± Rowan reached out to grab Yuliana¡¯s clothes and curled his fingers. He was obviously a little uneasy. Yuliana withdrew her gaze, squatted down, and said with a smile, ¡°Thisdy is a friend of mine. Can you go. upstairs with Granny Hailey first? She wants to talk to me.¡± Rowan did not say anything and stared at ine. He thought ine looked familiar. It seemed that he had seen her somewhere, but he could not remember. Maybe she really was Yuliana¡¯s friend. Rowan loosened his grip and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana gave Hailey a meaningful look. Hailey understood and took Rowan upstairs. ine¡¯s gazended on Rowan for a moment. She had to say that his face was exactly the same as Christopher¡¯s. She did not like children at first, and she did not even want to have a child in her twenties. However, when she saw Rowan, she could not help but feel jealous. ¡°I don¡¯t have the habit of talking at the door. Ms. Moss, let¡¯s go to the living room.¡± Yuliana walked past ine and went to the living room. ine stopped thinking about it and followed Yuliana. When they arrived at the living room, Yuliana nced at the cup that was ced on one side of the coffee table and sat down on the opposite couch. ¡°Ms. Moss, I¡¯ve been driving for many hours. I¡¯m very tired. If you have anything to say, just say it. Let¡¯s make this quick.¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice was gentle but sharp. She did not appear as gentle and generous as she was at ine¡¯s house that night. ine smiled and said, ¡°Yuliana, you¡¯re quite good at pretending. You pretended to be gentle in front of Caleb and my parents, coaxed them¡­.skillfully, and changed your attitude when you were speaking to me.¡± Yuliana smiled and looked at ine cidly. She said, ¡°What about Caleb and me? It¡¯s our business. Not to mention that you are just a cousin. Even if you are my sister, you don¡¯t have a say in the matter. In front of your parents, I behaved respectfully as I considered Caleb¡¯s feelings. If you havee to visit me with kind intentions, I would like to wee you with a smile. However, are youing over with kind intentions?¡± ine¡¯s face waspletely gloomy. She pursed her lips and said again sarcastically, ¡°Yuliana, you can really speak well.¡± Yuliana lowered her eyes and massaged her wrist gently. After two seconds, she suddenly raised her eyelids and looked at ine. She got straight to the point and said, ¡°You came to me because of Christopher, right?¡± Upon hearing that, ine could not help but stand up. ¡°Yuliana, aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself? You¡¯re already with Caleb. Why are you still holding on to Christopher? You divorced Christopher three years ago. He doesn¡¯t belong to you anymore!¡± She had been regretting her decision since the day she called Christopher and asked him to break up on impulse. However, she could not let go of her pride and hoped that Christopher would take the initiative to look for her. But she also knew that she was the one who had invested more in the rtionship, so she asked someone to inquire about Christopher¡¯s whereabouts and got to know that he had taken Rowan to Romdale. Hence, she thought of Yuliana again and went to check Yuliana¡¯s whereabouts. It was exactly as she had guessed. After listening to ine¡¯s words, Yuliana slowly looked at the former¡¯s twisted face and suddenly. remembered the first time she saw her in the underground garage. ine had been wearing a mask and a hat, revealing only her eyes. Yet, even so, it could be guessed that there was a beautiful and delicate face under the mask and hat. She had a kind of arrogance, which would only show if she had absolute confidence. However, jealousy and humility were the only things she had left. Yuliana slowly calmed down and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hold on to him. I have already told him at your housest time that there would be no possibility of me and him getting back together. A few days ago, I went to Romdale on a business trip. My son probably wasn¡¯t used to being away from me and kept crying, so Hailey contacted his father, Christopher. Perhaps Christopher was worried about him, so he took him to Romdale to see me.¡± She exined the causes and consequences slowly, paused, and continued, ¡°In the days that we were together in Romdale, nothing happened between Christopher and me.¡± Upon hearing Yuliana¡¯s exnation, ine felt sullen. It was as if her gloomy feelings went away like how air would escape from a punctured balloon in an instant. She sat back slowly in a slight trance. After a long time, she smiled mockingly. ¡°However, as long as there is a bond between you, your rtionship will never end.¡± Yuliana asked, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t see him again.¡± ine raised her red eyes and looked at Yuliana for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t let him see your son again. I know it may be selfish, but your rtionship is sensitive, right?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana was silent for a few seconds before she replied, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± ine smiled at Yuliana. She lowered her eyelids, raised her hand, and wiped her tears. She smiled slightly and said, ¡°Yuliana, do you believe me? I have never done this before.¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°I believe it.¡± ¡°I really like him. For the first time in my life, I love someone so much. Even though I know that he was in prison and had a child from a previous marriage, I still like him,¡± ine sighed with self-mockery. ¡°Even I feel that it is incredible. I haven¡¯t known him for a long time. Why do I like him so much?¡± She paused before asking Yuliana, ¡°Back then, did you like him as much as I do now?¡± Yuliana did not answer. ine sorted out her emotions and got up, ¡°I take back what I said before. Although we can¡¯t be friends, you are a very nice person. I apologize for disturbing you today.¡± Then, she left Yuliana¡¯s house. Yuliana sat on the couch and did not get up to see her off. She only covered her face with her hands and wiped it when she heard the sound of the door closing. ¡°Mommy!¡± Rowan rushed over. Yuliana was stunned for a moment and reached out to touch him. Rowan tilted his head and stared at Yuliana¡¯s face for a while. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Yuliana shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just feel a little sorry for you, Roe.¡± Rowan could not understand it and leaned into Yuliana¡¯s arms. ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t have to say sorry to me. I love you. I love you the most! I love you this much!¡± Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Who Is Christopher? Rowan could not understand it and leaned into Yuliana¡¯s arms. ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t have to say sorry to me. I love you. I love you the most! I love you this much!¡± He stretched out his arms and gestured. Yuliana smiled warmly. Hailey walked to the side and sat down. She wanted to say something but stopped. ¡°Yuliana, Ms. Moss¡­¡± ¡°She is Christopher¡¯s girlfriend.¡± Hailey was not feeling uneasy earlier on. After taking Rowan upstairs, she stood at the stairs and listened to the noise in the living room, so she overheard much of the conversation between Yuliana and ine. However, she still felt a little regretful. Christopher had a new girlfriend, and Yuliana seemed to have a boyfriend. It was impossible for them to get together again. Rowan blinked and asked, ¡°Mommy, who is Christopher?¡± Yuliana looked at her son¡¯s innocent eyes and said, ¡°A man.¡± ¡°Do I know him?¡± Yuliana paused. ¡°Not for the time being.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Yuliana fiddled with Rowan¡¯s hair and turned her head to look at Hailey. Upon seeing Hailey¡¯s distracted look, she kept silent for two seconds and said, ¡°Hailey, there is no need to tell him about Roe in the future.¡± Hailey heard what Yuliana had said to ine before. Hailey did not nod and hesitated. ¡°What if Roe misses him?¡± Yuliana smiled faintly, ¡°Roe is still young¡­¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m not young. I¡¯m three years old!¡± Rowan raised three fingers and looked at Yuliana. Yuliana looked at her son and continued, ¡°He can forget about him soon. They only met a few times.¡± In the evening. Yuliana called Christopher. ¡°I want to talk to you about Rowan.¡± Christopher was in a noisy ce. After hearing Yuliana¡¯s words, he moved to a quiet ce and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Rowan?¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Don¡¯t meet with Rowan anymore.¡± Christopher was sitting in the dark corner of the bar. He frowned slightly and bit the cigarette in his mouth. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean what I said.¡± Yuliana turned the chair gently. She was not sure whether she was right or wrong. However, when she thought of ine in the afternoon, Yuliana remembered who she used to be. She had been crazy about a man. Christopher exhaled smoke. ¡°He is my son. Even if we divorce, you have no right to stop me from seeing Rowan.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I have no right, but what can you bring to him if you see him? He doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re his father. To him, you¡¯re just a mister who helped him get Coke and yed with him. You are no different from other misters.¡± ¡°Then, tell him.¡± ¡°Tell him?¡± Yulianaughed. ¡°Tell him that his father hasn¡¯t been with him all these years because he was in prison? You know, in Rowan¡¯s heart, people caught by the police are all bad people. Are you going to tell him that his father is a bad guy?¡± Christopher sneered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you saying all this to discourage me from seeing Rowan again? Why? I remember you didn¡¯t object to me meeting with him before.¡± ¡°No reason. I just suddenly figured it out.¡± Yuliana paused for a while before she said, ¡°You know, Caleb will be Rowan¡¯s father after we get married. He will do a better job than you.¡± There was a silence on the other end of the phone. Yuliana waited for a moment and noticed that Christopher was still silent. She only heard the listless music mixed with the voices of men and women, so she hung up the phone. Yuliana did not know whether it worked that night or if it was because of something else. She had not seen Christopher for a long time. If it weren¡¯t for Rowan¡¯s asional nagging about ¡°Mr. Coke,¡± she would have thought that she had dreamt about seeing Christopher several times before. Another weekend passed. Xandria arranged to meet with Yuliana and Kathryn. Because of her work, Yuliana had not seen Xandria and Kathryn for a long time. The three of them had a meal together and went to the shops. Xandria and Kathryn never cared about the price but only cared about whether they liked it or not. After two hours, they bought a lot of clothes, bags, and shoes. Yuliana used to like to buy bags, but when she had Rowan, she lost her hobby. Presently, she considered functionality when buying bags. If there were enough bags at home, she would have no interest in buying bags. However, she went to several children¡¯s wear shops and bought multiple sets of autumn clothes for Rowan. ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s boring to go shopping with you!¡± Looking at the shopping bag with the logo of the children¡¯s wear brand in Yuliana¡¯s hand, Kathryn could not help butin. Then, she looked at Xandria and asked, ¡°Will you be like Yuliana in the future?¡± Kathryn thought about that image for a while, and her body trembled. ¡°I can¡¯t stand it,¡± she thought. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Xandria vowed, ¡°I¡¯m different from Yuliana. I don¡¯t like children at all. If I don¡¯t want to finish the task of giving birth to a child as soon as possible, which means I really don¡¯t want to have a child.¡± Xandria had been contractually married to Raymond for more than a year with an agreement. The two of them had passed their lives without disturbing each other, and they should have continued their lives like that. However, a few months ago, they got drunk after drinking and did something wild. Hence, Xandria got pregnant. Yuliana thought of the rtionship between Xandria and Raymond and felt that it was strange. They had lied that they were dating to fool their parents with an agreement, then drafted a marriage. agreement to further their pretense. Thereafter, there was an idental pregnancy. In order to give their parents a grandchild, they decided to keep the baby and continue to lie to their parents. Did Xandria and Raymond really know which part of their rtionship was true and which part of it was false? Yuliana asked, ¡°When the child grows up, will you and Raymond lie to him and pretend to be loving parents?¡± Xandria was confused and blinked at Yuliana. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so much.¡± It was like that time when she and Raymond pretended to be together, and she did not want to get married at all. However, their parents kept asking and urging her, so she and Raymond pretended to get married to save the trouble. After thinking of something that would happenter, Xandria got a little annoyed. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to think about things that will happen in the future. I¡¯ll take it easy!¡± Kathryn rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I can¡¯t stand you.¡± Xandria hummed, ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re saying that there¡¯s someone who can stand you!¡± They retorted with each other ten more times and ended up in a draw. It was gettingte, and Yuliana decided to take the elevator back to the underground garage. Recently, Kathryn met a male host who was good-looking and had great skills. She was excited to share the news with Yuliana and Xandria when the elevator suddenly opened. A man and a woman stood outside the elevator and were about to enter. The people inside and outside the elevator looked at each other, and the man outside the elevator suddenly paused N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The woman in the man¡¯s arms saw that he was standing still, so she asked him a question. The man looked at the women in the elevator and panicked, but he soon calmed down. He lowered his head and smiled at the woman, saying. ¡°It¡¯s okay. There are too many people inside. Let¡¯s wait.¡± The woman nodded with a smile, hiding in the man¡¯s embrace. The elevator doors closed. No one spoke. Yuliana and Kathryn looked at Xandria and exchanged a tacit look. ¡°Xani¡­¡± Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Chapter 360 She Is Stupid ¡°Xani,¡± Yuliana called in a low voice. Xandria suddenly came back to her senses and subconsciously gripped the shopping bag in her hand tightly. Her face was gloomy, but she still smiled at Yuliana and Kathryn as usual, ¡°I¡¯m fine! As you may know, Raymond and I have been living our own lives despite us being married. He indulges in alcohol and pleasure outside while I flirt with all types of guys. It¡¯s just a little awkward today that we bumped into each other.¡± Xandria sounded like she didn¡¯t care, but in the eyes of Yuliana and Kathryn, the smile on Xandria¡¯s face was so stiff that it looked worse than if she had cried. She was just acting tough. Xandria might say that she flirted with all sorts of guys out there just like Raymond, but she was just pretending. When her friends in the circle asked her to hook up with those guys, she would chicken out. Xandria woulde up with all kinds of excuses, like being afraid that it would hurt too much or that she would be infected with AIDS. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Xandria had lost her virginity to Raymond under the influence of alcohol, Kathryn would have suspected that Xandria would be a virgin forever. As for Raymond, although there were many rumors in the circle that he had flirted with many women, he had never brought them in front of Xandria for her sake. Therefore, they had always been living peacefully. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop pretending to be fine in front of us!¡± Looking at Xandria¡¯s ignorant look, Kathryn couldn¡¯t help but scold the former. Xandria lowered her eyes, pursed her lips, and said nothing. In fact, she didn¡¯t feel that she was pretending, but her mind was a mess, and her chest was a little tight. She thought that it was probably because she was not used to bumping into Raymond in such a scenario. Regardless, Raymond was still Xandria¡¯s husband on paper. It was very embarrassing to meet her husband with another woman while shopping with her best friends. Xandria felt very embarrassed. Upon thinking of that, Xandria slowly sighed and smiled at Yuliana and Kathryn again, ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m really fine. I just feel a little embarrassed. Don¡¯t you think Raymond is blind? She has a beautiful wife at home, yet he goes out to find other women who are uglier. Tsk! Tsk!¡± Kathryn rolled her eyes and couldn¡¯t help but poke Xandria¡¯s head with her finger madly. ¡°Xandria! Were you a pig in your previous life? Forget it! Why am I worrying for you? Anyways, men are idiots. They only think with their lower body. They are blind, and their eyes are just for decorative purposes!¡± After hearing that, Xandria gave Kathryn a thumbs-up. ¡°Girl, you do have a way with words!¡± ¡°Ha! It¡¯s nothing!¡± Kathryn flicked her hair and added, ¡°Let me tell you. Just treat men as toys. When you are bored, you can y with them to pass your time. Otherwise, just throw them far away!¡± After arriving at the underground garage, Yuliana and Kathryn sent Xandria to her car first. Ever since Xandria had gotten pregnant, the Quinn family had been paying a lot of attention to her. They had arranged for an exclusive driver to drive Xandria around. After the Quinn family¡¯s car had left, Yuliana asked with a smile, ¡°Where did you learn those words?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you surf the inte? There are lots of those words on there.¡± Kathryn blinked. ¡°Well, you know me well. Xandria, that fool, thought I could say those words. But seriously speaking, I think they made sense.¡± ¡°No one is reliable. It¡¯s better to rely on ourselves. Men are merely a form of entertainment to spice up our lives. They are not necessities,¡± Yuliana frowned slightly. ¡°But judging from Xani¡¯s reaction, I think she must have fallen in love with Raymond without her noticing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said she is stupid,¡± Kathryn sneered. After a pause, she looked at Yuliana and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± Yuliana looked up at her and asked, ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°Christopher!¡± Kathryn said. ¡°I heard that he was released from prison.¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s out of prison.¡± Yuliana was calm, and her expressions were unreadable. ¡°But he has nothing to do with me.¡± The two kept silent for a few seconds. ¡°Yuliana,¡± Kathryn suddenly stated. ¡°I used to think about marrying Christopher out of vanity, but I didn¡¯t like him before. Later, because of Annabelle, I made a fool of myself and used you because I was so angry. All these years, I¡¯ve been feeling bad and wanting to apologize to you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Yuliana smiled faintly. Kathryn hesitated. ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad at me?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°We weren¡¯t that closest time, so you couldn¡¯t hurt me even if you used me. Now that we are friends, you haven¡¯t done anything to hurt me, have you?¡± Kathryn smiled and felt relieved, ¡°If I had known that, I wouldn¡¯t have felt so guilty for the past few years.¡± The two walked to their cars. When Kathryn opened the door, she paused and looked at Yuliana, who was standing next to her car, and asked, ¡°What do you n to do about Xani¡¯s matter?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Yuliana asked. It was appropriate for Yuliana and Kathryn to interfere with Xandria¡¯s rtionship. However, Xandria was short-tempered and slow-witted. Besides, now that she was pregnant, if anything were to happen in her rtionship one day, she would be the one who would get hurt. Kathryn shrugged. ¡°I want to find someone to beat Raymond up.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting what happened at the police station four years ago?¡± Yuliana reminded. Kathryn¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°I will never forget it!¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°No need to rush. Let¡¯s see how things will go.¡± The two got in their respective cars and left. A few dayster, when Yuliana was meeting her client, a message popped up on her phone. It was a message from Kathryn, saying that Xandria had been admitted to the hospital. After meeting with the client, Yuliana hurried to the hospital. Xandria was lying on the bed with a pale face, and only Kathryn was by her side. When Xandria got up in the morning, she felt a slight pain in her lower abdomen and didn¡¯t care much about it. However, she was shocked when she suddenly found a small amount of blood on her underwear at noon. Xandria didn¡¯t dare to let the Quinn and Yeager families know, so she called Kathryn and asked the latter to apany her to the hospital. The doctor examined Xandria and said that it was a threatened miscarriage. After hearing from Xandria and Kathryn, Yuliana¡¯s face turned slightly solemn. ¡°I thought everything was fine when youst came for a body check-up.¡± Although Xandria had been pregnant for less than three months, she was in good health and had been very careful with her daily activities. Besides, the Quinn and Yeager families had been paying a lot of attention to the baby. A miscarriage should not have happened. Xandria lowered her eyelids, looking guilty, and didn¡¯t dare to answer. Kathryn sighed, ¡°She quarreled with Raymond when she went home that day and even fought with Raymond.¡± ¡°Did he hit you?¡± Yuliana frowned. ¡°No! No!¡± Xandria hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°I hit him, but he didn¡¯t fight back. However, I fell on the floor and didn¡¯t care about it because I wasn¡¯t injured. I haven¡¯t been sleeping well these days, so I think that has some impact, too.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Yuliana looked at Xandria and kept silent before asking, ¡°Xani, what do you think?¡± In the past, it was Xandria who gave advice to Yuliana, but right then, it was the other way around. After all, bystanders could see things more objectively. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xandria mumbled. ¡°I mean, you and Raymond¡­¡± Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Chapter 361 What Are You Saying? ¡°You and Raymond¡­¡± Xandria smiled lightly and answered, ¡°I have nothing to do with him. You all know that we have always been in an agreement.¡± Yuliana nced at Xandria¡¯s abdomen and said mercilessly, ¡°Is your child also part of the agreement? Do you really not care about him at all?¡± Xandria didn¡¯t say anything. She was like a child who had done something wrong and was fiddling with her fingers. Yuliana then quite agreed with what Kathryn had saidst time. Men were indeed a form of entertainment and not necessities. If that had been three years ago, she might not have thought so. When one was in love, they would not think rationally. In that case, it applied to Xandria. Yuliana remembered what Callie used to say to her and said to Xandria seriously, ¡°Xani, I don¡¯t have any good advice for you. As you may know, I have had two failed marriages. However, no matter what you n to do, you should think of yourself first. Nothing is more important and precious than yourself.¡± Xandria nodded gently. ¡°All right, I understand.¡± After a few hours of rest in the hospital, Xandria was discharged. She was told to rest for a while and undergo a check-up a weekter. Yuliana and Kathryn took Xandria home and apanied her for a while until eight in the evening before leaving. Immediately after leaving the door, Kathryn started cursing. ¡°Raymond, that piece of trash. When I sent Xani to the hospital, I called him. Not only did he not go to the hospital to see Xani, but he¡¯s also nowhere to be seen now.¡± Although their marriage was just an agreement, Xandria was still pregnant with Raymond¡¯s baby. Yuliana opened her Instagram and said, ¡°I probably know where he is.¡± Kathryn paused and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to beat him up!¡± With that, Kathryn got into her car. Yuliana also immediately got into her car and followed Kathryn. Prestige Club was a property under Yuliana¡¯s name at the moment. Yuliana only learned that Christopher was the owner of Prestige Club when he transferred it to her name. In the past few years, there weren¡¯t any changes within Prestige Club. Even the key personnel in the management hadn¡¯t changed. They were basically those who had been employed by Christopher before. Currently, Prestige Club was mainly in Craig¡¯s hands. Yuliana learned from Craig¡¯s Instagram that Raymond was at Prestige Club. Shortly after divorcing Christopher, Yuliana had gone to Jeahron. Although she had been back in Juxshire for about a year, it was her first time going to Prestige Club. After arriving at Prestige Club, Yuliana went to look for the manager to ask which private room Craig was in and directly took Kathryn there. ¡°Damn it! Raymond is such a scumbag. He used to look decent, but now, he is trash. Xani almost had a miscarriage, yet he is here indulging in alcohol and pleasure!¡± Yuliana and Kathryn walked past the dark corridor, angrily stomping on the floor. Kathryn¡¯s temper was somewhat simr to that of Xandria. They were both short-tempered. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been so close. However, Xandria only sounded tough, but she was actually a coward. Kathryn, on the other hand, had a hot temper. Yuliana was afraid that Kathryn would swing the bottle on Raymond¡¯s head immediately after entering the room, so sheforted Kathryn before entering. ¡°Kathryn, don¡¯t forget that we are here to have a good talk with him and not to fight. Besides, you should know that Prestige Club is my property now. You can¡¯t cause any trouble in my ce. If the security guards throw you outter, I won¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°Stop nagging! You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Kathryn rolled her eyes, turned around, and strode away from Yuliana. Yuliana had been used to Kathryn¡¯s personality for a while, so she didn¡¯t care about it. She just had a headache and feared that Kathryn would cause troubleter. Fortunately, when Yuliana caught up to Kathryn, it was still very peaceful. There were many arcade machines in the private room. Everyone was having a good time there, so it was a little noisy. However, Kathryn didn¡¯t make a scene. She just nced around and walked toward her target. Yuliana wanted to follow Kathryn but was blocked by someone as soon as she entered. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, why are you here today?¡± Craig held a ss while looking at Yuliana curiously with a smile. Yuliana replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to look for someone.¡± ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Craig was curious and nced in a direction. ¡°Are you here for Chris?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She nced toward where Craig was looking and saw Christopher ying dice with some people. There were two beautiful young women sitting on either side of Christopher, but neither of them was ine. Yuliana didn¡¯t expect Christopher to be there. ¡°No,¡± Yuliana retracted her gaze and said. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Raymond.¡± ¡°Oh, Craig answered, took a sip of the wine, looked in the direction where Kathryn had gone, and pointed. ¡°He¡¯s drunk over there and is lying down at the moment. Do you need me to take you there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mr. Newton, go on with your work. I can go there myself.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, there was a scream of horror in the private room. Yuliana¡¯s expression changed, and she hurried over. As expected, Kathryn was holding a broken bottle against Raymond¡¯s neck. Everyone in the private room gathered around. Upon looking at the scene, many people got frightened and prepared to call the police. ¡°Put away your phone!¡± Someone shouted in the crowd. Those who were about to call the police, take photos, or record videos immediately stopped and put their phones away. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Yuliana stepped forward and said, ¡°Kathryn, put down the wine bottle.¡± As if she had not heard Yuliana, Kathryn scolded, ¡°Raymond! You¡¯re a piece of trash! Don¡¯t you have any sense of responsibility? How dare you walk away after impregnating Xandria? There are no free meals in this world!¡± Raymond did drink a lot of alcohol. When he arrived at Prestige Club, he had been ying games and drinking with others. He drank alcohol like he was drinking water. Although he was drunk, he could still understand what Kathryn was saying. Raymond smiled and replied, ¡°She could have refused. We are both adults, and she did that willingly. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t enjoy it. Besides, I didn¡¯t force her to have the baby. It¡¯s none of my business!¡± Upon hearing that, Kathryn became furious. If she wouldn¡¯t get sent to jail for murder, she would have stabbed the bottle into Raymond¡¯s neck. Yuliana had originally wanted to talk to Raymond nicely. After all, Raymond was not an unreasonable person before. However, after hearing what he had said, Yuliana knew that she had gone there for nothing. ¡°Do you know what you are saying?¡± Kathryn¡¯s eyes reddened with anger. Raymond shrugged indifferently and looked slightly provocative. Yuliana sensed that the situation was not right, so she immediately wanted to pull Kathryn away. However, as soon as she touched Kathryn, thetter shrugged her off. Yuliana propped her hand on the table beside her, and a pricking pain came from her palm. She hissed. Upon hearing that, Kathryn came to her senses and turned around to see Yuliana¡¯s palms covered with blood. Yuliana had been cut by the shard of the wine bottle. ¡°Yuliana!¡± Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Not So Capable ¡°Yuliana!¡± Kathryn immediately released the wine bottle, wanting to check on Yuliana¡¯s injury. However, someone pushed her aside before she could do it, and a tall figure shrouded Yuliana. The shards of the wine bottle had been left on the table when Kathryn broke it earlier. When Yuliana supported herself with her hand, her palm touched the part where the fragments were most centralized. Many big and small shards had pricked into her flesh, and the bright red blood rushed out and dripped onto the ground. The onlookers surrounding them gasped. Yuliana¡¯s brain went nk due to the pain, and the corners of her eyes were wet. She did not dare to touch her palm at all. A figure quickly rushed toward Yuliana, held her wrist, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to clean up the wound.¡± Without giving her a chance to resist, the person grabbed her wrist and walked her out of the private room. ¡°Yuliana!¡± Kathryn wanted to chase after Yuliana, but Craig blocked her path. ¡°Ms. Smith, I think it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t follow them,¡± Craig kindly reminded Kathryn. Kathryn had seen the man standing before her several times and knew his identity from Yuliana. However, both parties did not have any interaction previously not even a conversation or two. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Get lost!¡± Kathryn¡¯s anger had not yet subsided, so her tone was furious at that moment. She assumed Craig was not a good person since he was friends with Christopher and Raymond. Craig raised his eyebrows and made way for Kathryn. However, Christopher and Yuliana had long disappeared when Kathryn came out and chased after them. Kathryn took out her phone and called Yuliana. There was no signal when she dialed the first time. The second call went through, but it was soon hung up. When she called again, thetter¡¯s phone was already turned off. Kathryn was enraged. She returned to the private room and found Craig drinking with a woman at the bar. She said to him with an arrogant and bossy tone, ¡°Call Christopher!¡± Craig nced at Yuliana but ignored her and continued drinking with the woman beside him. Kathryn grabbed the wine ss from Craig¡¯s hand. ¡°Did you hear me? Call Christopher!¡± Craig looked Yuliana in the eyes, but he did not respond immediately. Instead, he apologized to the woman beside him. ¡°Sorry. I would like to talk to thisdy here alone.¡± The woman was very considerate. She smiled and walked away with the wine ss. ¡°Ms. Smith, didn¡¯t your parents and teachers teach you to be polite when talking to others?¡± Craig looked at her with a faint smile and continued, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you say ¡®please¡¯ when asking for someone¡¯s help?¡± Kathrynughed and replied, ¡°Politeness also depends on who I¡¯m talking to. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to be polite to people like Christopher and Raymond-jackals from the sameir.¡± Craig giggled, and one side of his canine tooth was visible. He looked at Kathryn with a great interest for a moment, took back the wine ss from her hand, drank from it, andmented, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Ms. Smith, you better call Chris yourself!¡± Kathryn gritted her teeth and looked at Craig. If she had Christopher¡¯s phone number, she would not have needed to ask for Craig¡¯s help. Karthyn put up with it and tried to improve her attitude, but her voice was still a little stiff. ¡°Regardless, Yuliana is also your boss. You won¡¯t even care about the safety of your boss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already after work hours. Besides, the boss¡¯ safety has nothing to do with me. She¡¯s an adult. If something does happen to her, you should call the police and not me.¡± Craig¡¯s words were closely reasoned and well-argued, making Kathryn unable to retort. Craig smiled and continued. ¡°If we really want to discuss this issue¡­ Aren¡¯t you the one who created this mess tonight, Ms. Smith?¡± Kathryn was stunned. She pursed her lips and said nothing. That was the reason why Kathryn felt more guilty and anxious. In fact, Kathryn had also inquired about Christopher¡¯s affairs after he was released from prison. It was said that Christopher had never contacted La and Joyce at all after he was released from jail. Instead, he had hung out with some indecent people and established an esports club. For the past few years, Kathryn had heard rumors about Christopher¡¯s matters in prison. Therefore, she knew earlier that Christopher had been released from jail, but she had never mentioned it to Yuliana. She did not want Yuliana to have anything to do with Christopher anymore. Upon seeing that Kathryn had lowered her head and her face looked remorseful, Craig put down the wine ss and gently knocked on the ss body with his finger. He then said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone will be fine. If you¡¯re worried, Ms. Smith, wait here for a moment.¡± Kathryn was startled again. She looked up and nced at Craig. She saw him grin, get up, and walk to the side of the woman who was with him earlier. On the other side, after Yuliana was dragged out of the private room by Christopher, they took the elevator and went to the top floor. As soon as she got out of the elevator, her phone rang. However, before Yuliana could answer the phone, Christopher grabbed it, hung it up, and turned it off in one go. Christopher warned her coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want your hands to be impaired, don¡¯t move.¡± He grabbed Yuliana¡¯s wrist while pressing his fingerprints on the scanner. The door in front of him opened right away. ¡°Sit down. Don¡¯t move your hands. I¡¯ll get the first aid kit.¡± After saying that, Christopher let go of Yuliana¡¯s hand and walked to the storage rack on the other side. Yuliana looked around. The ce was a suite, integrating office and amodation, upying almost the whole top floor, with entertainment and fitness areas inside. She did not know that there was a hidden spot on the top floor of the Prestige Club. Moreover, it was obvious that there were traces of life there, so there should be people living there for the long term. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana looked around for a moment, then went to the couch on the side and sat down. Even though the tissue was slightly wrapped around her hand, blood still oozed out. She looked a little absentminded. Christopher brought the first aid kit and sat down beside Yuliana. Then, he took out the necessary medicine and tools from the first aid kit. ¡°I¡¯ll clean the blood on your hand first. Then, see if there¡¯re any broken ss fragments stuck in it. If there are fragments, they still need to be taken out. It¡¯ll hurt.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice was calm and steady. Yuliana replied, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Christopher paused and said, ¡°Okay. You can do it yourself.¡± He put the saline, cotton swabs, tweezers, disinfectant, and trauma medicine in front of Yuliana. Yuliana was in a trance, but she soon returned to normal. She untied the tissue wrapped around her hand first. Some of it had already dried and stuck to her palm. When it was torn open, the movement affected the wound and caused stinging pain, which was not too unbearable. However, when Yuliana rinsed her wound with saline and took out the ss fragments from her flesh with tweezers, she took a deep breath as soon as she touched it. It was much more painful than when the ss. fragments had pierced her palm. She held the tweezers and did not dare to do it. Christopher sat at the side and remained calm andposed while looking at Yuliana without saying anything. Yuliana really had no courage to do it. She struggled for some time and said lightly, ¡°I think I should go to the hospital and let the doctor handle this for me.¡± ¡°I thought you were so capable!¡± Christopher snorted and grabbed the tweezers from Yuliana¡¯s hand. He held her wrist and pressed it onto his knee. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Chapter 363 We Cannot Be Friends Yuliana struggled slightly before Christopher held her down again. ¡°Don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t waste the medical resources with such a small injury.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said nothing. A noticeable cut on her palm was nearly an inch long. The cut was not severe, so there was no need for stitches. However, her flesh was revealed outside the skin and was frightening to look at. The reason she had bled so much was due to her cut. Other than the cut, she had only suffered minor injuries, Even so, they mustn¡¯t take her other minor injuries lightly. Her wounds were mixed with ss shards. It must be painful to pick them out one by one. Christopher frowned and subconsciously said in a gentle voice, ¡°Take it easy. If you are afraid, don¡¯t look at it.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t dare to look at it. She looked away. She could feel his touch on her palm. When Christopher removed the broken ss shards one by one, some of them hurt a little while some of them didn¡¯t hurt so much. She asionally felt itchy. Christopher stopped and asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Her body was tensed up. Yuliana shook her head. ¡°Bearable.¡± ¡°Rx. It¡¯s going to be over soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana tried to rx her body. Little did she know that Christopher¡¯s next sentence would make her nervous again. ¡°Did inee to see you?¡± Christopher asked. Yuliana didn¡¯t answer him. However, Christopher knew the answer from her physical reaction. ¡°Is that the reason why you won¡¯t let me see Roe?¡± Christopher frowned slightly. He carefully picked out thest piece of broken ss shards from her skin.. Still, it was painful. Yuliana took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely because of her.¡± ¡°Okay. You can turn around now.¡± Christopher put down the tweezers and asked, ¡°Then, what¡¯s the reason?¡± Yuliana turned around and looked at her palm first. The ss shards had been removed, but the cuts on her palm were terrifying to look at. She looked at her hand silently and didn¡¯t answer Christopher¡¯s question. Christopher didn¡¯t ask further. He took the disinfectant and washed her wounds before applying the ointment. ¡°Don¡¯t wet your hand for the next three days.¡± He paused for a moment before resting his gaze on the most visible cut on her palm, saying, ¡°It may leave a scar.¡± Yuliana said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She thought, ¡°It¡¯s just my palm. It doesn¡¯t matter even if it leaves a scar.¡± She then remembered that Christopher was very skilled and professional in treating wounds. She couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene she saw in Romdale that morning. Christopher¡¯s body was full of scars of all sizes. Those were visible, sutured scars. She almost forgot Christopher was good at dealing with these things. Yuliana withdrew her thoughts and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Even if we can¡¯t be a couple, we can still be friends,¡± Christopher smiled and looked at Yuliana. Yuliana smiled and looked at him, ¡°We can¡¯t be friends. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go downstairs first. Kathryn. is waiting for me.¡± After saying that, Yuliana got up and proceeded to go downstairs. ¡°Wait a minute¡± Yuliana stopped but didn¡¯t turn around. Christopher got up, walked to her, and handed her the phone. ¡°It¡¯s your phone.¡± Yuliana took it and left without saying anything. She went straight out of the Prestige Club and called Kathryn outside. Kathryn¡¯s anxious voice was heard after she picked up the call. ¡°Yuliana, where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the entrance of the Prestige Club. What about you?¡± ¡°Stay there. I¡¯m heading there right now!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Okay.¡± Her phone was hung up. Kathryn carried her bag and proceeded to leave. Craig stopped her again. ¡°Ms. Smith, are you leaving?¡± Kathryn remembered what Craig had said before. However, she couldn¡¯t reply to him rudely like before. She said politely, ¡°Yes.¡± Craig took out his phone and stared at her. ¡°Give me your contact number.¡± Kathryn was in her thirties. She had a great deal of experience in the matter of rtionships between men and women. How could she not understand what Craig meant? She smiled and said, ¡°Sorry, my phone battery is drained.¡± After saying that, she skirted around Craig and went out of the private room. When Kathryn arrived at the entrance of Prestige Club, she hurried toward Yuliana and sized thetter up. After making sure that Yuliana was fine, Kathryn breathed a sigh of relief and double-checked with the former again. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Like what you¡¯re seeing now!¡± Kathryn noticed Yuliana¡¯s wounded palm. ¡°Did Christopher treat the wound for you?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Are you seriously injured?¡± Kathryn felt sorry for her. ¡°The superficial wounds will heal in a couple of days.¡± Yuliana turned to Kathryn and said, ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯ve acted too recklessly. You¡¯re already in your thirties ¨C why did you hold the bottle of wine against. his neck?¡± Kathryn waved her hand and said, ¡°I just wanted to scare him. I was pissed off when I saw his despicable look. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve hurt you.¡± She paused for a moment before giving a nce at Yuliana¡¯s hand and said. ¡°It looks like Christopher cares about you.¡± Yuliana lowered her eyes and said nothing. Kathryn hesitated and asked, ¡°What if he wants to reconcile with you?¡± ¡°No way,¡± Yuliana replied firmly. ¡°He won¡¯t reconcile with me.¡± Yuliana¡¯s hand had been injured, and it was inconvenient for her to drive. Hence, she called a driver. After Yuliana had left, Christopher smoked two more cigarettes on the top floor before going downstairs and returning to the private room. There were fewer people inside. Still, they enjoyed themselves. Christopher walked up to Raymond. Thetter was pouring himself wine when Christopher reached out and took his ss. ¡°Stop drinking¡± Raymond nced at him and said, ¡°Do you even want to butt into my drinking affairs?¡± Christopher asked, ¡°Can the problem be solved regardless of how much you drink?¡± Raymond paused for a moment before putting the wine bottle back. He wiped his face andy on the couch. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make things soplicated.¡± He and Xandria were not a couple, to begin with. Who would have thought that Xandria would get pregnant after that night when they both were in a confused and infatuated state? Raymond disagreed with the birth of the child. However, he didn¡¯t immediately say that to Xandria because both of their families had already known about Xandria¡¯s pregnancy before he made the decision. Their parents were happy and looked forward to the birth of their child. Besides, Xandria had the intention to give birth to their child. As such, how could he ask Xandria to have an abortion? Recently, Xandria often talked to him about their child and browsed through various baby supplies online. It was clear to see that Xandria looked forward to the birth of the baby. ¡°You¡¯re at the age where it¡¯s about time to have a child Christopher poured himself a ss of wine. ¡°After all, it¡¯s not that you can¡¯t afford to raise the child. Moreover, you like my son a lot, too¡± ¡°Those two are different issues!¡± Raymond picked up the cigarette box and lit a cigarette. ¡°I have no feelings. for Xandria We have an arranged marriage, and we agreed to divorce if we meet someone we like ¡± Therefore, it was not a big deal to have a child. ¡°Don¡¯t you even have the slightest feelings for Xandria?¡± Christopher asked. Raymond paused for a moment. He looked annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± If it weren¡¯t for his family urging him, he would have had no intention of getting married in his twenties. After all, many people would get married in their thirties and forties nowadays. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Chapter 364 The Arranged Marriage If it weren¡¯t for Raymond¡¯s family urging him, he would have had no intention of getting married in his twenties. After all, many people would get married in their thirties and forties nowadays. Although Raymond was envious of Christopher having his own family, the former had no intention to settle down so early. Raymond thought, ¡°As long as Xandria and her child are out of my sight, I¡¯ll pretend as though her child doesn¡¯t exist in this world. As Christopher has mentioned, the Quinn family can afford to raise the child. After the birth, I can look for a maternity matron or have the elderly at home to take care of her child.¡± Therefore, he seldom went back home these days with the excuse that he was busy with his work. Besides, he avoided Xandria both intentionally and unintentionally However, since the incident that day, Raymond felt sorry for Xandria. No matter what, Xandria was his nominal wife and had cooperated with him for a couple of years. As such, he had to give her some respect. He went back to apologize to Xandria that evening Little did Raymond know that Xandria had been cynical with him throughout the day. He couldn¡¯t bear with her and said something harsh to her. As a result, they quarreled. When Xandria smashed him with a pillow, she didn¡¯t stand firmly and fell. At that moment, he was startled. He felt inexplicable panic. It was only after he had confirmed that Xandria was fine that he no longer felt that panic. It was only normal to feel panicked, after all. Raymond knew well that he wouldn¡¯t make any changes for Xandria. Even so, there was no need to worsen everything. At least, the two of them knew that their rtionship was, after all, based on an agreement. Christopher knew Raymond well. He understood Raymond¡¯s train of thought. Christopher stood up and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Think it over. Don¡¯t regret it.¡± Christopher then left the private room. Since that day, Yuliana had met with Raymond again and chatted with him about Xandria and his child. After confirming Raymond¡¯s thoughts, Yuliana informed Xandria about it. After hearing that, Xandria smiled and said, ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned earlier, we are in an arranged marriage. We are just business partners. Yuliana, you don¡¯t have to do this. I don¡¯t like him, after all. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. As for the child, I¡¯m old enough to have one anyway. My parents have been looking forward to having a grandson. Raymond has good genes. I believe the child will look good. When the child is born, I can hook up with a handsome boy anywhere as before.¡± Yuliana knew that Xandria was reluctant to admit her mistake. Xandria had always told Yuliana that she and Raymond were just acting. Could Raymond and Xandria truly differentiate if they had just been acting for so many years? No matter how good an actor was, they could fall in love with the y. But Raymond had made it clear to her. It was only for the better of Xandria to give up on him. The hot weather in Juxshirested for half a month. Finally, a rainstorm swept over the city one evening in early August. Yuliana looked at the dark sky outside the window and saw the waterfall-like rain pouring down from the sky. The city fell into chaos. Suddenly, the phone on the table rang. Yuliana came back to her senses. She turned around and walked toward the desk. She took a look at the caller before picking it up. Wesley asked, ¡°I learned from Hailey that you¡¯re not driving today¡­ Is that true?¡± Yuliana instantly guessed what Wesley meant and replied to him nonchntly. She felt slightly ufortable in her right ankle these days. She wondered if her injury had aggravated after thest twist in Romdale. She didn¡¯t feel so much difort on rainy days before. After pausing for a moment, she asked, ¡°Are you back?¡± A few days ago, Wesley had gone to Southeast Aploth. That was Wesley¡¯s job¡¯s nature. Whenever he received an order, he would run all over the world for ten and a half days or even longer. Wesley said, ¡°I came back yesterday. I¡¯m almost there. Come down after you finish your work.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana waited for another few minutes before packing up and going downstairs. When she arrived downstairs, Wesley had already parked his car on the side of the road. Before Yuliana could approach Wesley, he immediately got out of the car, walked quickly toward Yuliana in the heavy rain, took the umbre from her hand, and protected her while she got into the car. Yuliana¡¯s shoes and trousers were a little wet, but Wesley¡¯s shirt was soaked. She reached out for something in the storage box in the car. Then, she took out a towel and handed it to him. ¡°It¡¯s raining heavily. Why did you get out of the car? I have an umbre myself.¡± Wesley wiped the rainwater from his face and hair. He then put the towel on the armrest box and said casually, ¡°I¡¯m in good health, so it¡¯s okay to get wet. You mustn¡¯t catch a cold because you still have Roe at home. Children have a lower immune system.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and looked at the rain on the window. She felt a little stressed. Wesley had been like that all these years. He had been apanying her and Rowan in silence. When she was at Jeahron, Callie had hinted to her that Wesley was a true man. However, at that moment, she had no desire for romance. She had always thought that the reason Wesley stayed with Roe was because of Christopher. She had never thought Wesley would be interested in her before. After Damian died, Yuliana returned to Juxshire, and Wesley came back with her. At that time, she seemed to realize that the way Wesley treated her was more than just friends. Even so, she had never dared to probe further into that issue. The truth was, she was afraid to lose Wesley. Since Wesley confessed to her, it was difficult for her to treat him the same way as before whenever she saw him. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Wesley drove and cast a quick nce at Yuliana. After getting in the car and passing him the towel, she said nothing. That was not the case between them, especially in the past. Although she didn¡¯t talk much, he wouldn¡¯t be so quiet. Yuliana came back to her senses and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pick me up. I could have taken a taxi back.¡± Wesley smiled and said, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t think so well of me. I have an ulterior motive for picking you up. Besides, I won¡¯t let myself take this trip for nothing.¡± Yuliana was stunned and didn¡¯t understand what Wesley meant. It was not until they had returned to Champs Manor that the rain became much lighter. Wesley drove Yuliana to the door and called out to her, ¡°Yuliana.¡± Yuliana subconsciously turned around and looked at him. By the time she recovered her senses, she had already been pressed against the outer wall of the manor. Before she could react, Wesley held her chin and kissed her passionately. She couldn¡¯t help but open her eyes wide. She put her hand on Wesley¡¯s shoulder to push him away. Wesley easily grasped her hands, twisted them behind her back, and deepened the kiss. After that, Wesley rubbed her lips with his fingers, looking pleased with their intimate encounter, He then said in a low voice, ¡°Yuliana, you didn¡¯t resist me that much, did you?¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked up into Wesley¡¯s deep-set eyes. She found herself to be ridiculous. after what she had done a moment ago. She pushed Wesley away, and he let go of her. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Chapter 365 He Cares About You Yuliana pushed Wesley away, and he let go of her. Yuliana regained herposure. She was about to say something when she noticed a figure standing not far away. There was a cigarette between his fingertips, and the sparks flickered. Wesley looked in her direction and said, ¡°Mr. Sce, it¡¯s been a while.¡± The corners of Christopher¡¯s lips twitched, and he walked toward them. ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t seen you for a while. Mr. Duncan, you look busy.¡± Right after he spoke, Christopher nced at Yuliana. Yuliana avoided his gaze. Her lips felt incredibly warm. Wesley said, ¡°Mr. Sce, may we have a good time working together in the future.¡± Christopher looked down at him and said with a smile, 1 have a business deal for you, but I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t handle it, Mr. Duncan.¡± Wesley said, ¡°Mr. Sce, you¡¯re not the one who can decide if I can handle it or not.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t bother to listen to their words. She immediately went into the manor. Hailey was ying with Rowan on the mat by the window. When Hailey saw Yulianae back, she hurriedly stood up and asked, ¡°Is it raining?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuliana then asked, ¡°When did Christophere?¡± Hailey¡¯s expression changed slightly. She wasn¡¯t sure how Yuliana had known that Christopher was there. Yuliana had mentioned to her that Rowan shouldn¡¯te into contact with Christopher again, and she had agreed with it. However, when Christopher came to see Rowan at noon, Hailey had let Christopher in. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Coke bought me a beautiful car!¡± Rowan held the car in front of him with both hands. It was made with Lego blocks. Yuliana was sulky when she saw Rowan¡¯s happy face. She looked unhappy. When Hailey noticed Yuliana¡¯s expression, she quickly said, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t be angry. I won¡¯t let him contact Roe anymore. I promise you.¡± Upon seeing that Yuliana remained silent, Hailey continued, ¡°Chris stayed for a while. He left after ying with Lego with Roe.¡± ¡°He left?¡± Yuliana wondered. ¡°Then, who was the person standing outside the door?¡± Yuliana was not only unhappy about Christopher¡¯s presence. She breathed out slowly and said to Hailey. ¡°Hailey, go get some food. Wesley is outside. I suppose he hasn¡¯t taken his meal. I¡¯ll go upstairs to change my clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana went upstairs. She stood in front of the dressing mirror and stroked her lips with her fingers. She still felt Wesley¡¯s warm lips. As Wesley had said, she didn¡¯t resist him that much. However, she didn¡¯t think it was because she had a different feeling for Wesley. To be fair, although Wesley was not a very handsome man, he had a prominent jawline and deep-set features. Besides, he had a perfect figure. Moreover, she was no longer a naive young girl. It was only normal for her to have such a desire. Yuliana put away her thoughts. After she had changed her clothes, she didn¡¯t immediately go downstairs. Instead, she went to the study room where she could see the entrance. She hid behind the window and saw Christopher leaving in his car. At night, Yuliana was sleeping in a daze when she smelled a strange fragrance. She frowned and tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were heavy. She mustered all of her strength to lift her eyelids. She felt as if her limbs had been nailed to the bed. She couldn¡¯t move at all. She couldn¡¯t quite clear up her mind. She barely saw a shadow sitting by the bed. The next moment, she felt warm fingers brushing past her face. That person¡¯s fingers were rough and scratched her skin. Yuliana instinctively shuddered. After a while, the figure stood up. She then felt her back sink slightly. After that, something was glued to her back and wrapped around her tightly. ¡°Ana, you are mine!¡± Yuliana sat up from the bed, startled, and looked around her room. Her chest pounded heavily. She was inside her bedroom. Yuliana pulled her hair and breathed slowly. It was just a nightmare. After she had calmed herself down, she looked out of the window. The weather was clear after the rainstorm yesterday evening. The early morning sunshine shone through the window. Yuliana lifted the quilt and got out of bed. When she was about to go to the bathroom, she paused mid- stride and looked out the window again. Two secondster, she walked to the bathroom. There was a business reception on Saturday. It was held by the official department. The well-known entrepreneurs and senior executives in Juxshire were invited. Even the relevant leaders would attend the event. Glory Corporation received the invitation. Yuliana had originally nned to let Craig attend the event. However, Craig faced a problem in his current project. Hence, he had to go to the city again. The business event was crucial. If she were absent, it would demonstrate ack of regard for the official department. Therefore, she had to take a trip down there. The reception was divided into two parts. The official department would organize a meeting at noon. The heads of each enterprise would make their speeches and put forward suggestions. The official department would also raise some issues that needed to be improved from the past. The reception would be held at night. She would inevitably meet some acquaintances on such asions. In the middle of the afternoon meeting, Yuliana went to the restroom and bumped into La. They had seen each other when they arrived at the reception. However, they didn¡¯t speak to each other. It was clear to see that La had followed Yuliana into the restroom, then waited for thetter toe out. ¡°Ms. Sce.¡± Yuliana took the initiative to greet La. La chuckled. ¡°I thought you were going to pretend that you don¡¯t know me.¡± Yuliana had returned to Juxshire for a year and had participated in various activities. She had met La several times, but neither of them talked to the other person. There was no grudge between her and La. Christopher was the only reason that stood between them. La had taken the initiative to look for Yuliana because of Christopher. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside. Let¡¯s talk.¡± After saying that, La went out of the restroom. There was a half-hour break during the meeting. Yuliana and La found a quiet ce and sat down together. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. La stared at Yuliana for a moment and said, ¡°Yuliana, you have changed a lot.¡± She didn¡¯t mean Yuliana¡¯s changes in appearance but the change in her temperament from inside to outside. ¡°You¡¯re getting more like your mother,¡± La said. La had met Yuliana¡¯s mother and had dealt with her in recent years because of business affairs. Two years ago, the Sce family had fallen apart and was divided up. La held less than one percent of Sce Corporation¡¯s shares. Even so, she had insisted on running Sce Corporation. She hoped Christopher would help her. Yuliana didn¡¯t respond much to La¡¯s words. She asked, ¡°Ms. Sce, what do you want to talk to me about?¡± La didn¡¯t immediately tell her everything. She drank the water ced in front of her, lowered her eyes, and put her hands on her knees. After a while, she said, ¡°I want you to help me persuade Christopher.¡± Yuliana was confused. ¡°Ms. Sce, Christopher and I have divorced.¡± ¡°I know,¡± La said. ¡°But he cares about you. He will listen to you.¡± Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Harry Ziegler ¡°I know,¡± La said. ¡°But he cares about you. He would listen to anything you say.¡± Yuliana smiled. She did not know where La got the confidence that Christopher would listen to her. ¡°Ms. Sce, I think you may have a misunderstanding. Christopher and I¡­¡± She hesitated for a while and frowned slightly before continuing. ¡°Three years ago, when we divorced, we have already cut ties. I don¡¯t want to have too much to do with him, except for anything rted to Rowan. Sorry, I can¡¯t help you!¡± ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s talk about Roe then!¡± La¡¯s eyes suddenly became stern. ¡°Christopher is Rowan¡¯s father. Even if Rowan doesn¡¯t know it now, he will definitely find out when he grows up. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want Roe to lose his father at a young age, or Christopher to go to prison again, right?¡± Yuliana was slightly stunned. She felt that La¡¯s words were a little strange. Seeing Yuliana was finally concerned about Christopher¡¯s matter, La continued, ¡°Do you know what Christopher has been doing after he was released?¡± ¡°Esports club,¡± Yuliana said. Last time, at ine¡¯s house, Christopher said it himself. ¡°It¡¯s just a cover!¡± La sneered, looked out of the window, and tightened her fingers holding the ss. ¡°He¡¯s working with Mr. Hatfield now.¡± ¡°Mr. Hatfield?¡± Yuliana was surprised. She had never heard of Yahir until she joined Glory Corporation. Rumors said that he served the rich and powerful people. He was a powerful figure in the underworld circle and among the government officials in Juxshire. In recent years, he had even expanded his business greatly to Southeast Aploth. Yuliana had never seen that person before, but she had heard many people mention his name. ¡°Is there a problem with Mr. Hatfield?¡± Yuliana asked. It was inevitable that there would be some shady areas in business, even illegal ones. Just like Wesley¡¯s work, it might not bepletely legal as well. As the saying goes, ¡°One should not demand absolute purity.¡± Since the death of Damian, Yuliana had changed her perspective on those things a lot. La was also a person who had experienced all kinds of things. Logically speaking, she should understand that better than Yuliana. La was gazing straight at Yuliana¡¯s face, and she said, ¡°He¡¯s doing life-threatening business. Do you think there are any problems with him?¡± In fact, as early as four or five years ago, Kendrick knew what Yahir was doing, so he never dealt with Yahir. Any prestigious families in Juxshire would also never have too much interaction with Yahir. Those who had cooperated with Yahir were all threatened by Yahir. Yuliana did not understand why Christopher would get himself involved with Yahir. When Christopher was still in prison back then, he was already dealing with Yahir, and she tried to advise him a few times. However, Christopher was still in prison at that time, and his movement was limited. So, she did not worry too much about that problem. Little did she expect that Christopher would directly work with Yahir as soon as he got out of prison. Even the capital of the esports club was paid for by Yahir. ¡°Life-threatening business.¡± The words shed across Yuliana¡¯s mind quickly, and her expression changed instantly. She retorted, ¡°No way. He won¡¯t do things like that.¡± Although they had already divorced, Yuliana still could not bring herself to believe that Christopher would ¡°I don¡¯t believe it either!¡± La sighed. ¡°But that¡¯s Christopher in the past. Now, the Sce residence and Sce Corporation are gone, and Kendrick¡¯s whereabouts remain unknown. He has been in prison for three years. When he was released from prison, I picked him up, but I almost couldn¡¯t recognize him.¡± In fact, during those few years when Christopher was in prison, she visited him almost once a month. Despite seeing his changes gradually over time, she still felt somewhat strange when she saw him come out of that door. ¡°I want him to help me restore Sce Corporation, but he never agrees.¡± La¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°In fact, it doesn¡¯t matter if he doesn¡¯te to help me. I can deal with Sce Corporation alone now. I just don¡¯t want him to work with Mr. Hatfield anymore. Yuliana, please help me to advise him. I really don¡¯t know who else to go to.¡± Kendrick had been missing for so many years, and even his body was not found. La had no hope about it anymore. Christopher was her only younger brother. She could not afford to lose him anymore. La was wearing a ck suit today. She was 34 years old this year. Though La was neither young nor old, her face was obviously looking more tiredpared with most women at that age. Sce Corporation had been divided. After being divided, La only received a little in her hands. In the past. two years, she had been suppressed by her former enemies or peers in the same industry. It could be said that La must have made great efforts to achieve the current results. Looking at her state, Yuliana could not say anything to turn her down again. La had always been nice to her. Yuliana pursed her lower lips. ¡°I can give it a try, but I can¡¯t guarantee that I can seed.¡± Hearing that, La immediately showed a smile on her face. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m d to have your word. No matter what the result is, I¡¯m happy enough.¡± Nheless, Yuliana was not so optimistic. She did not even know how to tell Christopher about it. Given her current rtionship with Christopher, she had no position to intervene in his affairs at all. Yuliana chatted with La for a while more. La asked about Rowan and then mentioned her daughter. Zofia was eight years old and was in primary school. La said that Zofia often mentioned Yuliana. La also said that she always wanted to meet Yuliana and Rowan at some time, but Christopher told her not to disturb Yuliana¡¯s life after divorcing her. At that time, La was also too busy with Sce Corporation. She even encountered threats and was afraid of involving Yuliana and her son, so she deliberately alienated herself from Yuliana. The meetingsted until 5:30 p.m., followed by the evening party. The party was also held in the same hotel, but it was changed to a more spacious venue. Compared with the previous meeting venue, it was more casual, and everyone could interact and talk at will. Yuliana had just finished chatting with an investment banker and nned to find a ce to sit down and rest for a while. After standing for a long time in her high heels, her feet could not bear it anymore. As soon as she turned around, she saw a familiar face. Yuliana did not intend to greet the person. Upon seeing her, that person walked straight to her, leaving those around him behind. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Harry, who was in a gray suit, stopped in front of her. Now, the entire Ziegler Group was in the hands of Harry, and he led the development momentum extremely rapidly, almost reaching the top of the pyramid in Juxshire. However, that also benefited from the catastrophic crisis of the Sce Corporation in the past two years. It could be said that the Ziegler Group climbed up thedder by stepping on the bones of Sce Corporation. Yuliana smiled and said politely, ¡°Mr. Ziegler.¡± Harry handed Yuliana a ss of wine from a tray the waiter was holding while passing them by. He also took one for himself and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. How have you been?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Why Are You So Quiet? Harry handed Yuliana a ss of wine from a tray the waiter was holding while passing them by. He also took one for himself and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. How have you been?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. It had been a long time indeed. Thest time they met was when Yuliana just came back from Jeahron. She attended a small business party. The organizer seemed to be Harry¡¯s friend, so he was invited to attend it as well. At that time, they did not greet each other. Nheless, it was Yuliana¡¯s first time attending a party. She was a little nervous and identally stained her dress. She was wearing a white dress that night, which was very obvious with the stain. Later, the hotel staff took the initiative to take her to change her clothes. After that, she learned that the clothes were prepared for her by Harry. ¡°I¡¯m good. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Ziegler. I haven¡¯t thanked you for your kindnessst time,¡± Yuliana smiled calmly as she spoke. Harry raised his head and took a sip of wine while lowering his eyes. His gaze fell on Yuliana¡¯s face through. the narrow gap. He stopped for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. You don¡¯t have to take it seriously.¡± Yuliana raised her eyebrows and nodded. ¡°Mr. Ziegler, is there anything else you want to say?¡± She had nothing to talk about with Harry. ¡°Nothing. Just to say hello.¡± Harry¡¯s expression was calm, and there was no unnecessary emotion. Yuliana felt that the power of time was quite powerful. It could smooth one with sharp edges little by little, which made one harder to be understood. It could also stimte one who was gentle and calm to develop sharp edges over time. Harry was the former. However, with her understanding of Harry, he would never do anything meaningless. He would not do it in the past, and would never do it presently. Harry paused for a moment. Apparently, he had something else to say. Yuliana was curious about what Harry wanted from her, so she waited quietly for his words. ¡°Have you met Christopher?¡± Harry seemed to be casual as he asked. Yuliana smiled. It was exactly what she spected. It was indeed rted to Christopher. She put her right hand around her left arm and looked at him calmly. ¡°You should know that I divorced Christopher three years ago. I don¡¯t know. What do you mean by asking me if I have met Christopher? Even if I didn¡¯t divorce him or meet him, it has nothing to do with you, who is my former ex-husband, right?¡± Her eyes gradually became sharp. ¡°If you want to know about Christopher, or if you want to know someone else through Christopher, Christopher¡¯s sister, La, is also here today. Maybe it¡¯s more appropriate for you. to ask her.¡± After saying that, Yuliana nodded slightly and walked toward a couch to rest with her ss of wine. In the past few years, she had heard about Harry. It was said that he was looking for a woman. The party ended at 9:30 p.m. Yuliana left half an hour earlier. After drinking at night, it was not suitable to drive. She picked up her phone to call a designated driver after getting out of the hotel, but she did not expect to see Christopher getting out of the car with a sexy woman in his arms. Christopher threw the car key to the doorman of the hotel when thetter approached him. Then, he walked straight to the door with that woman in his arms. Yuliana was wearing a ck office suit. At that moment, she took off her coat and hung it on her arm. She was wearing a ck shirt tugged inside her skirt, with her hair tied in a low ponytail. The way she dressed up was rather low profile, yet she was still very eye-catching, even just by standing there. Christopher looked up and caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eyes. Then, his eyes turned in her direction, and his gaze met hers. It was just a very brief moment when they looked at each other. The woman in Christopher¡¯s arms suddenly hugged him tighter. He immediately withdrew his gaze and walked into the hotel with the woman. Yuliana suddenly remembered what La said and felt a little ridiculous. However, she had promised La. So, she had to do what she had to do regardless. Yuliana waited for about ten minutes, and the designated driver arrived. When she returned to Champs Manor, it was exactly ten o¡¯clock. Rowan had already fallen asleep. Yuliana went to check on him in his room and took out the giraffe stuffed toy from Rowan¡¯s arms. She put it next to his little head and sat by the bed for a while before returning to her room. Then, she took a bath and made herself rxed. Just as she was about to go to bed, her phone rang. Yuliana massaged her face, which was smeared with skincare products, while looking at her phone. Seeing the number on the screen, she paused for two seconds and answered it atst. She went to the couch and sat down cross-legged without saying anything first. The other party also did not speak immediately. It was very silent on the phone, but Yuliana could faintly hear the noiseing from the other side of the phone. It seemed that the call was made by the side of the street. There were asional sounds of passersby and car horns on the street. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. He went to the hotel with the woman around nine o¡¯clock. It¡¯s only 11 o¡¯clock now. Just two hours? But it doesn¡¯t seem impossible to get things done,¡± she thought. Yuliana¡¯s thoughts were a mess. She massaged her face with her fingers absent-mindedly, but she still had no desire to speak. After nearly two minutes of silence, the person on the other end of the phone finally could not stand it. ¡°Why are you so quiet?¡± Yuliana leaned against the back of the couchzily. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one calling me?¡± At that time, Christopher¡¯s car stopped on the roadside. He leaned against the streetmp and lit a cigarette. After smoking halfway, he took out his phone and called Yuliana. In fact, he did not think about what to say when he called. After another ten seconds of silence, Christopher asked awkwardly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Getting ready to sleep.¡± Normal people should understand what she meant by that, but Christopher did not y by the rules. He asked again, ¡°Did you attend the business party at the hotel tonight?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did you meet La?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The silence ensued. Yuliana could not stand it anymore. ¡°What the hell are you calling me for?¡± Christopher said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Yuliana was amused by his words. She wanted to hang up the call directly, but she remembered what La said again. So, she asked, ¡°Do you have time tomorrow?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you say it on the phone?¡± Yuliana paused and sald, ¡°Yeah, I can. It¡¯s just that I want to go to bed now, or if it¡¯s convenient for you tomorrow, I will call you.¡± She could say it over the phone, but she was more used to talking to people in person. Whether when she was a teacher or out of her current professional habits, the expression and the feelings of the other could be observed when they talked in person, which was often more real and reliable. person However, there was no need for her to meet Christopher face-to-face. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow!¡± Christopher left her with such a usible answer and hung up the phone before she did. Yuliana looked at the call that was ended abruptly and felt confused. The next day. Yuliana woke up at 7:30 a.m., half an hourter than the working day. After more than 40 minutes of exercise, she went to wake Rowan up to have breakfast together. After breakfast, she checked Rowan¡¯s recent study progress. Rowan¡¯s school had been contacted. Yuliana chose a private kindergarten. The enrollment was about to start inte August so that children could adapt to the kindergarten. environment in advance. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m tired. Can I y for a while?¡± Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Safe And Well ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m tired. Can I y for a while?¡± Rowany on the table. He started whining after just staring at the book for less than ten minutes. His big round eyes settled on Yuliana pitifully. Yuliana said, ¡°No. Repeat to me what Mr. Henderson has taught you these days, and you can go y.¡± When the mother and son were arguing, there was a sudden knock on the door of the study room. Hailey pushed the door open and came in. She smiled reluctantly and said hesitantly, ¡°Yuliana, Chris is here. He said he had an appointment with you.¡± Yuliana paused slightly. ¡°Got it.¡± Hailey observed Yuliana¡¯s expression and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go down first.¡± After saying that, Hailey turned around and left the study room. Yuliana withdrew her gaze and stared at Rowan in front of her. The little boy dropped the book and got into Yuliana¡¯s arms. ¡°Mommy, is there a guest?¡± His voice was soft and ttering. It was obvious that he wanted time to ck off. Yuliana pinched Rowan¡¯s chubby face. Sheughed in exasperation at Rowan¡¯s behavior. ¡°Roe, if you can pay more focus to the book, I will be happy.¡± Rowan curled his lips and said with some dissatisfaction, ¡°But Mommy, you¡¯re supposed to y with me today.¡± In the past, Yuliana always yed with him on weekends. ¡°Roe, you have grown up. You can¡¯t just think about ying all the time,¡± Yuliana said patiently. Rowan pursed his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to grow up!¡± Yuliana felt helpless. It was really difficult to reason with a child who was only over three years old. At this moment, she was a little upset. How could she remain calm to educate the child? ¡°Then, I will take you downstairs to y for a while. After that, I will still need to review with you the lessons Mr. Henderson taught you. You can¡¯t fool around then. Can you promise me that, Roe?¡± Rowan smiled and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Okay!¡± As a result, Yuliana took Rowan downstairs. Downstairs, Christopher sat on the couch with his long legs stretched out. He leanedzily against the back of the couch and was looking at the phone attentively. His eyebrows twitched slightly from time to time. He didn¡¯t immediately notice the mother and soning downstairs. It was only when Rowan saw him and shouted excitedly, ¡°Mr. Coke¡± that Christopher snapped back to his senses and looked at the mother and son. Their eyes met. Yuliana looked into Christopher¡¯s eyes, and a blurred picture suddenly appeared in her mind. She frowned, but Christopher already looked away. ¡°Mr. Coke, when did youe to my house?¡± Rowan immediately ran to Christopher. He was cheerful and excited. He raised his butt and climbed onto the couch, snuggling up to Christopher. Christopher was afraid that he would fall, so he reached out to hold the boy¡¯s body and said, ¡°I just arrived. Roe, you got up so early today?¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t go to work today. We were reading just now.¡± ¡°Reading? Christopher raised his eyebrows, nced at Yuliana, and then asked, ¡°What book were you reading?¡± ¡°Math,¡± Rowan said while counting his fingers. ¡°One, two, three, four, and five¡­¡± While Rowan was counting. Yuliana sat aside. Rowan refused to count when he was upstairs Just now. She thought Rowan hadn¡¯t learned it. However, when he came to Christopher, he didn¡¯t need any convincing before he started counting himself. On the count of 100, Rowan stopped. Christopher waited until his son finished enumerating before he said, ¡°Roe, you¡¯re so good. You can count to 100! ¡°Mr. Coke, I can also do spelling and sing Uprian songs!¡± Rowan raised his chin and was proud of himself. Yuliana was a little unhappy. She asked, ¡°When I asked you to count just now, why didn¡¯t you count?¡± Rowan looked at Yuliana with his iridescent eyes. ¡°Mommy, I identally forgot it just now.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t know whether what he said was true or not. She was a little jealous, nheless. Seeing this, Rowan hurriedly got off Christopher and ran to Yuliana with his short legs. He climbed onto the couch and held Yuliana¡¯s face, kissing her on the cheek. ¡°Mommy, Roe loves you the most.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t help butugh again. She tidied out Rowan¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Could you and Granny Hailey go y with Jasperter? I have something to talk about with Mr. Coke.¡± Rowan was reluctant. Yuliana coaxed him for a while before letting Hailey take him out. As soon as Rowan left, the living room quieted down. No one said anything. Christopher was looking at his phone, while Yuliana was looking at him. However, her gaze was emotionless. It was as if her mind was elsewhere, even though she was looking at him. After a while, Yuliana got up and poured herself a ss of water. She sat on the couch and drank half of it. Then, she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we could talk on the phone?¡± ¡°Why did youe here in the early morning?¡± Yuliana silently added in her mind. Christopher raised his eyes and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you have something to talk about with me?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Yuliana was rendered speechless. The morning sun streaked through the thin white translucent curtains on the window and fell on the man¡¯s half body, dragging a long shadow on the ground. The head of the shadow fell on Yuliana¡¯s legs. Yuliana looked at the shadow on her leg. She pursed her lips and changed her posture, putting the ss on the wooden coffee table and saying, ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Sce. She¡¯s worried about you. She asked my help yesterday to persuade you.¡± Christopher paused and asked casually, ¡°To persuade me of what?¡± ¡°To persuade you to stop dealing with Mr. Hatfield.¡± Christopher¡¯s lips curled down for a bit as he looked at Yuliana. ¡°So, this is all La¡¯s idea. What about you? What do you think?¡± Yuliana was silent for a moment before she replied, ¡°Ms. Sce was very nice to me. I promised her to help persuade you, but I didn¡¯t think I would seed. But you are Roe¡¯s father. I hope you are always safe and well.¡± ¡°Safe and well, Christopher repeated the words in a slightly unusual tone. But soon, he returned to his normal facade again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Hatfield will not kill me. As for the others. tell La to stop worrying about me and focus on her own life.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°Tell her yourself.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Christopher nodded and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her myself.¡± ording to La, Christopher had been avoiding her since he got out of prison. He didn¡¯t answer her phone. or send messages back. She had asked him to go home for dinner several times, but he hadn¡¯t been there at all. La was worried sick about Christopher. Yuliana asked Christopher to contact her, which was in another way, helping her. Yuliana looked at Christopher and swallowed up her unspoken words. Christopher asked, ¡°What? What else do you want to say?¡± Yuliana was not sure whether she should speak her mind. She was afraid that Christopher would misunderstand her, but since she had promised, she should do it anyway. After hesitating for a moment, she still said, ¡°You and Ms. Moss¡­¡± Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Chapter 369 The Father Of Rowan After hesitating for a moment, she still said, ¡°You and Ms. Moss¡­¡± Christopher leaned backzily and smiled, ¡°Are you concerned about my romantic life?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Yuliana frowned slightly Christopher said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± Yuliana¡¯s frown deepened. She was not sure what Christopher meant. Did hefort ine or break up with her? Yuliana quickly pulled back her wandering mind and stopped thinking. After that, Yuliana nned to go to Jasper¡¯s house to find Rowan and Hailey. Christopher followed her like a tagalong. When they arrived at Jasper¡¯s house, they heard theughter of several children. They went in and saw Hannah ying a chasing game called Duck, Duck, Goose with the kids. Hannah was the protector, trying to protect the kids from being captured by the seeker. Rowan, Jasper, and Annie were seeking protection behind her. Annie¡¯s mother was the seeker. Hailey and the housekeeper of Jasper¡¯s house were watching from the side and giggling happily. The screams andughter of the children filled the whole mansion. ¡°I got you!¡± Annie¡¯s mother grabbed Jasper, and they fell on the soft cushion together. ¡°That¡¯s it. I need to catch my breath!¡± Annie¡¯s mother let go of Jasper, sat on the cushion, and hurriedly waved her hand. She nced around and suddenly noticed something. She looked at the door and saw Yuliana walking in. ¡°Rowan¡¯s mother is here!¡± Hearing Annie¡¯s mother¡¯s words, everyone looked in the direction of the door. ¡°Just in time, Yuliana¡­¡± Before Hannah could finish her words, she saw the man behind Yuliana. Hannah had seen that man before. He brought Rowan to Jasperst time, and she heard Rowan call him ¡°Mr. Coke.¡± Besides, Rowan looked exactly like that man. One could tell at a nce there must be some kind of rtionship between the two. But Hannah had never asked Yuliana about it. Seeing theming together, she became more and more curious. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Coke!¡± Rowan loosened his grip on Annie¡¯s clothes and ran toward Yuliana and Christopher. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Coke, have you finished your talk? Can you y with us? Let¡¯s y together. Can you guys y with me?¡± Rowan said excitedly and kept gesturing with both of his hands. As soon as he finished speaking. Annie¡¯s mother joked, ¡°Yuliana brought a handsome guy here!¡± Yuliana was quite close with them, and they would often Joke around with one another. Before Yuliana could speak, Jasper shouted, ¡°He is Roe¡¯s father!¡± Hannah¡¯s face changed. She hurriedly covered Jasper¡¯s mouth and smiled at Yuliana embarrassedly. ¡°The child is ignorant. Don¡¯t listen to Jasper¡¯s nonsense.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t react much. Instead, she looked at Rowan beside her. Rowan apparently heard Jasper. He looked confused. He grabbed Yuliana¡¯s clothes nervously and nced around at others, then at Christopher, before looking at Yuliana. ¡°Mommy¡­ Seeing Rowan¡¯s sensitive and uneasy look, Yuliana also felt distressed. She stroked Rowan¡¯s head gently andforted him silently, ¡°Roe, Annie is still waiting for you to join the game.¡± Annie¡¯s mother hurriedly smoothed things over. ¡°Annie, can you bring Roe here? Let¡¯s continue the game.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Annie agreed, trotted to Rowan, and took his hand. ¡°Roe, let¡¯s y.¡± Rowan raised his head from Yuliana¡¯s waist, his eyes brimming red. He stared at Annie for two seconds before nodding and following Annie. The child forgot easily. After ying for a while, Rowan threw all the unhappy things to the back of his mind. At this moment, Christopher yed the seeker, and Hailey yed the protector. Hannah made Yuliana a cup of coffee. I know you like it cold, so I added some ice cubes.¡± Yuliana took it and said thank you with a smile. Hannah sat down beside her and said in a reserved tone, ¡°Yuliana, Jasper was being untactful just now. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. I want to apologize to you on behalf of him. In fact¡­¡± Hannah was a little embarrassed to say it. Yuliana must have guessed the implication of the incident just now. Jasper was merely a three-year-old child. He knew nothing. It must be the adults who gossiped, and the child overheard it. This was how Jasper knew about it. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s my fault. Thest time Mr. Sce brought Rowan here, I felt that Roe looked like Mr. Sce, so I gossiped a few words with my husband. Jasper might have overheard our conversation.¡± Yuliana was indeed a little upset, especially when she saw Rowan¡¯s sensitive and uneasy look. But they were neighbors, and Rowan and Jasper were friends. Yuliana didn¡¯t want to have a grudge against Jasper¡¯s family because of this. ¡°Hannah, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Jasper¡¯s mother¡¯s was called Hannah White. She was two or three years older than Yuliana. ¡°I¡¯m d you don¡¯t mind.¡± Hannah breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking of the reaction of Yuliana and Rowan just now, she wished she could sew her son¡¯s mouth with a needle. She looked at Christopher, who was ying with the children. Then, she looked at Yuliana. ¡°Yuliana, am I guessing it right? Is Mr. Sce Rowan¡¯s biological father? Don¡¯t worry. I just want to confirm this with you out of curiosity. I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone, even my husband.¡± She was just curious. Mr. Sce was so handsome and treated Rowan nicely. He looked like a perfect match for Yuliana. Besides, they had a cute son together. She wondered why they divorced. Yuliana nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. But I hadn¡¯t told Rowan yet. He doesn¡¯t know. Hannah, I hope you can tell Jasper not to mention this in front of Rowan for the time being.¡± Hannah hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll lecture himter.¡± Although Hannah looked careless, she was astute and had high emotional intelligence. She was good at managing her interpersonal rtionships. This was why Yuliana only had a good rtionship with Hannah after moving to Champs Manor for so long. They stayed at Jasper¡¯s house until lunchtime. Hannah invited Yuliana and Annie to stay over for dinner. There was somethinging up with Annie, so she didn¡¯t stay. Near lunchtime, Christopher received a phone call and hurried away. In the end, only Yuliana¡¯s family stayed at Jasper¡¯s house for lunch. But just when Yuliana was helping Hannah cook lunch, Yuliana¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She washed her hands, picked up her phone, and looked at it. Then, she paused and walked in the direction of the bathroom with her phone.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. When she arrived at the bathroom, she locked the door and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ms. Livingstone.¡± The man¡¯s breath was weak, and Yuliana instantly noticed something was wrong, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He exhaled slowly. ¡°I got a little hurt, but I¡¯ve got something. If it¡¯s convenient for you,e here immediately. Those people won¡¯t let me go. I¡¯ll give you the thing and leave Juxshire immediately.¡± He paused and added, ¡°Remember to bring the money.¡± Yuliana was nervous, and her heart beat wildly. ¡°Okay, give me the address. I¡¯lle to you right away.¡± Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Chapter 370 How Could It Be Him? Yuliana was nervous, and her heart was beating wildly. She said, ¡°Okay, give me the address. I¡¯lle to you right away.¡± After hanging up, she put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath. She only opened the bathroom door when she had calmed down. ¡°Hannah, there are some matters in thepany I need to deal with. I have to head back now.¡± Hannah, who was arranging the tes, was stunned for a moment. ¡°You have to go there now? Lunch will be ready soon. Why don¡¯t you leave after lunch?¡± ¡°No,¡± Yuliana replied. ¡°It¡¯s urgent. I have to rush there immediately. I¡¯ll leave Rowan and Hailey under your care. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Hannah saw that Yuliana¡¯s expression was gloomy and anxious. She didn¡¯t dare to convince Yuliana to stay. She quickly wiped her hands and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. If you have something to do, just go and do it. Roe and Hailey are safe here with me. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yuliana nodded and informed Hailey. She didn¡¯t disturb Rowah, who was ying with Jasper, and left Jasper¡¯s house. After leaving Jasper¡¯s house, Yuliana didn¡¯t head to herpany immediately. Instead, she went back home and changed into low-key attire. Her hat and mask were stuffed into her bag. She also took some cash from the safety deposit box before driving to the address sent by the person who had just called her. That ce was located on the edge of the west side of Juxshire. Many migrant workers with low ies would choose to live there. There were also some idle people. The public security there was much more chaotic than in other areas of Juxshire. Fortunately, it was lunchtime, so Yuliana¡¯s journey went smoothly. When she arrived, it hadn¡¯t even reached 1 p.m. She parked the car on the roadside and looked at the bungalows in front of her. There were narrow alleys between the houses, and cars couldn¡¯t drive in. Only electric scooters or bicycles could pass through. Yuliana stood in the scorching sun and squinted at it for a moment. She thought, ¡°He has given me a house number, but it¡¯s not easy to find it quickly among so many houses.¡± A middle-ageddy in a woven hat was walking in Yuliana¡¯s direction. An idea struck her, and she immediately walked forward. ¡°Miss, can I ask you which is the fastest way to get to No. 3509?* Thedy sized Yuliana up, then turned around, pointed in a direction, and said, ¡°Here, you go along the alley on the left. I don¡¯t know the exact location. You need to find it yourself.¡± Yuliana said thank you and immediately walked into the alley pointed out by thedy. The house number of the outermost row started with 32. After walking for less than half a mile further into the alley, she finally saw house numbers starting with 35. After nearly 20 minutes, Yuliana found No. 3509. She stood at the door, looked around, and then raised her hand to knock on the door twice. There was no response inside. It was very quiet. Yuliana became worried. The guy¡¯s phone was already shut down when she was on her way here. Yuliana was uncertain whether something had happened, or he had shut it off for safety reasons. Suddenly, various situations shed through Yuliana¡¯s mind. Just then, a cautious voice came from the door. ¡°Ms. Livingstone?¡± Yuliana felt relieved and said, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The door in front of Yuliana opened. A portly man wearing sses leaned out slightly. He looked at both ends of the alley. There was no one. Only the shing sound of pots and pans, the shouting and scolding of adults, and the cries of children could be heard asionally. He turned sideways, hurriedly waved his hand, and said, ¡°Get in, quick!¡± Yuliana went in, and the man immediately closed the door. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat on his head and nced at Yuliana. He couldn¡¯t help comining. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, why are you so slow? I have even decided that if you didn¡¯t show up in the next ten minutes, I would be on my way.¡± The temperature was nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and there was no air conditioner in the house. There was only an old fan creaking while spinning. Yuliana¡¯s clothes were drenched with sweat. She took out a tissue and wiped it off. She said, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with this ce. It took me a while to find this ce.¡± After saying that, she looked around again and asked, ¡°Did you rent this house?¡± There was only a simple wooden bed and two stic stools in the room, as well as a shabby cab. The white paint on the wall was dirty, and some parts were worn out, revealing gray concrete. Even in the summer, there was still a faint musty smell in the air. What Yuliana actually wanted to ask was why he would rent a house here, but she felt that it seemed inappropriate to ask it that way. Thus, she rephrased her question tactfully. Yuliana had been in contact with him for a long time and knew him to an extent. He was not short of money. He handed a stic stool to Yuliana and motioned for her to sit down. Then, he took out his camera from his bag and said, ¡°It¡¯s safer to rent a house here. All you have to do is spend some money. No real name authentication is needed. Even if you are required to register with your ID card, a fake one would do. You must have seen it when you came here. Every alley can lead in a different direction. Isn¡¯t it convenient for escaping and hiding?¡± Yuliana thought for a while and found that it was true. There would be only a few fixed entrances and exits under normal circumstances in residential areas and condominiums nowadays. If people in the same profession as him were to stay in ces like that, they would be easily caught when targeted. ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you injured?¡± Yuliana asked. She recalled the man¡¯s weak voice on the phone and stared at him. His face was indeed pale, and the room was too hot, which made him look more unwell. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked. Big drops of sweat ran down his forehead and dripped from his brows. He pursed his lips and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I have to hold on even if I¡¯m in a bad condition. I have just treated the wound briefly. It¡¯s fine as long as I won¡¯t die.¡± Yuliana nced at him and noticed a paper bag of a takeoutpany beside the bed, along with unused saline and drugs. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Did you bring the money?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana withdrew her gaze. Her palms were a little sticky, and her heart kept beating fast. The man handed the camera to Yuliana and said, ¡°Take a look.¡± Yuliana took it and stared at the photos taken with the camera. She looked at them one by one, frowned, and asked, ¡°How could it be him?¡± The man lit a cigarette and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing strange. I¡¯ve recorded a video too, and I can give it to you. But I think you shouldn¡¯t use them if you aren¡¯t absolutely certain about the matter. Ms. Livingstone, there are things that are beyond your perception and imagination.¡± Yuliana understood what he meant, but she still couldn¡¯t believe it. The person in the photo had always maintained a positive image to the public and was also loved by the people of Juxshire. Yuliana even followed Damian to visit that man when she was a child. ¨C He was such a kind person. After Damian¡¯s ident, he had cared about her for a while in private. Damian had always regarded him as a good mentor. There wasn¡¯t anything rted to the man in the things. Damian left for her. Was it a coincidence, or was Damian also unable to figure out howplicated Juxshire was? Suddenly, there was a sound of dogs barking outside. Yuliana felt a chill run down her spine, even in the scorching afternoon. Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Chapter 371 He Will Die The man suddenly stood up with a grim expression. He opened the door and looked out. The alley was still quiet with no one there. He breathed a sigh of relief but didn¡¯t dare to let his guard down. Closing the door, he grabbed the camera from Yuliana, took out the memory card inside, and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, where is the money?¡± Yuliana was also affected by his emotions and became more nervous. She hurriedly took out a pile of cash from therge bag. ¡°The 30,000 dors is all here.¡± The man picked up the box by the wall, put the money in it, and handed the memory card to Yuliana. After hesitating for a few seconds, he reminded again, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, we¡¯ve been working together for quite some time. I advise you to stop investigating. Based on my years of experience, this matter is not simple. With your ability, it is like throwing a straw against the wind.¡± Yuliana also realized that Damian¡¯s death was not as simple as what she had investigated. It could involve more powerful people. However, she couldn¡¯t care to worry about herself. ¡°Will you be in danger?¡± Yuliana looked at the man in front of her. She couldn¡¯t help but worry about him. Those people knew he had captured pictures of something that shouldn¡¯t have been captured, so they might not let him go. The man paused. He pushed his sses on the bridge of his nose and looked at Yuliana. ¡°It¡¯smon for us who do this to be in danger, but it¡¯s beyond my expectation this time, so I have to escape. If I continue staying in Juxshire, they would probably injure me even if they don¡¯t kill me. However, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. I¡¯ll leave right away. They shouldn¡¯t be here so soon.¡± Yuliana nodded solemnly and didn¡¯t ask anything else. The man packed the money and put the rest of his things into his suitcase. After packing up, he stood up and said, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, get out of here now! You¡¯d better not let them know that you have something to do with me.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°My car hasn¡¯t arrived yet. I¡¯ll leave as soon as it arrives.¡± ¡°Okay, be careful.¡± Yuliana put the memory card in thepartment of her bag before she opened the door and walked out. The alley was extremely quiet. It was the hottest time in summer, but Yuliana felt her body was sweating. She quickly walked to the intersection ahead and turned to another alley. Just then, she heard a shrill cry from the alley. Her footsteps halted abruptly. It was Terrence. Yuliana turned back quickly. When she was about to turn the corner, she suddenly slowed down. After hesitating for a while, she took out the memory card from her bag, looked around, and stuffed it into a wall seam. Yuliana broke into a cold sweat again while Terrence kept screaming. The alley was still quiet, except for that sound. There was no sounding from the bungalows as if no one living there. When che came earlier, she had caught the whiff of the smell of food and heard some scattered sounds. Yuliana took a deep breath and was about to rush out, but her shoulder was suddenly pressed. Her heart skipped a beat. She turned around and saw Wesley standing behind her. Just as she was about to speak, Wesley covered her mouth and dragged her aside. Wesley shushed her. Before she could react, he suddenly pressed his body against her and kissed her. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Yuliana was dumbfounded, and her mind was in turmoil. ¡°Duncan¡­¡± She tried her best to push him and wanted to speak. Yet, Wesley didn¡¯t give her a chance. Just then, someone whistled next to them and mocked, ¡°Damn it. I work so hard under the hot sun, but this. couple is having an affair here.¡± Yuliana¡¯s body stiffened and stopped resisting in an instant. She slowly wrapped her arms around Wesley¡¯s neck and amodated him, but she kept glimpsing at the intersection from her peripheral vision. The man was still standing there. Wesley stopped for a moment and whispered to her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here.¡± Just then, another voice sounded. ¡°Have you found anyone suspicious?¡± Yuliana¡¯s body stiffened again when she heard the voice. She was about to look in the direction of the intersection, but Wesley held her head. ¡°Chris¡±¡± the man shouted respectfully and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone suspicious but a couple hiding here and kissing!¡± Christopher looked ahead. The man in a ck T-shirt was holding the woman¡¯s head and kissing her intensely. The woman¡¯s petite figure was almost covered by the man. Only her ear could be seen He stared at them for a few seconds, threw the cigarette in his hands in the corner, stepped on it, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After the two men left, Yuliana immediately pushed Wesley away. Her body was covered with sweat, wet and sticky, and her heart thumped hard in her chest. Terrence¡¯s screams couldn¡¯t be heard anymore. Yuliana was stunned for a moment and didn¡¯t say anything. She was about to go to the bungalow rented by Terrence Thus, she couldn¡¯t take risks. Wesley pulled her back and warned in a low voice, ¡°Yuliana, can you calm down?¡± His gaze was cold and stern. Yuliana looked at him with her eyes wide open. Her lips moved slightly. After a while, she said, ¡°He will die!¡± ¡°It won¡¯t help if you go there!¡± Wesley said calmly, ¡°Besides, you will expose yourself. Think about Rowan.¡± Hearing the word ¡°Rowan,¡± Yuliana froze, and her body slowly became less tense. She had Rowan. Yet, Terrence¡­ Yuliana felt suffocated. Wesley nced at the intersection and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He should be safe for the time being.¡± After a pause, he asked again, ¡°You have the thing, right?¡± Hearing that, Yuliana suddenly remembered something and looked at Wesley vigntly. Wesley noticed her suspicion and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything to youter. As long as it¡¯s in your hand, Terrence will be fine. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± After saying that, he dragged Yuliana to the exit of the alley, regardless of her reluctance. On the other side of the bungalow, Terrence was creeping on the ground with blood all over his body. His. sses were stepped on by a man with a tattooed arm. He breathed slowly. His hands and feet couldn¡¯t even move. The money, clothes and other things in the suitcase were scattered on the ground. The cameras and other equipment were broken into pieces on the ground. ¡°Chris, I¡¯ve searched everywhere, but I can¡¯t find it,¡± one of the men reported to Christopher after searching the Christopher stood at the door and lit another cigarette. He didn¡¯t respond when he heard that. The tattooed-armed man, who stepped on Terrence¡¯s sses, stepped forward and kicked Terrence. ¡°Where is the thing? If you don¡¯t hand it over, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Terrence coughed hard. His chest was trembling, and his mouth was filled with the smell of rust. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Hit Him Terrence coughed hard. His chest was shaking, and his mouth was filled with the smell of blood. His body hurt everywhere, and he was almost losing consciousness. But he knew very well that he had to stay awake at this time, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to survive at all. He took a deep and slow breath to let his painful and highly stressed body rx slowly, and he quickly racked his brain. He couldn¡¯t say that the photos had been given to Yuliana. Otherwise, once these people got the photos from Yuliana, he would have no chance to live and would also implicate Yuliana. He was not a good man. If betraying Yuliana could allow him to live, he would give Yuliana away without hesitation. But he knew that these people would not let him go anyway. The reason why they didn¡¯t end him immediately was that they hadn¡¯t found the photos he had taken. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before he died. But he had to dy it. If he dyed it for a second, he would have a little more chance to survive. Terrence¡¯s mouth moved as if he had said something, but his voice was so soft that others couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°What?¡± The man with the tattooed arm kicked Terrence in the abdomen again, frowned, and said fiercely, ¡°Speak louder!¡± Terrence took a deep breath. His vision went ck for a second, and he felt so much pain that he felt dizzy for a few seconds. His body reflexively curled up even more. After a while, the severe pain slowly subsided. The man with the tattooed arm got increasingly more impatient, especially when he saw how weak Terrence was, which fueled his desire for violence even more. When he was about to kick Terrence again, a tall, thin man, who looked like a bamboo, came forward and dragged the tattooed man aside. He mocked, ¡°Are you going to be the one to report to the boss if he dies?¡± The tattooed man nced at the tall man coldly, then looked at Terrence on the ground, snorted coldly, and stood aside. The tall and thin man walked to Christopher, who was smoking at the door, and asked respectfully, ¡°Chris, what should we do?¡± Christopher finished smoking the cigarette, turned around, nced at the men in the room, and finally stared at the tattooed man for two seconds. Then he walked slowly to him. He said casually, ¡°Did I ask you to hit him?¡± The tattooed man looked at Christopher with a slight hesitation, which soon disappeared. Looking at Christopher, he had a contemptuous and sarcastic expression. ¡°Chris, I did this because I¡¯m eager to find the things for the sake of the boss.¡± He used Yahir to pressure Christopher. Christopher sneered, looked at the cigarette butt that was still burning in his hand, and raised his eyebrows. In a sh, he kicked the tattooed man on his knee. Thetter kneeled directly in front of him on one knee, then Christopher pinched his chin, opened his mouth, stuffed the cigarette butt into his mouth, and quickly closed his mouth. The whole movement waspleted in one go. His movement was so fast that the people around him didn¡¯t have time to react. When the tattooed man was ready to fight back, Christopher had already grabbed his hair first and mmed his head against the wall behind him several times. Christopher didn¡¯t let him go until the tattooed man lost his ability to resist. Christopher pped his hands and said slowly, ¡°Since you¡¯re working with me, you have to follow my rules. Otherwise, you will end up like this.¡± His calm voice scared everyone present. Christopher had been working with Yahir for a while, but this was the first time that Yahir had asked Christopher to take them out to work. The tattooed man had seen Christopher at Yahir¡¯s ce before, and they also drank together. Although he didn¡¯t like to talk, he had a good temper and never get angry. The code name of the man with a tattooed arm was Python. He had been working with ck Wolf in the beginning. Later, Yahir recruited ck Wolf, so he followed ck Wolf and worked for Yahir. As ck Wolf did not do his job well, Terrence photographed something that should not be photographed, so the tattooed man was asked toe out with Christopher to deal with the matter. Since Christopher started working for Yahir, he had be apetitor of ck Wolf. ck Wolf didn¡¯t like Christopher. As the subordinate of ck Wolf, Python could not possibly take Christopher¡¯s instructions. Most of the people who came with Christopher today were ck Wolf¡¯s subordinates. Only the tall and thin man was Christopher¡¯s subordinate. Everyone else dared not to say a word, except the tall and thin man, who said, ¡°Help Python up.¡± Three or four people on the side immediately stepped forward to help Python up from the corner. Christopher nced at Terrence on the ground and said in a calm voice, ¡°Take him back.¡± After saying that, Christopher walked out first. Yuliana was dragged into the car by Wesley. However, they didn¡¯t leave here immediately. Wesley drove the car to an inconspicuous corner where they could see the wide road not far away. Yuliana calmed down slowly. She looked at Wesley and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Wesley paused his action of lighting the cigarette and looked at Yuliana. ¡°To do something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Yuliana asked. Wesley looked away and lit the cigarette. ¡°You never asked me about my work before.¡± Yuliana rarely persisted, ¡°I want to know now.¡± She didn¡¯t believe that it was just a coincidence that Wesley appeared here. Wesley took a puff and exhaled the smoke. ¡°Yuliana, you should know that everyone in our business will sign a confidentiality agreement. I can¡¯t vite my professional ethics. So, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to tell me. I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Yuliana clenched her fists and said, ¡°You came here to do the same thing as Christopher, didn¡¯t you?¡± Wesley frowned slightly and didn¡¯t refute Yuliana¡¯s words. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Seeing that he didn¡¯t answer, Yuliana became more sure of her guess. Yuliana didn¡¯t speak anymore. Wesley was smoking, keeping his eyes fixed in a certain direction, and he kept silent. The car was filled with silence. About ten minutester, a group of people came out of an alley. Two people walking at the front were supporting one man, and four men were following behind them. Christopher walked at the end. Wesley¡¯s car was a little far away, but Yuliana could tell that the one being supported was Terrence. He was almost held up under the arms and dragged along, and his legs were unable to exert any strength although they were touching the ground. A ck van quickly stopped by the roadside. They pushed Terrence into the van roughly and got in the van one after another. Christopher and a tall and thin man stood beside the van and didn¡¯t get in the van. The tall and thin man said something to people in the van, and the van drove away first. Christopher stood still and the tall and thin man turned to talk to him. Christopher threw the car key at him after uttering something. The tall and thin man took the key and ran over 60 feet in Yuliana¡¯s direction, and then got into a ck car. Christopher tilted his head and looked over from a distance. His gaze somehow fell on Wesley¡¯s car, which was tens of feet away, as he looked at Yuliana who was in the front passenger¡¯s seat. When the tall and thin man drove the car over, Christopher withdrew his gaze and opened the car door to get in. Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Jasper Is A Liar When the tall and thin man drove the car over, Christopher withdrew his gaze and opened the car door to get The car left quickly. The rows of bungalows regained peace as if nothing had happened. Yuliana opened the door and got off the car. Wesley got out of the car and grabbed her wrist, ¡°Yuliana Yuliana turned her head, looked at him coldly, and said nothing. Wesley swallowed hard. ¡°Give me the stuff.¡± Yuliana frowned slightly and tried to shake his grip off her wrist. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Let me go.¡± Instead of letting go of her hand, Wesley dragged her more tightly and his expression turned a little cold. ¡°I know that you have the stuff in your hand. You should give it to me. Having it won¡¯t do you any good, and it will even bring you danger.¡± Yuliana looked at Wesley suspiciously, but she couldn¡¯t see clearly what he was thinking. She smiled and said, ¡°Are you going to use Rowanto to persuade me to do it for Rowan¡¯s sake again?¡± ¡°Yuliana¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything!¡± Yuliana interrupted him, ¡°I know what you want to say, but that thing is not with me. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can search for it yourself.¡± She handed her bag to Wesley. Wesley pursed his lips, stared at Yuliana with a serious look in his eyes for a moment, loosened his grip on her wrist, took her bag, and looked through it inside and out, but he didn¡¯t find it. ¡°So?¡± Yuliana smiled ironically. Wesley stared at Yuliana without saying anything. His stare sent a chill down Yuliana¡¯s spine. She swallowed hard, suppressed the panic in her heart, and said, ¡°Do you still not believe me? Are you going to search me?¡± ¡°Yuliana¡­¡­¡± Wesley wanted to say something but stopped. Finally, he said nothing but handed her the bag. Yuliana took the bag and left without looking back. Wesley kept watching her until she disappeared from his sight before returning to the car and driving away. On the way back, Yuliana had been thinking about those things. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. She felt like her brain was about to explode. While worrying about Terrence¡¯s safety, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Christopher and Wesley were there. Yuliana asked Terrence to keep an eye on a clubhouse called Goodness Club, which was not very conspicuous in Juxshire. Besides, it was far away from the city, so few people went there. However, Goodness Club had a very strict membership system. To apply for membership in the clubhouse, in addition to the qualification review, a rmendation from at least five old members was required. Moreover, the clubhouse only received members. Yuliana only found this ce when she returned to Juxshire and looked into Damian¡¯s case. She tried to go there but was stopped at the gate of the clubhouse. Later, she asked Terrence to keep an eye on this ce. Terrence had been keeping an eye on it for two to three months. During this period, he had also photographed a lot of things, but they were all on the list left by Damian, which was nothing new. Only the man Terrence photographed this morning was far beyond Yuliana¡¯s expectations. Obviously, this person was also a key figure for the person behind Goodness Club. Otherwise, the other party wouldn¡¯t be so serious toward him. Christopher was working for Yahir, so Yahir could be linked to the person behind Goodness Club. Maybe the person behind Goodness Club was Yahir. La said that Yahir was doing illegal business. But it was impossible for him to do whatever he wanted in Juxshire for so many years without anyone protecting him. She thought, ¡°Then, what role does Wesley y in it? Was he there to do something for Christopher or something else? What about Christopher? Is he helping Mr. Hatfield, or does he have other intentions?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t understand. Her brain hurt and she felt a dull pain. She emptied her mind, closed her eyes, leaned back on the backrest, and gave herself a break for a moment. After the difort disappeared, she opened her eyes again. The memory card was still in the rows of bungalows in Wise Vige. Now, she didn¡¯t dare to go over and get it. Wesley had suspected that she had the stuff. If Christopher didn¡¯t find it from Terrence, he would not give up easily either. Yuliana nned to go home first and find another time to go there.. Fortunately, the memory card was small enough to be hidden in the gap between the wall tiles, so there was no need to worry about anyone taking it away. When she returned to Champs Manor, Rowan was still taking a nap. He had lunch with Hailey at Jasper¡¯s house and yed until after two o¡¯clock when he took a nap. After Yuliana got home, she went directly to the study room. She originally intended to do some work, but she sat in front of theputer and couldn¡¯t calm herself down at all. She was not sure whether Christopher had seen her or not. She thought, ¡°Would Christopher suspect me?¡± Yuliana sat in the study room for several hours. It was not when Hailey knocked on the door and asked her to go downstairs for dinner that she came back to her senses. Rowan didn¡¯t wake up until almost six o¡¯clock. He was still groggy. When he got up, he sat on the couch with a zebra toy in his hand and stared at the bear on the TV. Seeing Yulianaing downstairs, he jumped off the couch and walked slowly toward Yuliana. ¡°Mommy, where have you been?¡± He looked up at Yuliana and pouted, looking displeased. Yuliana exined, ¡°I had something to do in the afternoon, so I left for a while. When I came back, you were sleeping, so I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± Rowan hugged Yuliana¡¯s waist and said adorably, ¡°Okay.¡± After dinner, Yuliana was still a little restless and wanted to get the memory card back as soon as possible. She thought, ¡°It has been so long. I think Christopher¡¯s men must have searched it all over.¡± At night, Yuliana helped Rowan with showering and sat by the bed reading him picture books. After a story, Rowan still looked at Yuliana with his eyes open. ¡°Why are you staring at me? It¡¯s already past ten o¡¯clock. It¡¯s time for you to sleep, Rowan.¡± Yuliana closed the book and brushed his hair off his forehead. His hair was a little long, and it was almost in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to cut your hair in a few days, okay?¡± Rowan nodded and touched his hair, saying, ¡°Mommy, Jasper and I are both boys. My hair is like this. Jasper¡¯s hair is like this.¡± Yuliana understood what he meant. He wanted to ask why his hair was curly while Jasper¡¯s hair was straight. Yuliana exined patiently, ¡°Whether your hair is curly or straight has nothing to do with boys and girls. Like Annie, her hair is also curly because Annie¡¯s father¡¯s hair is curly.¡± Rowan didn¡¯t understand much, but he could understand the simple logic. After thinking for a while, he asked, ¡°Is my daddy¡¯s hair the same as mine?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Yuliana was silent for two seconds, ¡°Yes. Your daddy was also like you when he was a child. His hair was curly, like a doll, which was very cute.¡± Rowan thought for a while and said slowly, ¡°Mommy, Jasper said Mr. Coke is my daddy. But Mr. Coke¡¯s hair is different from mine, so Jasper is lying, right?¡± Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Do You Trust Me? Yuliana was stunned. She thought Rowan had forgotten about it, but he still remembered it. She was silent for two seconds and asked, ¡°Do you want Mr. Coke to be your daddy?¡± Rowan shook his head, raised his hand to cover his eyes, and said in a wailing tone, ¡°No! No! I don¡¯t want!¡± Yuliana panicked, quickly lifted the quilt, picked up Rowan, and patted his back to coax him. ¡°Okay, Rowan, you don¡¯t want it. Don¡¯t cry.¡± After she coaxed him for a while, Rowan finally calmed down. He leaned quietly against Yuliana¡¯s chest with reddened eyes and tears on his eyshes. Yuliana wiped his tears with a tissue and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you like Mr. Coke very much, Rowan?¡± Rowan nodded, ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Yuliana asked softly, ¡°Since you like Mr. Coke, isn¡¯t it a good thing that Mr. Coke is your daddy?¡± ¡°No!¡± Rowan shouted, frowned, and pouted, ¡°Mr. Coke is Mr. Coke, and daddy is daddy. I don¡¯t like Daddy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want a daddy?¡± That was why Wesley became his godfather. Rowan curled his mouth and was about to cry again, ¡°Daddy doesn¡¯t want me, so I don¡¯t want him too.¡± Yuliana was stunned again, ¡°Who told you that Daddy doesn¡¯t want you?¡± Jasper said that every child has a daddy. It¡¯s because Daddy has other children that he doesn¡¯t want Mommy and me.¡± Jasper had secretly told him when he yed with Jasper this afternoon After hearing it, he was so angry that he wanted to hit Jasper, but Yuliana said that children should not hit others. Therefore, he didn¡¯t want to y with Jasper and wanted Hailey to take him home. Jasper also said that he heard Hannah tell Donald that Christopher was Rowan¡¯s father because Rowan looked the same as Christopher. However, Rowan did not think they looked the same as his hair was curly, while Christopher¡¯s hair was straight. After saying that, Rowany in Yuliana¡¯s arms and cried sadly. Yuliana had never known that his father was so important to Rowan. He had never had a ¡°daddy¡± in his life for as long as he could remember. She had thought to tell Rowan when he was a little older. But now, Yuliana wondered whether what she did was right. It was already past eleven o¡¯clock when Rowan fell asleep. After she came out of Rowan¡¯s room, Yuliana was about to go back to her room. When she arrived at the door, she suddenly stopped pushing the door and turned to head to the study room. After entering the study room, she didn¡¯t turn on the light. She walked to the window with the light from outside and stared in the direction of the mansion¡¯s gate for a N?velDrama.Org ? content. moment. It was quiet, as usual. Yuliana felt relieved. She went back to her room, changed her clothes, and went out quietly. On the way to Wise Vige, Yuliana was very cautious. She had been paying attention to whether there were any suspicious vehicles following her. She had changed. the route several times, made a big detour, and made several turns. When she arrived at Wise Vige, it was almost one o¡¯clock. There was no dedicated parking area here, so at night, there were many cars parked on both sides of the road. Yuliana drove a long distance before she found a parking area. After getting out of the car, she stopped in front of the door and looked around before lowering the baseball cap on her head and walking into the alley. There was not much lighting in the alley. Only at the intersection of the alleys was lighting installed on the roof of the bungalow. But each alley was long, and the lighting was over 60 feet away from each other. There was not enough lighting in the alley. And the bungalows looked the same. It was fine in the daytime, but it was easy for one to lose the sense of direction at night. Yuliana wandered around for a long time before she found the bungalow rented by Terrence, and then she followed the route she left in the afternoon and arrived at the ce where the memory card was hidden. The wall gap was so narrow that she couldn¡¯t take the card out with her fingers. Yuliana took out a bank card from her purse and used it to take the memory card out of the gap. After holding the memory card in her palm, she breathed a sigh of relief. Without dy, she got the memory card and left quickly. Just as shepletely put down her guard and walked in the direction of her car and was about to drive home, she suddenly saw a familiar figure leaning against the car, with a flicker of fire near his mouth, illuminating his face. Yuliana stopped in her tracks slowly. Thinking of the scene where Terrence was brought into the car at noon, she wanted to turn around and run away. In an instant, she realized that there was nowhere she could go. But she couldn¡¯t give him the thing in her hand. She was in a dilemma. The man leaning in front of the car seemed to lose his patience. He stood up straight, put out the cigarette, and walked slowly towards her as if a hunter was watching the prey that fell into the trap. Yuliana¡¯s throat was a little tight, and she subconsciously grasped the small shoulder bag on her body. Seeing that the person was about to reach her, Yuliana panicked. Her body quickly reacted, and she chose to run away. ¡°Why are you running?¡± A man¡¯s sneer came from behind. Yulianapletely lost it. She ran for a while before she suddenly slowed down. She thought, ¡°It¡¯s him. Why am I running away? Terrence¡¯s still in his hands. Besides, if he wanted to do something to me, he wouldn¡¯t have let me and Wesley go at noon and waited here alone now to block me.¡± Thinking about this, Yuliana calmed down a little and turned to look at the man who was over 30 feet away. They looked at each other for a few seconds. Christopher asked, ¡°Are youing over or am I going over?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and walked towards him. She stopped when they were about three feet apart. She looked at the man in front of her coldly and asked, ¡°What did you do to Terrence?¡± Christopher met her gaze and said calmly, ¡°That depends on you.¡± Yuliana frowned and said nothing. She knew what Christopher meant. He wanted her to trade that memory card for Terrence¡¯s life. Christopher waited for a moment. Seeing that Yuliana had been silent, he leaned against the van and said, ¡°Yuliana, do you know what would happen if I exposed you in front of those people this afternoon?¡± Hearing this, Yulianaughed ironically, ¡°Should I thank you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your thanks.¡± Christopher stared at Yuliana for a while and continued, ¡°I hope you can trust me. Yuliana, do you trust me?¡± Yuliana looked into his eyes, and a lot of scenes shed in her mind, which made her hesitant. Trust Me Christopher said, ¡°Give me the stuff. I promise Terrence will live. If you take those things, Terrence will be on the verge of death. And if he can¡¯t bear it and rats you out, you and Rowan will only meet the same fate as he will.¡± Yuliana knew that Christopher was telling the truth. Once those people knew that Yuliana was investigating them secretly and had a lot of dirt on them, they would choose to silence her. Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe. ¡°So, will you treat me and Rowan as you did to Terrence today?¡± Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Do Not Disappoint Me Christopher looked into her eyes and said without hesitation, ¡°No.¡± He paused, ¡°But if you keep investigating, I can¡¯t guarantee the safety of you and Rowan. Yuliana, ordinary people have little power to do anything, just like Terrence and you. Even if that thing is in your hand, what can you do? Give it to Caleb? But how can you believe that Caleb is not one of them? Or, even if he is not, will the higher-ups take action based on just a few photos and a video? People in their position have always thought about more than one aspect. Any decision they make affects a lot of things, and the rtionship behind them is even more intertwined. But it¡¯s easy for them to deal with you Yuliana, I know you want to seek justice for your father. You don¡¯t want him to die for no reason, but have you ever thought about the consequences? What should Rowan do if something happens to you? What if something happens to Rowan? Will you be able to face it?¡± Yuliana knew that Christopher was telling the truth, but she was still unwilling to ept it. Over the past year, she had always dreamed of Damian. She had dreamed that she lifted the white cloth and watched him lying there coldly. Her heart was torn between her father and her son. ¡°Should I let my father die in vain and be held responsible for all the crimes and scolding, while those people can enjoy fame, wealth, and power, and live a good life?¡± Even if Damian had done something wrong, he should not have been murdered while being held ountable for all the crimes. In fact, Damian didn¡¯t have to bear all the crimes. After Damian died, she often wondered if Damian would not have died if she didn¡¯t marry Harry back then, obeyed Damian¡¯s arrangement, went abroad with Sabrina and Jacob, and lived in seclusion. Christopher didn¡¯t answer Yuliana¡¯s question. He and Yuliana knew the answer. Christopher said, ¡°Yuliana, your father doesn¡¯t want you to do anything. He just wants you to live your own life.¡± This time, when Yuliana heard Christopher say things like this for the second time, she was overwhelmed by countless emotions. She wanted to cry, but finally, she let out a chuckle. ¡°Heh!¡± It was a sense of powerlessness, knowing that she was like an ant in front of those with absolute power and could only be at the mercy of others. Then, her eyes fell on Christopher again as she looked at him coldly, ¡°You asked me to think about Rowan. What about you? Have you ever thought about Rowan when you work for them? Have you ever thought about Ms. Sce?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Rowan have you? As long as we don¡¯t tell him I¡¯m his father, it doesn¡¯t matter to him.¡± Christopher smiled and said, ¡°Besides, you know, I just got out of prison, so I have to settle down. I used to offend a lot of people because of my identity as a member of the Sce family. If I want to live as before, I have to find a strong backer. Yuliana, you should thank me. Otherwise, you won¡¯t have a chance to stand here and talk to me, while Terrence won¡¯t live either.¡± Yuliana felt incredible listening to his words. She could not believe that a person who used to be so arrogant and disdainful would be willing to be ackey of others. She thought, ¡°Could a person change after a few years in prison?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Then Yuliana thought of Christopher¡¯s release from prison. Although she knew very well that Christopher couldn¡¯t have been the one who murdered Scarlett three years ago, all the evidence at that time pointed to Christopher. She wondered, ¡°Why did new evidence suddenly appear a few months ago to confirm that Christopher was wronged and get the real killer ?rrested? Did Christopher exchange something with those people?¡± Yuliana stared at Christopher with scrutiny for a while, then suddenly looked away. She looked at the garbage piled up like a hill in the distance, and asked, ¡°Can you let Terrence live?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes shed with determination. She unlocked the buckle of her shoulder bag, took out the memory card from the purse, and handed it to Christopher. ¡°This is what Terrence gave me.¡± Christopher stood up straight and was about to reach out to take it when Yuliana suddenly clenched her fist and held the memory card in her palm. ¡°Christopher.¡± He looked up at Yuliana. ¡°Since you want me to trust you, then I will trust you once. Don¡¯t let me down.¡± After saying that, she opened her palm again. Christopher took the memory card from her palm and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Yuliana refused Christopher, walked straight past him, walked to the car, and opened the door to get in. When she got home, Yuliana sat in her room all night. She thought about a lot of things. She thought about whether Terrence could be released after the memory card was given to Christopher. She wondered if Damian would me her if he knew what she did. She was also thinking about how to tell Sabrina. After Damian¡¯s death, his ashes were ced in the cemetery, but they were not buried. Sabrina had been waiting to clear Damian¡¯s name and send the person who murdered Damian to jail. She said that only when that day arrived could Damian be buried in the ground. Yuliana sat in a daze until dawn. She remembered that she had to go to work today as it was Monday. She had a headache, and her muscles were sore and weak. For the first time, she didn¡¯t want to go to work. Yuliana called Craig and James respectively, telling them that she wanted to take the day off and would not go to thepany. She also made arrangements for her work. Then, she climbed to bed, put on an eye mask, and fell asleep. But before she could sleep long, the door was pushed open. Rowan ran in with his slippers in his hand, climbed to the bed, held Yuliana like a bear, lifted Yuliana¡¯s eye mask, and pressed his forehead against Yuliana¡¯s forehead, saying in fear, ¡°Mommy, are you sick?¡± Hearing Rowan¡¯s voice, Yuliana found it heartwarming. She reached out to hold Rowan and didn¡¯t open her eyes, ¡°I just have a headache. I will be fine after sleep.¡± ¡°I will sleep with you, okay?¡± With that, Rowan got under Yuliana¡¯s quilt. Yuliana held Rowan in her arms and soon fell asleep. Perhaps Yuliana had been overthinking, so she dreamed of Damian again. In the dream, she was around five or six years old. Callie had been on a business trip for nearly half a month and hadn¡¯te home. Yuliana kept calling her on the phone, crying and asking her toe back, but Callie could alwaysfort her rationally. At night, there was heavy rain and thunder. She curled up in the corner with the quilt in her hand and kept crying. Looking at the night sky filled with lightning outside and listening to the thunder, she trembling with fear. Damian seemed to have something to do that night and didn¡¯te home. Only she and the housekeeper were at home. However, the housekeeper lived on the first floor. There were storms, thunder, and lightning outside, and she couldn¡¯t hear Yuliana crying at all. Just as Yuliana was about to pass out from crying too much, the lights in the room suddenly lit up. Damian walked into her room with his body cold and picked her up from the bed. Not Disappoint Me ¡°Ana, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m sorry that I came homete.¡± Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Chapter 376 No Need To Stay ¡°Ana, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m sorry that I came homete.¡± She wrapped her arms around Damian¡¯s neck and rested her face on his shoulder. She cried louder and louder, but the fear in her heart slowly disappeared. ¡°Ana, my dear, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m here now. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± That night, Damian held her in his arms and coaxed her for a long time. The next day, Damian got sick because the car broke downst night while he was on the way home. Although he held an umbre, it rained heavily and his body was still wet. Although it was not winter, the temperature dropped in those few days to only more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, Damian didn¡¯t spend much time with her because of his work, but he left a deep impression on Yuliana every time. Another time, was when Damian and Callie just got divorced. Yuliana refused to go to school and eat and locked herself in her room. The housekeeper was anxious, but she could not do anything. She had no choice but to call Damian. When Damian came back, it was already evening. He knocked on the door first, but Yuliana didn¡¯t open it. Then he opened the door with the key.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She had rarely thrown a tantrum willfully since childhood. Even if she was unhappy, she would deal with it by herself and wouldn¡¯t vent it on others. But after Damian opened the door and came in, she emerged from under the nket, jumped off the bed, and. began to smash the things in the room to vent her emotions. Damian was never a strict father to her. She even knew in her heart that no matter what she did, Damian would tolerate her infinitely. Damian let her smash all the things that could be smashed in the room. Then he asked her without scolding, ¡°Are you hungry? Can I ask the housekeeper to make you something to eat?¡± ¡°No! No! I don¡¯t want the food she makes!¡± She uncontrobly lost her temper with him. Damian did not get impatient at all. He asked, ¡°Can I make it for you?¡± Finally, Damian made her a ck egg casserole. It was added with eggs and chopped green onions. It did not taste good, was greasy, and a little salty, but she finished it probably because she was too hungry. In her impression, Damian had never cooked in the kitchen. That was the only time he did. The only time Damian lost his temper with her was when she told him that she was going to marry Harry. At that time, she had a fierce fight with Damian which ended up in a stalemate for a month or two. After some time, there was a knock on the door. Yuliana woke up from her dream and her eyes were wet. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds and then looked at Rowan who was sleeping beside her. The little guy¡¯s head was pillowed on her arm as he curled up next to her and slept soundly. She gently withdrew her arm and got up to open the door. It was Hailey who knocked on the door to say that Rowan¡¯s teacher Mr. Henderson had arrived. Yuliana woke Rowan up and asked Hailey to take him downstairs to study with Mr. Henderson. Then shey on the bed again. However, her eyes were sore and swollen, and she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. After nine o¡¯clock in the morning at Goodness Club, a ck Mercedes-Benz parked at the door of the clubhouse. A momentter, a man in a dark patterned shirt got out of the car. He closed the door behind him and looked around with his gray eyes. It was indeed an excellent ce with beautiful scenery and traditional retro buildings. The waiter at the door stepped forward and said, ¡°Mr. Sce, pleasee in.¡± Christopher withdrew his gaze, nced at him, and walked in. Inside the clubhouse, the view was extremely broad, and theyout and design were exquisite and magnificent. Even a pot of flowers and grass was extraordinary. Christopher followed the waiter along the winding nk road to a pavilion in the middle of theke. At this time, there were two chairs on the side of the pavilion. The man in a gray polo shirt sat on one of the chairs, holding a fishing tackle in his hand, and was staring attentively at theke not far away. ¡°Boss, Mr. Sce is here.¡± The waiter said. The man didn¡¯t speak and didn¡¯t even move. The waiter didn¡¯t say anything and stood quietly. Christopher stared at the man¡¯s side profile for a while and then looked at theke. About half a minuteter, the man finally moved. He pulled the fishing rod and lifted a fish out of the water. He took the fish off the hook skillfully and threw it into a barrel on the side. The fish jumped twice in the barrel and water was sshed around. The man put down the fishing rod and looked at Christopher, ¡°Have a seat.¡± Christopher walked to the empty chair and sat down. The man nced at him and smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised.¡± Christopher leaned against the back of the chair and straightened his legs to cross them. ¡°What¡¯s so surprised? Those who can destroy Sce Corporation are naturally not someone ipetent.¡± He tilted his head, looked at the man beside him, and smiled, ¡°What should I call you? Mr. Xavier or Oliver, my cousin?¡± The man smiled and said, ¡°Up to you.¡± Christopher looked down and said with a half-smile, ¡°I¡¯d better call you Mr. Xavier. Otherwise, some people will think I¡¯m using the backdoor to get here.¡± ¡°Some people?¡± The man turned to look at him. ¡°Are you talking about ck Wolf?¡± Christopher shrugged. ck Wolf seemed to be Yahir¡¯s subordinate, but in fact, there was someone behind Yahir, which was the man beside Christopher. His name was Oliver Sce, with Mr. Xavier as his code name. ¡°You have done a good job this time. ck Wolf won¡¯t dare to have a problem with it.¡± Oliver took the bait and hooked it to the fishing rod. ¡°Can you fish?¡± ¡°No.¡± Christopher was silent for a few seconds. ¡°But Mr. Sce likes it.¡± Oliver didn¡¯t say anything. He got up and threw the hook line hooking the bait into theke. Then he sat back in the chair. He said, ¡°The grievances of the previous generation have ended on the day when Sce Corporation was destroyed. Since you choose to call me Mr. Xavier, you have to abide by my rules. I¡¯ve always been focusing on the issues rather than the people. If you perform well, you will naturally get your benefits, but if you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t show mercy.¡± This was not only to state his stance but also to warn Christopher not to have any hidden agendas. Christopher sneered, ¡°Mr. Xavier¡­ Since you don¡¯t trust me, why do you use me?¡± Oliver pulled the fishing rod and didn¡¯t answer Christopher¡¯s question. Instead, he picked up a ss on the side, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip. Then he looked at the buoy on theke. He asked, ¡°Have you got the stuff?¡± Christopher put a small transparent box on the table, which was the memory card Yuliana gave himst night. Oliver nced at it and asked, ¡°Is it from Terrence?¡± Christopher nodded calmly in agreement. ¡°No backup?¡± ¡°He said no.¡± ¡°Do you trust him?¡± ¡°Terrence just wants money, not risk his life.¡± Oliver was silent for a while. ¡°Did he say anything else? Like who told him to keep an eye on Goodness Club?¡± Christopher changed his posture, bent his left leg, put his right leg over his left, and said casually, ¡°No He said that he came here to try his luck after hearing some rumors. He nned to take some photos to make. some money.¡± Oliver didn¡¯t was nomittal to his answer and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. When he spoke again, his voice became extremely cold. ¡°Since we have the things, there is no need to keep him. I¡¯ll let you handle it. Make sure it¡¯s taken care of nicely.¡± Christopher frowned slightly and didn¡¯t answer. Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Get Out Oliver nced at Christopher and mocked, ¡°What? You can¡¯t do it? I thought that you have mastered the ability to kill people mercilessly in the past three years. After all, didn¡¯t you get rid of your former father-inw with a swift kill?¡± Christopher sneered, ¡°You said it yourself. I was in prison. Now that I¡¯m out of that ce, I just don¡¯t want to go into that god-forsaken ce again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± replied Oliver. After saying that, the buoy on theke kept swaying. Oliver lifted the fishing rod. With a heartyugh, he said, ¡°There is fish on the hook again.¡± Just as Oliver was about to pull the rod, he suddenly felt that the tension went loose. He lifted the rod and found that there was nothing on the hook. ¡°The fish escaped,¡± Oliver grumbled. Oliver dropped the fishing rod but he wasn¡¯t angry. He continued, ¡°Since I can get you out, I won¡¯t let you in again. Of course, the condition is that you have to know your ce.¡± Oliver went on. ¡°You can go now. I¡¯ve told ck Wolf about you. He¡¯ll tell you what to do.¡± Yuliana slept until the afternoon. When she woke up, she became dizzier than before. She felt as if the whole ceiling was spinning. She was weak all over, and her muscles were sore. She thought it was because she stayed uptest night, so she lifted the nket and forced herself to get out of bed. However, as soon as she stepped on the carpet, she felt dizzy. She couldn¡¯t help but sit down while using the bed as a support. She touched her forehead and felt it was feverish. She wondered, ¡°Do I have a fever?¡± As Yuliana realized that, she groggily recalled that thest time she had a fever seemed to be more than a year ago. It was after she had concluded Damian¡¯s affair. She had a high fever for several days and couldn¡¯t get out of bed at all. She took her phone and called Hailey. ¡°Hailey, is there any fever-reducing medicine at home?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Hearing this, Hailey was anxious. ¡°Yuliana, do you have a fever?¡± Yuliana hummed in agreement. ¡°I think so. Please help me get some fever-reducing medicine.¡± ¡°Okay, just lie down and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After hanging up the phone, Yulianay on the bed and couldn¡¯t think about anything at all. Any movement made her feel dizzy and wanted to vomit. Soon, Hailey brought the medicine. Seeing that Yuliana was sitting on the ground while her upper body was slumped on the bed, Hailey hurriedly helped her up. When Hailey reached out and touched Yuliana¡¯s forehead, the former eximed in shock, ¡°It¡¯s so hot! Yuliana, you have to go to the hospital!¡± Yuliana felt her ears buzzing. Her ears were hurting, and her body was so weak that she couldn¡¯t exert any strength. She couldn¡¯t hear Hailey at all. Hailey realized that Yuliana was not quite conscious and immediately called the emergency number. More than ten minutester, the ambnce arrived and took Yuliana to the hospital. Hailey reached out to Hannah in advance and asked for thetter¡¯s help to look after Rowan, who was taking a nap. Then Hailey went to the hospital with Yuliana. Yuliana got hot and cold shes. When it was cold, her body shivered. When it was hot, she felt as if she was in the oven, and the heat made her anxious and sweating non-stop. The surrounding was noisy, but she couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. The booming loud voices were like taking a train through a tunnel. After some time, all the voices disappeared and the whole world quieted down. When she woke up again, it was dark. After a while, she slowly saw the surroundings clearly through the dim light and realized that she was probably in the hospital. Her whole body was still weak. Her stomach was empty, but she didn¡¯t feel hungry. It was just that her whole body was sticky, which made her extremely ufortable. She turned on the light in the ward, and the dazzling light instantly lit up the headboard. She couldn¡¯t stand it for a moment, so she closed her eyes subconsciously. After nearly half a minute, she opened her eyes again. She raised her arm and smelled her body, which was sour and smelly. She thought, ¡°No wonder I feel sticky and ufortable.¡± Thinking of this, Yuliana lifted the nket and got out of bed. She nned to go to the bathroom to clean herself. The bathroom in the ward was empty, and there was nothing but a basin. She came out of the bathroom and opened the cabs one by one. There were a lot of things inside. Other than the necessary toiletries, she even found undergarments for changing. Obviously, these could not be provided by the hospital. Yuliana quietly stood next to the cab for a while. In the end, she decisively took what she needed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. However, after she rinsed the foam and was about to get a towel to dry her body, she suddenly slipped. She screamed and hurriedly held the sink next to her, but identally overturned the basin with dirty clothes. The basin fell to the ground with a ng, and the clothes were scattered around. Yuliana panicked and forgot to react. At that moment, the door of the bathroom suddenly opened from the outside. A familiar figure appeared at the door with a worried look on his face. Yuliana raised her eyes subconsciously. The two of them looked at each other. The man¡¯s eyes slowly turned dark, and Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. When Yuliana came back to her senses, she immediately turned around. She wanted to take the bath towel on the shelf, but she couldn¡¯t reach it. Just as she was growing anxious, a soft towel wrapped around her from her back. Even without turning around, she could feel that the distance between them was close. Even the hot air he exhaled could be felt. Yuliana instinctively tightened her bath towel and urged in a low voice, ¡°Get out!¡± The man behind her paused for a moment. He then picked up the basin on the ground and ced the scattered clothes into it. After that, he walked out of the bathroom and closed the door. Yuliana finally rxed after hearing the door close. She took a few deep breaths, then quickly wiped the water on her body and put on a clean outfit. She stood in the bathroom for another two minutes before she opened the door and went out. Standing by the window, the man was wearing a ck shirt with his sleeves rolled up, revealing half of his strong arms. Thinking about what just happened, Yuliana¡¯s body instantly tensed up again. Christopher turned sideways and nced at her. His gaze swept across her. Yuliana had the false sense that she was naked. She pretended that nothing happened and walked to the edge of the bed. She lifted the nket and got in the bed. Only when the nket was wrapped around her waist did she feel safe. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Yuliana asked. Christopher walked to the chair beside the hospital bed and sat downzily. ¡°Hailey said that you were in the hospital, and she was worried about you being alone. She contacted Wesley, but Wesley had something to do and couldn¡¯te. So she called and asked me to apany you tonight.¡± Yuliana more or less could guess what was going on. She mumbled internally, ¡°Hailey won¡¯t let Rowan stay at home alone, but she is also worried about me. That¡¯s why she wanted to find someone to take care of me in the hospital.¡± She frowned slightly. ¡°You can see that I¡¯m fine. I can handle it myself. You can go back.¡± ¡°You can handle it?¡± Christopher teased as heughed. ¡°Just like how you made such a bigmotion after taking a shower? Someone who is unaware of the situation might think that you have fallen into a pit.¡± Yuliana was rendered speechless again. Christopher then said, ¡°Hailey told me that you haven¡¯t eaten anything today. I bought ravioli. Do you want to eat it?¡± As he was speaking, Christopher casually picked up a packing bag from the cab beside the bed. He opened the bag and took out a food container. He put down the things that were in his hand after looking around. He then set up the overbed table before. cing the ravioli on it. Christopher lifted the lid and raised his eyebrows. ¡°It seems to have melted.¡± Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Spit It Out Christopher lifted the lid and raised his eyebrows. ¡°It seems to have melted.¡± Perhaps it was overcooked or it had been kept for too long, the pasta dough was too soft and blended with the sauce, which made the food appear unappetizing. He looked at Yuliana and asked, ¡°Do you want anything else? I¡¯ll order for you.¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to order. I don¡¯t want to eat.¡± Yuliana felt that anything she ate would be nd and tasteless. Hence, she didn¡¯t want to eat anything. As she looked around and didn¡¯t see her phone, she thought Hailey didn¡¯t take it to the hospital. She looked at Christopher and asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡± She thought, ¡°It was dark and quiet outside. It must be quitete now.¡± However, Yuliana couldn¡¯t figure out the exact time. ¡°It¡¯s after 2 o¡¯clock in the middle of the night.¡± After answering the question, Christopher asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to eat?¡± Yuliana met his eyes and nodded nonchntly. Christopher didn¡¯t ask again. He sat on the bed and ate the food slowly with a stic spoon on the overbed table. The way he ate was still as polite and graceful as when he was a wealthy young man. It was as if the food he was eating was not soft ravioli, but delicacies. Seeing Christopher relish the food, along with the smell of ravioli slowly spreading in the ward, Yuliana felt a little annoyed. ¡°Can¡¯t you go and eat somewhere else?¡± She grumbled quietly, ¡°Does he need to eat on my bed?¡± Christopher looked up and stopped eating the ravioli momentarily. Then, he quickly took the ravioli to another empty bed, set up the overbed table of the bed, and sat there to eat. The ward was a two-person room, but the bed beside was empty. Yuliana was a little stunned when she saw his action. If it happened to Christopher before, he would only have shamelessly refused to budge and would arrogantly retort her. Yuliana ignored him. Shey down and turned her back to him. Perhaps she slept for too long, Yuliana was not sleepy at that moment. She was facing the window, but because she was lying on the bed, nothing could be seen except the pitch-ck and starless sky. It was too quiet in the ward, causing the sound of Christopher eating and any faint voices could be heard clearly. After a while, Yuliana suddenly remembered something. She sat up from the bed and looked at Christopher who was eating ravioli. She asked, ¡°How is Terrence?¡± Christopher paused, then continued to chew the food in his mouth and swallowed it. He replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Terrence is fine. He¡¯s safe now.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana felt relieved. She thought, ¡°I¡¯m d that Terrence is okay. If Terrence gets into trouble because of me, I will never be at ease for the rest of my life.¡± Yulianay back in bed again, thinking about trying to contact Terrence after discharge. She pondered, ¡°Given Terrence¡¯s current situation, he can¡¯t continue to stay in Juxshire.¡± Behind her came the sound of the stic container closing, followed by another sound of cloth rubbing. ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Christopher asked in a low voice. Yuliana closed her eyes and ignored him. After a while, the lights in the ward were dimmed. When Yuliana opened her eyes again, the state of the room had returned to the way when she woke up. Only the light outside the window shone into her room. Christophery t on the other hospital bed. After taking his phone out and ying on it for a while, he mindlessly put it on the cab next to the bed. He closed his eyes and got ready to sleep. However, as soon as he closed his eyes, some bloody images immediately appeared. His eyes snapped open. He then turned sideways to Yuliana, who was lying with her back facing him. Yuliana hadn¡¯t slept in the same room with another person for a long time. She wasn¡¯t used to it even when both of them were in different beds. Moreover, that person was her ex-husband. He was the person who had done the most intimate thing with her. And yet, when she thought of the moments now, they seemed to have happened a long time ago. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana changed her posture andy t on the bed. When she heard the sound of gentle breathing sound, she nced over. The light outside the window illuminated most of his face. The sharp facial feature was more exquisite and three-dimensional under the light. Even though he was nearly 30 years old, there were no marks or wrinkles appeared on his face. He became moreposed and calm. His temperament was more peaceful and reserved. Yuliana withdrew her gaze and stared at the ceiling for a while until her eyes were sore. She closed her eyes again after that. It was very bright outside when she woke up. Christopher was not in the ward. The nurse took her temperature and blood pressure for her routine inspection. Yuliana asked, ¡°When can I be discharged?¡± The nurse answered, ¡°You just came in and you are already thinking to leave the hospital? You have acute pneumonia. You have to stay for at least a week.¡± Yuliana eximed internally, ¡°Acute pneumonia?¡± Yuliana examined herself carefully and sensed that she indeed had a hard time breathing and felt suffocated. However, things were normal if she didn¡¯t deliberately look into it. She wasn¡¯t coughing too. Thus, she didn¡¯t think it was necessary to stay for such a long period of time. She asked, ¡°I feel just fine. I don¡¯t think I need to stay here for so long, do I?¡± Yuliana naturally knew that pneumonia should be treated in the hospital. And yet, she thought that one week of treatment was too long. The nurse took the thermometer and measured Yuliana. When the nurse saw the result, she scolded, ¡°You have a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but you are still thinking of getting discharged from the hospital. Don¡¯t you know how to take care of your body? Do you n to hold it until you can¡¯t take it anymore, and you have to be dragged to the hospital by an ambnce?¡± Seeing the temperature disyed on the thermometer, Yuliana didn¡¯t say anything more. The nurse left after finishing the morning routine examination. Yuliana got up from bed and freshen up. When she came out, she saw Christopher sitting in a chair and looking at his phone. He had changed his clothes and looked refreshed. Yuliana didn¡¯t know when he left the hospital. Christopher heard the sound and looked up at her. He offhandedly said, ¡°Hailey made seafood pasta in the morning and put it in the thermos. Other than that, she asked me to bring you your phone.¡± Yuliana nced at the cab by the bedside, on which there was not only a thermos but also her phone. ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuliana expressed her gratitude politely. She picked up her phone and looked at it. There were a lot of messages and several missed calls. Most of them were from Craig and James. Yuliana didn¡¯t reply or called back immediately. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything for 30 to 40 hours. She was really hungry. She opened the thermos and poured the food into a small bowl. She then picked up a spoonful and put it into her mouth. The moment the food reach her mouth, she wailed inwardly, ¡°It¡¯s burning!¡± Yuliana put down the spoon. She could neither swallow nor spit it. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Christopher uttered. Christopher¡¯s face darkened when he heard her gasp. He threw down his phone and immediately came over. Reaching out his hand to her mouth, he instructed, ¡°Spit it out.¡± Yuliana looked at him with tears in her eyes and refused to do as he said. Christopher¡¯s face darkened. He went on coldly, ¡°Do you want me to pry your mouth open?¡± Yuliana was shocked by his expression. After a slight pause, she spat the seafood pasta in her mouth into his palm. He threw the food into the trash can and wiped his hand with a tissue. He then pinched her chin with his hand. ¡°Open your mouth and let me see.¡± Yuliana frowned and tried to pull his hand away. She resisted and answered, ¡°No.¡± She thought, ¡°It was in my mouth for just a moment. There won¡¯t be injuries.¡± Christopher stared at her for two seconds. He didn¡¯t force her. He withdrew his hand and pressed it against the wall of the bowl. He said, ¡°Wait for ten minutes before you eat.¡± After saying that, he sat back in his chair. Yuliana sat at the side of the bed while looking down at the slippers on her feet. There was still a feeling of heat and pressure on her jaw. She could even smell a faint scent of tobo. She quickly calmed down and picked up her phone to call Craig and James. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Be Your Man Yuliana told Craig and James she was hospitalized and would be away from the office for about a week. With that, she asked Craig to handle thepany¡¯s daily affairs. As for those documents that needed her review and approval, Yuliana would do it online. Those documents that could not be handled online should be gathered and sent to the hospital. A whole ten minutes passed when Yuliana had done assigning the tasks. Yuliana picked up the spoon and tried to eat again. The temperature was just right by then. However, she seemed to have a blister in her mouth as the oatmeal she had eaten just now was too hot. Thus, she felt ufortable every time she took a bite. After taking a few bites, she did not feel like eating anymore. She put down the spoon and began to read the message on WhatsApp. Right then, the phone rang. . Yuliana paused in her tracks and realized that her phone was not ringing. She nced at Christopher and. noticed that Christopher remained indifferent as he answered the call. Christopher, who seemed to have noticed Yuliana¡¯s gaze, looked toward her. Yuliana retracted her gaze and continued to read the message on WhatsApp. At the same time, Yuliana heard Christopher say emotionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s you who wanted to break up. I just respect your decision.¡± The caller was ine. Christopher and ine had a big fight after the former knew that ine had gone to look for Yuliana. To be exact, ine quarreled with Christopher one-sidedly and then requested breaking up with him. Naturally, Christopher respected her request. After the fight, they had been out of touch for half a month. ¡°I regret it. Can¡¯t I?¡± ine cried at the other end of the line as she continued incoherently, ¡°I don¡¯t want to break up with you. I¡¯m wrong, okay? I won¡¯t go and look for Yuliana again. I won¡¯t stop you from meeting your son. Christopher, don¡¯t break up with me, okay?¡± Christopher did not seem touched as he listened to ine¡¯s words. Calmly, he uttered, ¡°You drank too much.¡± ¡°Yes. I drank a lot! If not, I won¡¯t even dare to call you!¡± ine burst into tears. ¡°Christopher, I have to protect my pride, too. I¡¯ve never lowered my stance to beg anyone. I love you so much. Why can¡¯t you be nicer to me?* Christopher raised his hand and rubbed his temples. After remaining silent for a while, he said, ¡°Go to bed first. I¡¯ll go and look for youter.¡± ine could not believe it. ¡°A-Are you serious? You aren¡¯t lying to me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ine was instantly thrilled. ¡°Okay! Hurry ande over. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Christopher did not say anything else before hanging up the phone. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay in the hospital to keep mepany. I can handle it myself,¡± Yuliana said while replying to the messages. As soon as she finished speaking, the phone rang again. Still, it was not Yuliana¡¯s phone. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Christopher looked at the message before putting his phone away. ¡°Hailey wille to the hospital at noon. Before that, look for the nurse if anything happens. I¡¯m leaving.¡± After saying that, Christopher picked up the coat draped over the back of the chair and left immediately. Yuliana stared dazedly at the phone screen for a while before she continued to reply to the messages. Hailey arrived at the hospital at half past eleven. She brought Rowan along, too. When they arrived, Yuliana was still on an IV drip. Rowan started crying when he caught sight of the needle in the back of Yuliana¡¯s hand. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll blow on it,¡± uttered Rowan. Then, he gently blew at the area where the needle was inserted. Yuliana felt a surge of warmth rush to her heart. After wiping her son¡¯s tears, she voiced, ¡°Mommy is fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. Mommy will recover once the medicine flows into my body through the needle. Then, Mommy can y with you, Rowan.¡± Rowan tried hard to hold back his tears. ¡°But it hurt a lot when I was pricked by the needlest time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still young. Your blood vessel is small too. That¡¯s why it felt painful. Mommy is an adult, so it only hurts a little.¡± Yuliana dared not let Rowan get too close to her, even though she had calmed him down. For lunch, Hailey also prepared some oatmeal and some other light and nutritious side dishes. After eating. Yuliana urged Hailey to bring Rowan home. In the afternoon, Yuliana took a nap. When she woke up, she saw someone sitting by the bed. It was Wesley. Yuliana sat up on the bed and asked, ¡°When did youe?¡± ¡°I¡¯vee for a while. How is it? Are you feeling better?¡± Wesley got up and put a pillow behind Yuliana¡¯s back. Yuliana said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything, but the doctor insists on hospitalizing me. I think it¡¯spletely unnecessary.¡± Wesley hummed lightly in response. After what had happened the day before yesterday, there was, somehow, a gap between them. Yuliana knew very well that she had no right to request Wesley for anything. Nevertheless, she could not help but feel a little disappointed. At that moment, the ward was quiet. ¡°Are you still unhappy about what happened that day?¡± Wesley asked. Yuliana smiled and looked at Wesley. ¡°It¡¯s too hypocritical to say no at all. Wesley, I treat you as a friend. Yet, I also understand that this is your job. You have your stance.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be friends with you.¡± Wesley¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at Yuliana. ¡°I just want to be your man.¡± Yuliana panicked as she looked into Wesley¡¯s eyes. Feeling uneasy, she retracted her gaze. Smiling, Wesley said, ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, Yuliana. As long as you promise to date me, I can tell you anything you wish to know.¡± Yuliana was momentarily stunned. Then, she looked at him again. Wesley looked immensely serious. Yuliana felt an unfathomable emotion as she looked into his eyes. After pursing her lips, Yuliana voiced, ¡°I don¡¯t have many friends, Wesley. You know that, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t want to eventually lose a friend like you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be friends, then.¡± Wesley suddenly stood up and propped both hands against the bed, one at a side, cornering Yuliana. Yuliana panicked as he got closer to her all of a sudden. She leaned back on reflex. Wesley took that opportunity to support Yuliana¡¯s back. ¡°Yuliana, we are not some innocent teenagers. You didn¡¯t resist the kiss the other day. Thus, you¡¯re willing to ept me. Yuliana, give us a chance.¡± Yuliana was startled by his actions. She felt that Wesley seemed to be acting a little unusual that day. As she looked at him in confusion, she asked, ¡°Wesley¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Instantly, Wesley cooled down, and his overly-excited expression faded. Then, he slowly withdrew his hand and straightened his back. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m heading out for a smoke.¡± In confusion, Yuliana watched Wesley walk out of the ward. After a while, she got up and exited the ward. 130 Yuliana saw Wesley standing in the smoking area. Thetter puffed on the cigarette as he faced the white wall With that, Yuliana entered the smoking area. ¡°Wesley.¡± Wesley looked toward her when he heard that. He quickly had two puffs at the cigarette before putting it out. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Yuliana did not reply but gazed at him for a long time. ¡°Do you truly like me?¡± she questioned. Wesley was momentarily stunned. ¡°Yes, very much.¡± Yuliana smiled with mixed feelings. ¡°Many people have confessed their love for me since high school. I don¡¯t like them, so I¡¯ve never taken them seriously. However, I¡¯d given my heart to two people. You should know that one was my ex-husband, Harry, and the other was Christopher. I¡¯ve used up my energy in the two rtionships.¡± Yuliana added, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve never thought about getting married again after divorcing Christopher. I didn¡¯t even think about getting into a new rtionship.¡± Later, Yuliana was even uninterested in it after Damian died in prison. Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Chapter 380 But We Can Try Having gone through two marriages, Yuliana had be more conscious that romantic rtionships between men and women were not indispensable in life, let alone marriage. ¡°Wesley, I find it quitefortable to be around you, but I know in my heart that my feelings for you are different from what I felt for someone else before,¡± Yuliana said while lightly biting her lip. ¡°If it were someone else, maybe I would be willing to try, just as a way to spice up my life. But you¡¯re different, and I don¡¯t want changes in our rtionship to affect us.¡± She cherished Wesley as a friend. It would be fortunate to have a good oue once It began when it came to affairs between men and women. But more often than not, resentments would arise, particrly when worn down by the trivialities of life. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. People were capable of change. She would change, and so would Wesley. Certainly, this was her earlier belief, but as Wesley said, they were not naive teenagers who had never experienced life. Perhaps they could handle their rtionship more pragmatically. ¡°But we can try.¡± Yuliana looked at Wesley and spoke. Wesley was startled and looked at her in disbelief at first, but then his stiff expression softened, and his voice became slightly strained as he asked, ¡°Really?¡± Yuliana nodded with a smile. ¡°But you need to give me a few more days. There are still some things I need to sort out.¡± In any case, Caleb and she were technically still in a rtionship as a potential engagement. Caleb¡¯s true thoughts were a mystery to her. But since she had decided not to pursue the matter of Damian any further, she would have to sort things out with Caleb. Wesley spent the entire afternoon apanying Yuliana at the hospital. Hailey brought dinner at the hospital in the evening as usual. Rowan came along and was pleased to see Wesley at the hospital. Wesley took out his phone and taught Rowan how to y some games, and the whole ward was filled with the little guy¡¯sughter. Yuliana felt a slight sense offort watching from the side. Rowan was very fond of Wesley, and Wesley was extremely kind to Rowan. Being with Wesley would not have a significant impact on Rowan. This seemed to be the best choice. Hailey¡¯s sensitivity and delicacy allowed her to perceive subtle changes between Yuliana and Wesley. She was happy for Yuliana, but at the same time, she felt a certain unexinable sense of unease. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first before it gets coldter.¡± Hailey set the food tray with utensils and dishes, including a te of mashed potato, a bowl of sd, a shrimp stew, and very tender cooked pasta. All of these were prepared for Yuliana. They were light in vor and easy to digest. ¡°Did you eat with Rowan?¡± Yuliana put down her phone and took the fork from Hailey. ¡°We already ate beforeing here.¡± Hailey smiled, nced at Wesley, and continued, ¡°Mr. Duncan, come and have a bite too.¡± Wesley was initially nning to decline the offer because he thought that Hailey was not aware that he was in the hospital too and might not have prepared enough portions. However, when he met Yuliana¡¯s eyes, he paused for a while and eventually agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± But in fact, Hailey had prepared portions for two people, and the other one was for Christopher. Wesley handed his phone to Rowan and asked, ¡°Is it okay if you y it on your own?¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Wesley held Rowan and ced him on the foldable chair before taking a seat on the bed. Hailey served him a te filled with pasta. Wesley didn¡¯t hold back. He picked up his fork and te and began eating. Unlike Christopher, who had a polite and refined manner, Wesley ate quickly and with rough gestures. However, it didn¡¯t cause any difort for the people who saw it. ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± Wesley raised his eyes and looked at Yuliana with a faint smile. Yuliana lifted an eyebrow and said nothing. She picked up the shrimp stew and took a sip. The shrimp stew that Hailey made was exquisite. Not only was there no fishy odor, but it also had a fresh, sweet, and lingering taste. The broth was exceptionally rich in vor. Hailey¡¯s shrimp stew was Yuliana¡¯s favorite As Yuliana took a mouthful, some soup got smeared on her lips. She was about to grab a tissue to wipe it off when Wesley¡¯s hand reached out. Yuliana held her body still and gazed up at him. Wesley, on the other hand, was staring at the corner of her mouth and gently wiped off the smudged soup little by little. ¡°Done.¡± He pulled back his hand. Yuliana¡¯s ears were slightly flushed. She thanked him with a slight smile, then lowered her head and continued eating as if nothing had happened. In the evening, a young girl who appeared to be in her early twenties was admitted to the bed next to Yuliana, with a malepanion of a simr age. The girl looked very ill, with a paleplexion and an abnormal redness, constantly coughing while holding her chest. The guy kept going in and out, circling the girl. Obviously, they were a couple. Later on, a doctor came over to the girl¡¯s bed. Learning from their conversation, the girl had also caught pneumonia, but her condition was more serious than that of Yuliana. A significant amount of fluid had already umted in her lungs that required drainage and medication. The thought of Rowan being exposed to the two pneumonia patients made Yuliana worried. She didn¡¯t want him to stay inside the ward for long, so she immediately urged Hailey to take Rowan back. Yuliana told Hailey not to bring him to the hospital tomorrow. As for meals, she would just order takeout, so Hailey didn¡¯t need to send meals to them anymore. Hailey knew very well that she couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. It had taken years of medical care for Rowan to finally recover slightly from pneumonia he caught in the past. Wesley, however, remained in the ward with Yuliana and didn¡¯t intend to leave. Yuliana felt a bit uneasy. ¡°I can handle myself in the hospital. Go and take care of your things. There¡¯s no need to stay here with me all the time.¡± Wesley was watching a film with an earbud attached to one side of his ear. Hearing what Yuliana said, Wesley paused the film and spoke while looking at the water in the cup. ¡°I¡¯m taking a break these two days.¡± The water in the cup had bottomed out, so he got up and poured some warm water in. Yuliana was holding a book and reading it. She had asked Hailey to bring it from home. Yuliana was not interested in ying games on her phone. The week she had spent in the hospital had been boring for her. Yuliana hadn¡¯t been this idle in a while, and she felt somewhat unustomed to it. ¡°Stop reading. Take a break.¡± Wesley took away the book from her hand and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been reading for so long. Aren¡¯t your eyes tired?¡± Yuliana chuckled ¡°How about you? Don¡¯t your eyes hurt too from looking at your phone?¡± Wesley sat back in his chair. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this because I want to.¡± Yuliana instantly realized what Wesley meant. He was looking at his phone because she was reading. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yuliana said. Wesley smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. Why are you apologizing?¡± Yuliana was still struggling toe to terms with the shift in their rtionship. Although their rtionship had not been established yet, her mindset had undergone a significant change. The young couple next to them was sitting close together in the cramped ward. The girl, who was leaning on the guy, had almost put her whole weight on him. She looked lethargic, and her arm was put on a drip. The guy had one hand around the girl¡¯s head, while the other hand held his phone, with dramas ying on it. The girl suddenly frowned and coughed a few times, making the guy extremely anxious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, honey? Should I call the doctor for you?¡± The girl was displeased. ¡°What¡¯s the point of calling a doctor? Didn¡¯t you hear what the doctor said just now? I have to stay in the hospital for at least half a month, and I don¡¯t even know whether I can be discharged after staying for that long! I¡¯m sick of it!¡± The guy showed no impatience and gently coaxed her, ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m here apanying you, aren¡¯t I?¡± Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Headache Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips and look up at Wesley. They looked at each other and smiled. It was great to be loved, one could be willful unscrupulously. At 11 p.m., Yuliana came out of the bathroom after washing up. The girl from the neighboring bed had finished her drip, and the nurse had removed the needle. The guy was gently touching her hand andforting her to sleep.. The girl was in the guy¡¯s arms, whimpering and crying like a kitten. The guy whispered into her ear and continued to soothe her. Yuliana looked at Wesley, who was still sitting by the bed, and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving yet?¡± The foldable chair in the hospital ward could be opened as a bed, but it was not very stable. Given Wesley¡¯s tall andrge physique, Yuliana was concerned that the chair might wobble violently, even with the slightest movement. She couldn¡¯t understand why Wesley wanted to endure the suffering when there was afortable bed to rest on. It wasn¡¯t as if she was mobility impaired and needed Wesley¡¯s support. Instead, she moved around with ease. Other than having a slight fever, she had no issues at all. ¡°Why do you always want to drive me away?¡± Wesley nced over at the neighboring bed. ¡°Can¡¯t you take a cue from them?¡± Yuliana stared at him and didn¡¯t say anything, then went to the bed and lifted the quilt to get in, saying, ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± After that, she turned off the light on her side andy down. The light on the adjacent bed was still on, and the room was not too dim. Wesley sat on the chair, propping his chin with his hand and staring at Yuliana. Both of them looked at each other without saying anything or moving. The couple next to them murmured. The girl said, ¡°Kiss me¡­¡± The guy hesitated. ¡°Someone is here.¡± The girl choked up. ¡°You haven¡¯t kissed me today. Do you not love me anymore?¡± The guy said, ¡°Honey, you are the one I love the most.¡± As the words fell, a murmur of flirtatiousness echoed in the air. But it stopped soon. The guy coaxed, ¡°Okay, go to sleep now. You still need to have a checkup in the morning.¡± The girl meekly nodded her head. It finally quieted down. Wesley picked up his phone and tapped on the screen for a while, and Yuliana¡¯s phone vibrated. Yuliana picked up her phone and looked at it. It was the WhatsApp message sent by Wesley who is beside her. Wesley: [Do you want me to kiss you so that you can fall asleep?] Yuliana didn¡¯t reply. She stared at Wesley, put down her phone, and then turned around. But, coincidentally, she was now facing the adjacent bed. The curtain was opened, and Yuliana could see the couples cuddled up together while sleeping. A few secondster, Yuliana turned around again and met Wesley¡¯s smirking face. She parted her lips and formed the words, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± without making a sound. Wesley nodded. Yuliana closed her eyes in front of him. Wesley didn¡¯t feel sleepy yet. He usually stayed upte at night and often carried out his task at night, so his routine was quite unusualpared to normal people. Gazing at Yuliana¡¯s sleeping face, there was an indescribable sense of satisfaction that he couldn¡¯t put into words. He had never contemted marriage or parenthood, nor had he ever considered spending his life with any woman before meeting Yuliana. But after encountering Yuliana, he desired to do nothing but look at her like this every day, whether she was eating, reading, or sleeping. It seemed that he was satisfied just by looking at her. As Yuliana was dozing off, a phone vibration woke her up again. She slightly furrowed her eyebrows, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Wesley¡¯s face illuminated by the light of the phone he was holding and looking at ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked in a low voice. Wesley¡¯s brows furrowed deeper as she looked at Yuliana. ¡°I might not be able to stay here with you anymore. One of my friends got into some trouble and ended up at the police station. I need to go get them out.¡± Yuliana said calmly, ¡°Hurry up and go.¡± Wesley stared at Yuliana for two seconds, then got up and left the ward. Yuliana¡¯s sleepiness faded away after waking up, and her mind became exceptionally lucid. Shey there for a while but was unable to fall back asleep, so she decided to turn on the bedsidemp and pick up her half-read book. It was a novel. The main character of the novel was a woman, and it narrated her life from childhood to her prime. However, it was during her prime that she chose to end her own life. Yuliana was so absorbed that she didn¡¯t even notice someoneing in until the foldable chair beside the bed moved. ¡°Why did you¡­¡± Yuliana halted before she could finish her sentence, realizing that the man sitting in the chair was not Wesley, as she had anticipated. Christopher¡¯s eyes grew cold, and his thin lips twitched as he spoke. ¡°Anything wrong?¡± Yuliana tightened her lips, gazed at him for a moment, and remained silent. After a few seconds, she resumed reading as if Christopher wasn¡¯t there,pletely treating him like air. However, this ¡°air¡± had too strong of a presence, like an icy de hanging overhead, making it hard to dismiss. Yuliana set aside her book, turned off the light, and theny down, covering her head with the quilt to block out everything outside. Christopher stared at the bulging quilt for a while, his brows furrowing deeply. He then pressed his temples and closed his eyes. He was experiencing a headache that felt like a constant drilling sensation in his head. It was the first time Christopher had felt such pain since he was released from prison a long time ago. Yuliana was covered by her quilt for a few minutes, but soon, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It was stuffy and hot inside the quilt, and her hair was soaked. She had no choice but to remove the quilt, and as she did, she heard a muffled and heavy breathing sounding from nearby, entering her ear. She turned her head to look and saw Christopher propping his head up. The light from the adjacent bed illuminated his face, clearly showing his eyebrows almost scrunched together in a frown. Although Yuliana didn¡¯t want to bother Christopher anymore, he was still Rowan¡¯s father, after all. After struggling with her inner turmoil, she asked with indifference, ¡°Are you okay?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Hearing Yuliana¡¯s voice, Christopher opened his eyes and gazed deeply at her. He spoke with a husky voice. ¡°I have a headache.¡± Somehow, he looked pitiful. Yuliana paused for a moment. ¡°You should go and find the on-duty doctor and get some painkillers if you¡¯re not feeling well. Then, go back and make sure you rest properly.¡± Christopher¡¯s thinking was a bit sluggish, perhaps due to the headache. The way he looked at Yuliana seemed dazed. He took a few seconds to interpret Yuliana¡¯s words and replied, ¡°It won¡¯t help.¡± It was unclear to Yuliana whether Christopher meant the painkillers would not help, if resting would be ineffective, or if he meant both. Yuliana asked, ¡°What do you want, then?¡± Christopher still looked at her and said nothing. Yuliana¡¯s mood suddenly soured. She thought to herself, ¡°What did it have to do with me? Leave me alone.¡± Yuliana closed her eyes and ignored him again. Christopher turned to look outside the window and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡± Yuliana listened carefully, and she indeed heard the pattering of rain outside. This rain should bring a hint of coolness to Juxshire. Yuliana fell asleep in a daze. Upon waking up. Yuliana found that the narrow hospital room was crowded with people. There were doctors and nurses, as well as the couple at the adjacent bed. As for Yuliana¡¯s side, Christopher was sleeping soundly with his body covered with a coat and his head tilted to the side, his legs crossed on a chair that he had somehow managed to acquire from somewhere. Beside Christopher stood Wesley, who was carrying breakfast for her. Yuliana shifted the nket with her legs and said. ¡°Take a seat on the bed.¡± After taking a nce at Christopher, Wesley sat down at the corner of the bed and put the breakfast he brought on the overbed table. He then asked, ¡°When did he get here?¡± Yuliana casually tied her hair into a ponytail with the stic band on her wrist and answered, ¡°Soon after your leftst night.¡± Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Mind Your Own Business Yuliana casually tied her hair into a ponytail with the stic band on her wrist and answered, ¡°Soon after you leftst night.¡± She lifted the quilt, got out of bed, and asked, ¡°Is your friend okay?¡± Wesley sat down at the end of the bed and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. He¡¯ll be out in a few days.¡± Yuliana nodded and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. She hadn¡¯t seen many of Wesley¡¯s friends before. The only one who was familiar with her was ke. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up first¡± Yuliana went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, while Wesley arranged the breakfast that he brought neatly on the food tray. Then, inevitably, his gaze fell on Christopher, who was leisurely asleep on the chair. As he looked over, Christopher opened his eyes. He was fully conscious. Obviously, he had already woken up. The two men looked at each other, and Christopher averted his gaze first and looked at the breakfast on the food tray, saying ndly, ¡°She doesn¡¯t like greasy food for breakfast.¡± Wesley bought butter buns and churros, as well as two milk buns and one pumpkin soup. ¡°Preferences can change,¡± Wesley replied calmly. Christopher¡¯s lips curved down, and he gave a sneeringugh. Then, they didn¡¯t talk anymore. After a few minutes, Yuliana finished washing up and came out of the bathroom. She noticed Christopher was awake. He was still stretching out his long legs on the foldable chair,zily looking at his phone. Yuliana ignored Christopher and asked Wesley, ¡°What did you buy for breakfast?¡± Yuliana sat down on the bed and nced at the food tray. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she eximed, ¡°Butter buns from Fragrant Delights!¡± Fragrant Delights opened just two years ago and specialized in traditional pastries, with butter buns being their signature dish. As Christopher had said, Yuliana didn¡¯t like heavy and greasy food for breakfast. However, the food she had eaten for the past two days had all been light and tasteless, which was why she instantly salivated at the sight of the butter buns with thin skin and thick filling. ¡°Here.¡± Wesley passed her the knife and fork. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be craving for it.¡± As he spoke, he nced at Christopher from the corner of his eye. When Christopher lifted his eyelids, Yuliana was taking a bite of the butter buns. The delicious stuffing spread between her lips and teeth. She smiled contentedly and looked at Wesley with bright eyes. Wesley asked, ¡°Delicious?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t speak clearly, as her mouth was stuffed with food. She nodded and made a muffled sound to confirm. Wesley tilted his head and looked directly at Christopher, asking, ¡°Mr. Sce, you haven¡¯t eaten anything yet. Would you like to join us?¡± Despite the polite tone, Christopher sensed the underlying provocation in it. With a smile, Christopher responded, ¡°Great, I happen to be hungry.¡± After saying that, he stood upzily, looked at the food on the food tray, and picked up a churro and a pack of milk. He then put the milk on the windowsill, turned on the screen of his phone with one hand, and ate the churro without any reservations. Wesley fell silent for a moment. He picked up another pack of milk, poked a straw into it, and then ced it in front of Yuliana. ¡°Here, take a sip. Be careful not to choke.¡± Yuliana handed Wesley another set of fork and knife and said, ¡°I can¡¯t finish this. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Sure¡± Wesley took the fork and had the same butter buns as Yuliana. After finishing breakfast, Wesley took the garbage outside to dispose of it. Christopher threw away the half-eaten churro directly into the trash can next to Yuliana¡¯s bed. ¡°It was terrible,¡± hemented. ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone is forcing you to eat,¡± Yuliana replied calmly, showing no signs of anger. After looking at Yuliana for a moment, Christopher¡¯s eyes turned cold, and then slowly returned to their usual calmness again. ¡°So, you decided to be with him?¡± Yuliana frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s my business.¡± Christopher remained silent for a while before responding emotionlessly, ¡°Fine.¡± Before Yuliana could interpret the meaning of ¡°fine¡± that Christopher just said, he stood up and left the ward while saying, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± The trash cans on every level of the hospital were all located in one spot. Yuliana¡¯s ward was a little far from 1. Wesley was on his way back to Yuliana¡¯s ward when he happened to see Christophering out from inside. Both of them stopped. Wesley asked, ¡°Do you feel like smoking?¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Christopher responded nonchntly. The two of them walked toward the smoking area, one in front and one behind. smoking area was located at the end of the hallway, which used to be a storeroom. It waster ned into a smoking area. The area was quite small, just a few square feet, with a window for venttion. Upon entering, Wesley pulled out a cigarette and offered one to Christopher. ¡°Cheap stuff. Not sure if you can get used to it, Mr. Sce.¡± He saw smoking merely as a way to alleviate stress and stay alert. He had been smoking this brand of cigarettes for years and had grown ustomed to it, so he never switched to another brand. However, being born into a wealthy family, Christopher might not be used to it. Without saying a word, Christopher took the cigarette and lit it with a lighter he took out of his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ve smoked worse brands than this.¡± Wesley paused for a moment, and then he quickly put the pieces together. ¡°Do you regret it?¡± he asked. ¡°Whatever choice you make, there will always be regrets. Choosing A will make you regret why you didn¡¯t choose B, but choosing B will also make you regret not choosing A. There are situations where there is no perfect solution,¡± said Christopher as he exhaled smoke. Wesley neither agreed nor disagreed. He put the cigarette he had lit up between his fingers without smoking it. ¡°Since you made your choice back then, you just have to leave her alone and stop disrupting her life anymore.¡± ¡°Mind your own business,¡± Christopher sneered, his eyes glinting like a de. Wesley flicked the ash off his cigarette. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your business anyway.¡± Christopher and he had always been in business. ¡°I bet you don¡¯t want her and Rowan to get in danger because of you, do you?¡± Wesley faced Christopher¡¯s cold gaze without shrinking back. ¡°The closer you get to them, the more likely they are to be in danger.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be protecting her?¡± Christopher taunted, ¡°Mr. Duncan can¡¯t even protect his own woman?¡± Wesley said, ¡°Of course. I will do my best.¡± Without a word, Christopher finished smoking and extinguished the cigarette. ¡°I will try my best not to disturb her life anymore. You better take good care of her. If she suffers any harm, even in the slightest, I¡¯ll hold you ountable.¡± After saying that, he strode out of the smoking area. After staying in the hospital for five days, Yuliana went through the discharge procedures. She just couldn¡¯t stand lying in bed all day. Apart from that, Rowan cried and made a scene every day at home and mored to go to the hospital to visit her. Despite the doctor¡¯s rmendation against early discharge, Yuliana insisted on leaving the hospital and signed a liability statement to do so. Nevertheless, she had to return to the hospital for injections on time for the following days. Wesley had been keeping herpany for the past few days of her hospital stay. Christopher hadn¡¯t shown up since he left that day. Following her discharge, Wesley ordered that Yuliana should not immediately go back to work and had her rest at home until she fully recovered. Yuliana wasn¡¯t thrilled about being told what to do at first, but after some thought, she felt that she needed to adapt herself to the new rtionship slowly. Wesley was just concerned for her health, and it was something that was bound to happen once their rtionship was confirmed. So, she considered it an early adjustment. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She took advantage of these few days to arrange Rowan¡¯s enrollment in kindergarten. After careful consideration, Yuliana decided to choose an international private kindergarten. She chose it since this kindergarten ced a greater emphasis on cultivating children¡¯s individuality. On the other hand, it boasted better facilities, environment, and teachers than public kindergartens. Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Not A Match Most importantly, it was close to where Yuliana went to work. After handling the kindergarten admission procedures for Rowan, Yuliana asked Caleb to meet her. Yuliana would usually contact Caleb¡¯s secretary, as he was often upied with work, and Caleb would call her back when he had free time. Consequently, Yuliana rarely took the initiative to contact Caleb herself. He was usually the one to reach out to her. It waste at night when Caleb returned her call. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yuliana had already gone to bed, but because of her job, she kept her phone on with her while she rested, although she set it to vibrate mode. Yuliana turned on the bedside light, sat up, and checked the time. It was already past eleven o¡¯clock. ¡°Have you just finished your work?¡± she asked sleepily. Caleb noticed that his call had woken her up through her voice. ¡°Apologies for disturbing your rest. I assumed you had something urgent to discuss with me, which is why I returned your call at thiste hour.¡± Otherwise, he would have called her the following day. Yuliana didn¡¯t mind him returning her call at this hour. After all, Caleb was no ordinary person. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke up. ¡°Mr. Jones, could you let me know when you¡¯re avable? I would like to arrange a meeting with you.¡± Caleb didn¡¯t reply to her immediately. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°If you have time tomorrow at noon, come to the city council to meet me. We can have lunch together.¡± Yuliana had intended to return to work the following day, as there was already a substantial work backlog in thepany. However, she figured she should deal with the matters between her and Caleb first. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there tomorrow noon.¡± Caleb then asked, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± replied Yuliana. ¡°Okay. Get some rest.¡± Yuliana set her phone aside after ending the call andy in bed for a moment before turning off the lights and going to sleep. The next day, Yuliana arrived at the city council before the clock struck noon. Yuliana contacted Caleb¡¯s secretary upon arrival and waited in the lobby for a few minutes. Soon, the secretary hurried downstairs and escorted Yuliana upstairs to meet Caleb. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, Mr. Jones is currently in a meeting. You might have to wait for a bit,¡± said Caleb¡¯s secretary. ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana was escorted by the secretary to the waiting area, where she was offered a cup of coffee before the secretary left to attend to other tasks. The floor was somewhat quiet. She sat in the rest area for a while but hardly saw anyone the whole time. About half an hourter, Caleb appeared, dressed in a suit. Yuliana immediately stood up. ¡°Sorry for the long wait. The meeting got dyed,¡± Caleb apologized. Yuliana replied politely, saying it was not a problem, and followed Caleb to his office. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Yuliana walked toward a row of ck couches, sat down, and looked around discreetly. The office was arranged in a simple manner. The shelves, which were lined up against the wall, were filled with various folders and pamphlet boxes, and the table was piled high with them as well. Despite the volume of the folders and pamphlet boxes, everything was organized neatly. There were no other items or decorations in the office unrted to work. Caleb fetched a ss of water for Yuliana and set it on the table before her. Just as he was about to speak, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The secretary pushed open the door, entered the office holding two sets of meals, and ced them on the table before leaving. Caleb ced one of the meals in front of Yuliana and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have work to attend to this afternoon, so I won¡¯t be able to take you out to eat. But the staff meals here are not bad. You can have a try.¡± Yuliana wasn¡¯t there for the meal, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to the taste, but she still opened the lid and took a bite. It was mediocre, but Caleb seemed to enjoy it very much. It was evident that Caleb was not only easy to please when it came to food, but he also appreciated it as he finished his portionpletely. Yuliana didn¡¯t have much appetite, so she only managed to eat half of the lunch. However, she felt bad wasting the rest of it. Caleb chuckled and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t finish it, don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Yuliana wore an awkward smile, but she didn¡¯t force herself to finish it. Instead, she put down the fork. While putting away the lunch boxes, Caleb asked, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Yuliana went silent for a moment before speaking straightforwardly. ¡°Mr. Jones, I think we should remain friends.¡± Caleb halted his actions and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Yuliana recalled the excuse she had prepared beforehand and responded, ¡°I don¡¯t think we are compatible. You have a busy work schedule, and I also have a lot of work to do. It¡¯s challenging for us to keep in touch, let alone find time to meet for a meal and develop our rtionship.¡± Caleb regarded her contemtively and asked, ¡°Is that really how you feel?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. After giving it some thought, I realized that we¡¯re probably not a good match,¡± Yuliana replied, feeling a little guilty as if Caleb had seen through her. Caleb retrieved all the lunch boxes and ced them aside. He then cleaned the coffee table with a tissue. Caleb sat on the single leather armchair, lowered his eyelids, and was lost in thought for a while. He suddenly looked up at her. ¡°Yuliana, do you have anything else to tell me?¡± Yuliana panicked. ¡°W-What?¡± After a moment of silence, Caleb shed a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. If you ever want to talk about it, pleasee to me. And I agree that we can be normal friends.¡± Upon hearing this, Yuliana felt a wave of nervousness wash over her, but her anxiety slowly dissipated as she saw the kind expression on Caleb¡¯s face. As Caleb had a meeting in the afternoon, he asked the secretary to send Yuliana downstairs. After leaving the city council, Yuliana went straight to thepany without returning to Champs Manor. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Yuliana was taken aback as she saw a figure that looked strikingly simr to Kathryn standing at the company¡¯s entrance. Yuliana stepped out of the car and called out to see if her eyes were not deceiving her, ¡°Kathryn?¡± That person turned around when she heard Yuliana. It was indeed Kathryn. Yuliana walked over and asked in a suspicious tone, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Kathryn rolled her eyes at Yuliana and refuted, ¡°Why would Ie looking for you?¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t helpughing after hearing that. ¡°If so, who are you looking for?¡± Kathryn was about to reply when a figure caught her eye. She lifted her chin and said, ¡°There he is. I¡¯m looking for him.¡± When Yuliana¡¯s gaze followed the direction Kathryn pointed at, the man was already in front of her. ¡°Mr. Newton?¡± Craig first nced at Kathryn, then turned to Yuliana and asked, ¡°What brings you here, Ms. Livingstone? Weren¡¯t you supposed toe tomorrow?¡± Yuliana had originally nned to return to thepany the following day after making an appointment with Caleb. However, it was still early when she left the city council, so she decided toe to the company and tackle some of the backlogs at work. ¡°I have nothing to do in the afternoon, so I¡¯m here.¡± Yuliann¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between Craig and Kathryn. ¡°You two¡­¡± Kathryn quickly interjected, ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on between us! Please don¡¯t make unfounded assumptions I¡¯m here because I need Mr Newton¡¯s help. Im not making any unfounded assumptions! Yuliana protested, feeling unfairly used Besides, based on her understanding of Kathryn, Yuliana didn¡¯t think Kathryn would be interested in someone like Craig Yuliana then said, ¡°TI let you guys talk. I¡¯ll head upstairs now.¡± Kathryn waved her hand, signaling for Yuliana to leave, but then stopped her as she thought of something and asked, ¡°Yuliana, do you have any ns tonight?¡± Yuliana had originally nned to work overtime, but when she heard Kathryn¡¯s question, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Kathryn blinked and said, ¡°I¡¯m having a party tonight. Do you want to join me?¡± Yuliana had initially not nned to attend Kathryn¡¯s party. However, as it approached eight in the evening. she rubbed her sore neck and shoulders, stood by the window, and gazed at the breathtaking night view of Juxshire. Suddenly, memories of her business trip to Romdale flooded her mind, prompting her to take a break. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Was It Not Sooner Or Later? Thinking of this, Yuliana asked Kathryn without hesitation, ¡°Where?¡± Kathryn gave the address and asked in surprise, ¡°Are youing over?¡± Yuliana responded while packing her things, ¡°Go and sit down for a while.¡± In the past few years, Yuliana was different from when she was a teacher. She asionally chose to rx and go to ces like bars. However, she was very cautious after one experience. She would only drink for a while and would not make herself drunk. ¡°Thene here quickly. There are many handsome guys tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Yuliana went to the walk-in wardrobe in the office to change out of her professional attire. She chose a nude dress made of real fabric. The dress straps were a thin string crossed behind her back, which was a bit sexy. Then, she put on a loose ck suit coat and walked out of Glory Tower with her bag. She didn¡¯t drive out today, so Yuliana could only take a taxi there. The party that Kathryn went to was a party opened by her friend in the circle. When she arrived, Kathryn was dancing with a handsome young man in the crowd, and a group of men and women were cheering loudly around them. Yuliana watched outside the crowd for a while, then went straight to the bar counter and asked the bartender to make her a ss of wine. She took off her coat casually, put it on the back of the high chair, and then raised her ss and took a sip. The wine was added with ice cubes. It was refreshingly cold after one sip. It stimted her body and made her feel refreshed and excited. ¡°Why is Ms. Livingstone here?¡± Hearing this, Yuliana tilted her head to look. She saw Craig standing beside her with a ss of wine in his hand, looking at the ce where Kathryn and the handsome young man were dancing. Yuliana didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she looked at Craig with interest and asked, ¡°What about you? Why is Mr. Newton here?¡± Craig looked back at Yuliana and shrugged. ¡°Ms. Smith has taken a fancy to my junior. She looked for me to be her matchmaker.¡± Yuliana was stunned and looked at the young man dancing with Kathryn. ¡°Is he your junior?¡± ¡°Why? Doesn¡¯t it look like that?¡± Craigughed. Yuliana held her cheekzily, and her eyes were a little blurred. She teased, ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t look like that. He looks like your senior.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Craig sighed and said, ¡°That can¡¯t be. I just look young.¡± Yuliana alsoughed. Craig indeed looked young. He was almost 30 years old, but he was no different from a university student in his 20s. When he was in university, Craig looked like this. When Christopher introduced him to her three or four years ago, he looked like this too. And now, he still looked like this. When he smiled, he showed his one-sided canine tooth, which made him look even younger. As a result, Yuliana thought Craig did not fit Kathryn¡¯s preference. Kathryn liked the type of man who was very manly and wild, and Craig¡¯s junior just met her standards. He was tall, strong, and looked very wild. Kathryn came over while holding the young man¡¯s arm after the music ended. ¡°Yuliana, when did you arrive?¡± After asking that, she told the bartender to give her two sses of wine. ¡°I just arrived,¡± Yuliana replied, and her eyes fell on the young man next to Kathryn. Kathryn hurriedly said, ¡°Let me introduce him to you. He is Yosiah Quin. He is even your junior.¡± She and Craig were university ssmates. Since he was Craig¡¯s junior, he was naturally also her junior. Yuliana smiled and greeted Yosiah, ¡°Hello.¡± Yosiah stood obediently beside Kathryn and smiled shyly, ¡°Hello, Yuliana.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t expect that despite his wild appearance and wild name, he was quite introverted. He was apletely different person from when he danced with Kathryn just now. Yosiah came here and brought a few friends with him this time. His friend called him over from the other side. ¡°Kathryn, I¡¯ll go over there for a while.¡± Kathryn waved her hand and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± After Yosiah left, Craig also left with a ss. Yuliana said, ¡°That junior looks quite small¡± It was hard to tell from his appearance, but he was still immature in how he spoke and behaved. Kathryn blinked and said, ¡°In his senior year.¡± Yuliana thought, ¡°Isn¡¯t that only in his early 20s?¡± She joked to Kathryn, ¡°You so dare to flirt with him.¡± Kathryn said boldly, ¡°Why can¡¯t I flirt with him? I just like young and handsome men. Let me tell you, men at this age are the most energetic, and they are much better in ¡®that aspect¡¯ than the old men in their 30s.¡± ¡°You and Xani just don¡¯t know how to enjoy.¡± Kathryn tutted and continued, ¡°After a few more years, you be older, your bones be harder, and it would be harder to move. You can¡¯t y even if you want to by that time.¡± Speaking of this, Kathryn didn¡¯t continue the topic. She lit a cigarette and looked at Yuliana. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯te? Why are you suddenly here?¡± Yuliana held the rim of the ss with her fingers and turned it casually. She said, ¡°Kathryn, I have decided to be with Wesley.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Kathryn sneered and said, ¡°I thought something was wrong. Isn¡¯t this going to happen sooner or later?¡± During the two years in Jeahron, she could see Wesley¡¯s feelings for Yuliana. Only Yuliana was unaware ¡°Have you let go of Christopher in your heart?¡± Kathryn was more curious about this than about Yuliana being with Wesley. Yuliana paused and touched her lips. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to let go of or not. It¡¯s not necessarily a good thing to live too clear-headed. It¡¯s also a lifetime of confusion.¡± Kathryn put her arm around Yuliana¡¯s shoulder and patted her. She picked up the ss and clinked with hers. ¡°You should have thought this way so long ago. There¡¯s something you don¡¯t need to be too serious about. Look. Don¡¯t you have a good time getting along with Wesley these years? Isn¡¯t the purpose of living to have fun and be happy? Otherwise, what¡¯s the point? What do you think?¡± Yuliana sat for a while, took out her phone, and called Wesley. After two rings, the phone was connected. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Have you drunk?¡± Wesley could recognize it immediately after hearing her tone. Yuliana hummed in a low voice and continued, ¡°Can youe to pick me up?¡± ¡°Address,¡± Wesley replied in short. Yuliana told him the address of the bar. Wesley said, ¡°Wait there. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Yuliana replied obediently, ¡°Okay.¡± Wesley¡¯s location was not far from Yuliana. It was only about 20 minutes of driving. When he arrived, Yuliana was still sitting on the bar counter while resting her chin in her hand. She looked like she was in a bit of a trance. ¡°Hey!¡± Someone patted him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw Kathryn smiling. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I haven¡¯t seen you for a while.¡± Wesley nodded with a polite smile. ¡°Ms. Smith.¡± In fact, Kathryn also liked Wesley¡¯s appearance, which was somewhat simr to Yosiah¡¯s. Even the wildness and ruggedness of Wesley were even more intense, which came from his real self. Meanwhile, Yosiah was liked by her just because of his appearance. In reality, he was an innocent and shy boy. However, she knew very well that Wesley liked Yuliana. Therefore, she would remain within her bounds, knowing she shouldn¡¯t act on it. ¡°Came to pick up Yuliana?¡± Kathryn asked. Wesley nodded and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Kathryn shook her head gently. ¡°Nothing I just came here to say hello to you Then, she raised her chin in the direction of Yuliana and said, ¡°She drank a little too much tonight. If Mr. Duncan is a smart person, you won¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡± After saying that, Kathryn turned around and left. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Not Used To Sleeping Here? Although Yuliana drank two sses of wine, she felt a little dizzy. But she didn¡¯t lose consciousness completely. Wesley came over and immediately noticed it. She got off the high chair, and her feet swayed. Wesley Immediately reached out to support her. Yuliana did not deliberately keep a distance as usual and lost her bnce. Instead, she put all her weight on Wesley. ¡°Can you walk?¡± Wesley asked in a low voice. Yuliana nodded. ¡°I can.¡± Even so, Wesley didn¡¯t let go. He held her waist with his strong arm and put the coat on her with the other hand. Then, he picked up the bag hanging on the chair and walked out of the bar. After getting in the car, Wesley fastened her seat belt. He asked, ¡°Shall I take you home?¡± Yuliana met his gaze and shook her head. ¡°Go to your ce.¡± Wesley¡¯s eyes darkened. He gulped, and his voice was a little deeper. ¡°Okay.¡± He then started the car. Yuliana¡¯s heart was beating a little fast as she looked at the scenery outside the window. ¡°Sooner or later, I have to take this step,¡± she thought. Craig looked at the car driving away, took out his phone, and dialed a number. The phone rang for a long time before the person on the other side answered. Christopher asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Craig smiled casually and said, ¡°Can¡¯t I call you if there is nothing?¡± Christopher replied. ¡°Tell me if you have something to say. I¡¯ll hang up if you have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Craig immediately stopped him. ¡°Something¡¯s up. It¡¯s regarding Yuliana. Do you want to hear it?¡± There was silence across the other side of the phone. Craig nced at the phone and thought, ¡°You didn¡¯t hang up.¡± Craig smiled. He teased, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hang up? Hurry up. What are you waiting for?¡± Christopher was silent for a while. He called out his full name with an indifferent voice, ¡°Craig Newton.¡± Craig tensed up for a moment, and he hurriedly said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you. I saw Yuliana get into Wesley¡¯s car just now.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Christopher sneered, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yuliana drank too much.¡± Craig paused and continued, ¡°And the direction they went off to was not the direction of Yuliana¡¯s home.¡± The line on the phone fell silent again. About half a minute passed. ¡°Got it.¡± He couldn¡¯t hear any emotions from the words. Afterward, the phone was hung up immediately. Craig put away his phone and looked in the distance. He was not sure if he did something he shouldn¡¯t have. He went back to his senses and was about to go back to the bar. Then, he heard a voice behind him. ¡°Mr. Newton, I didn¡¯t expect you to be a tattletale,¡± Kathryn said sarcastically. She watched Wesley take Yuliana away and then saw Craig follow them out. She had heard Yuliana mention the rtionship between Craig and Christopher. She also knew that the former boss of Glory Corporation was Christopher, and Craig had been helping Christopher. Therefore, she followed him. Unexpectedly, Craig tipped Christopher off. Craig said calmly, ¡°I also didn¡¯t expect that Ms. Smith is a person who likes to eavesdrop on others¡¯ calls.¡± Kathryn¡¯s face stiffened, and she snorted. ¡°Besides, Kathryn, you are a person who doesn¡¯t know to be grateful.¡± Craig put his hands in his pockets, revealing one side of his canine tooth, and smiled coldly. ¡°No matter what, Yosiah is the one I helped you to matchmake with. Shouldn¡¯t you say thank you to me?¡± Kathryn gritted her teeth and stared at him. ¡°Thank you!¡± After saying that, she turned her head and went into the bar. Craig stood outside for a while but didn¡¯t go in. He sent a message to Yosiah and left directly. Wesley did not have a fixed residence in Juxshire. The house was rented. He would change his ce every once in a while. Therefore, the house was empty. He didn¡¯t buy anything that he didn¡¯t need at home. It was the first time Yuliana hade to Wesley¡¯s residence in Juxshire. It was simr to the mansion in Jeahron before, empty, and there was nothing in therge living room, except for the necessary furniture. ¡°You sit here for a while. I¡¯ll get you something for the hangover.¡± Wesley helped Yuliana sit down on the couch, put down the bag and coat in his hand, and was about to leave. Yuliana hurriedly took his hand and said, ¡°No need.¡± Wesley paused. His palm was still against her bare back, which was smooth and delicate, making people take a liking to it. He swallowed and whispered, ¡°Yuliana. ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana raised her head slightly and met his gaze. Wesley stared at her delicate and cold eyes, gently put aside the hair on her face, and then traced down from her round forehead to her lower jaw. He lifted her chin a little dominantly. As if he wanted to suck people in, the man¡¯s eyes were as dark as ck ink. Yuliana¡¯s body trembled involuntarily, and she felt a little timid subconsciously. But Wesley didn¡¯t give her a chance to back off. He hugged Yuliana and stood on the couch, then grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her. It was already past midnight. There was a tall figure leaning against the ck car. He was smoking heavily with a cigarette in his mouth, and there were already a dozen to 20 cigarette butts on the ground. He looked up at a window with a light on. Suddenly, the lights went out. He stopped smoking, and his hand on the car hood clenched into a fist slowly. Yuliana had already fallen asleep. Wesley kissed her hair lightly, picked up the phone, and looked at it. Then, he walked to the window and looked downstairs. The floor he was on was too high, and the light was too dark at night that he actually couldn¡¯t see clearly whether there was anyone downstairs. He picked up the binocrs at the side and looked again. As expected, he saw a figure. Wesley didn¡¯t intend to pay attention to it. He put down the binocrs, returned to the bed, and hugged Yuliana, who was sleeping, in his arms. The next day. Yuliana woke up at dawn. The strange room made her feel a little dazed for a moment. It took her two seconds to react before she remembered where she was. Her body stiffened again when she sensed the weight on her waist. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Wesley didn¡¯t open his eyes. His face rubbed against Yuliana¡¯s neck, and the arms around her waist held her as if he was going to embed her. ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana felt a little ufortable and struggled slightly for a while. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m a light sleeper.¡± Wesley didn¡¯t force her and loosened his arms. ¡°Are you not used to sleeping here?¡± ¡°Kind of.¡± Wesley chuckled in a low voice. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it after sleeping a few more times.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t answer. After a brief silence, she hesitated and spoke. ¡°Last night¡­¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Wesley gently covered her mouth with his hands He told her, ¡°Yuliana, you don¡¯t have to feel sorry for me, and I don¡¯t want to force you. We can take our time Don¡¯t worry.¡± Hearing his words, Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around and faced Wesley so they were in front of each other. Wesley knew she was looking at him, but he didn¡¯t open his eyes. After a while, he opened his eyes. Looking at Yuliana, who was close to him, his voice was depressed and hoarse ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this, Yuliana. Although he didn¡¯t want to force her, he couldn¡¯t stand such temptation in the early morning. Yuliana felt something. Her body immediately stiffened a little, and her face also turned red. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up first.¡± As she said that, she hurried and wanted to get up from bed. Wesley¡¯s heart fluttered. Before he could think about his actions, he grabbed Yuliana and held her back. ¡°No rush. It¡¯s still early. You can go for itter.¡± He looked at Yuliana¡¯s flustered and red face and continued, ¡°Yuliana, let¡¯s practice for a while. Okay?¡± Before Yuliana understood the meaning of Wesley¡¯s words, he sealed her lips with a kiss. Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Chapter 386 What Do You Think? Yuliana didn¡¯t feel repulsed when kissing Wesley. She wouldn¡¯t be repulsed even if they were to do more intimate things either. However, she was not mentally prepared and quickly drew a line in their rtionship. Wesley, on the other hand, was able to hold himself back and respected Yuliana. Just as he was about to lose control, his strong sense of self-restraint allowed him to let go of her. Yuliana frowned slightly and tilted her head to look at him. She noticed that his forehead was covered in sweat, and the veins on his head were slightly pulsating. Seeing this, Yuliana felt that her throat was dry and tense, and her voice was slightly hoarse when she asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Wesley turned to meet her gaze and grazed a finger across her face. ¡°What do you think?¡± Then, he swiftly withdrew his hand and shut his eyes. ¡°Go wash up. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll be able to hold myself back.¡± Looking at him, Yuliana suddenly found the situation to be a little funny. However, she didn¡¯t tease him, for she truly wasn¡¯t prepared. Therefore, she quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Thevatory and bathroom were connected but separated by a ss door. Last night, she took a shower. She was wearing one of Wesley¡¯s oversized T-shirts at the moment, and her clothes were ced on the rack at the side. They were neatly folded and stacked. Yuliana picked her clothes up and took a whiff, finding. there to be a faint fragrance of detergent on the fabric. Evidently, it had been washed. Yuliana felt at ease all of a sudden and curled the corner of her lips into a smile. After washing up, she put on her clothes and came out of the bathroom. Wesley was no longer on the bed, and when Yuliana went out to have a look, she found that he had already washed up and changed his clothes, and the man was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Yuliana walked over and asked, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°Do you know how to?¡± Wesley tossed her a nce. In the past, Yuliana had learned how to cook from Hailey. She did a lot of cooking for a period of time, and the dishes she made were decent. Unfortunately, she had been too busy in the past year and only had a handful of opportunities to go into the kitchen and whip something up.. ¡°I know how to cook, but I can¡¯t guarantee if it tastes good.¡± Yuliana smiled as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the cooking to you and just be involved in the eating, then.¡± Wesley didn¡¯t have many opportunities to cook. After all, he didn¡¯t spend much time at home, and the condominium was merely a ce for him to sleep. There wasn¡¯t any food stored in the refrigerator and cabs, besides spaghetti and a couple of eggs. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. In fact, even Wesley had no idea when he purchased the spaghetti. He looked at the expiration date on the packaging and noticed that the spaghetti had yet to expire. Some ten minutester, Wesley had whipped up two tes of pasta and two tes of golden-colored scrambled eggs. The colorful sauce and garnishes on the dishes made them look rather appetizing. After breakfast, Wesley sent Yuliana home. Rowan had already gotten out of bed and was in midst of having his breakfast. When he noticed Yuliana and Wesley had returned, he ced the fork in his hand down and ran toward Yuliana with a grin stered on his face. ¡°Mommy, why did youe back with Daddy Wesley?¡± asked the curious boy Yuliana felt slightly embarrassed. Just as she was cooking up an exnation for Rowan, Wesley picked the little guy up and threw him in the air twice. Amused, Rowan burst out in fits of giggles. ¡°More. Daddy Wesley, more!¡± Wesley threw the little guy in the air again and caught him. After a while, Rowan forgot about the question he¡¯d asked his mother and was entirely focused on ying with Wesley. Hailey watched them with a smile on her face. ¡°Yuliana, have you had breakfast with Mr. Duncan? Or would you like me to cook something for you two?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯ve already eaten. I came back to see Rowan and to get a change of clothes. I¡¯m heading to the office after this,¡± said Yuliana. ¡°Okay.¡± After a pause, Hailey asked again, ¡°Will you and Mr. Duncan be back for dinner tonight?¡± Yuliana had a huge backlog of things to settle as she was away for a period of time due to her illness. She wanted to deal with the matters that had umted as soon as possible, and in order to do that, she¡¯d have to work overtime at night. However, she had just confirmed her rtionship with Wesley, so Yuliana thought it¡¯d be best if they spared some time for each other. At that thought, she shifted her gaze toward Wesley and asked, ¡°Do you have any ns at night?¡± Wesley¡¯s work was uncertain, and most of the time, he was even busier than Yuliana. While ying with Rowan, Wesley replied, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up at work tonight and thene back to enjoy some of Hailey¡¯s dishes.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask someone to send over more ingredients so can cook up some delicious food for you two. Yuliana had just recovered from her illness, so it¡¯d be best if she can get some nutritious foods.¡± Hailey smiled as she spoke. Yuliana went upstairs to change her clothes, then Wesley sent her to thepany. As soon as she arrived at the elevator, she saw Craig standing there in a gray suit, staring at the floor number disyed above the elevator as if he was in a daze. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Newton.¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice snapped him out of his daze. He turned to look at Yuliana. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, good morning!¡± Then, his eyes fell on the side of her neck behind her ear. There was an ambiguous red mark on that spot, and he need not think to figure out what was going on. Yuliana noticed Craig¡¯s odd gaze and looked at him, perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Craig withdrew his gaze and said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Yuliana felt that the man¡¯s attitude toward her was a little strange, but she couldn¡¯t quite figure out why. At that point, the elevator arrived. Both of them took the elevator but neither conversed with the other throughout the entire ride. After getting out of the elevator, they walked toward their own offices without even greeting each other. Yuliana put down her bag, took off her coat, went to the restroom, and carefully checked her makeup and outfit. There was nothing visually off about her, so she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was up with Craig¡¯s gaze. Just as Yuliana was dwelling on the matter, the director of the HR department emerged from one of the restroom stalls and greeted her with a smile, ¡°Good morning, Ms. Livingstone!¡± The director of the HR department was in her early 30s. She was unmarried, but she was an extremely capable person. Yuliana echoed the director¡¯s greeting, then noticed that thetter was staring at her neck, just like Craig mere moments ago. Moreover, the director even had an ambiguous smile on her face. This made Yuliana subconsciously touch her neck. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The director didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she tilted Yuliana¡¯s head and asked thetter to look in the mirror. Realization dawned upon Yuliana when she saw the red mark on the back of her neck. The night before, Wesley was nibbling on the area for a long time. ¡°I have a concealer. Would you like to cover it up, Ms. Livingstone?¡± asked the director. Yuliana stroked the area with her fingers and smiled. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Then, she went back to her office. In the morning. Yuliana convened a meeting with the heads of the departments. She hadn¡¯t been in the company for some time and wanted to know the situation in the departments as soon as possible through the meeting. The meeting didn¡¯t take long and ended in about an hour. However, there was a slight disagreement during the meeting. Craig refuted Yuliana¡¯s words several times. He didn¡¯t speak in a serious tone, but more so in a joking. manner. This was the first time that Yuliana had encountered such a situation since she came to Glory Corporation. In the past, no matter what Yuliana said, Craig would always support her. Even if those decisions were wrong. Craig would never allow Yuliana to be embarrassed in front of an audience. Hence, seeing this, the others didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Although Yuliana was the boss, the heads of the departments were well aware of how Yuliana rose to her current position and what Craig¡¯s identity was within thepany. After the meeting. Yuliana called Craig to her office. ¡°Mr. Newton, if you have something against me, you can tell me directly.¡± Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Chapter 387 My Throat Is Itchy ¡°Mr. Newton, if you have something against me, you can tell me directly.¡± Yuliana sat in her chair and looked at Craig in front of her with a calm gaze. Craig smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the boss, and I¡¯m just an employee. How would I ever dare to have an opinion about you?¡± There was nothing wrong with the man¡¯s tone of voice, but Yuliana noticed a hint of mockery in his words. Craig¡¯s capability was obvious to all. For the past year or so, without Craig¡¯s help, Yuliana wouldn¡¯t have been able to secure her position, nor take care of Glory Corporation well. Furthermore, it could be said that Craig was much more suited to be the person in charge of Glory Corporation than she was. Yuliana looked at him, and after a long moment of silence, she uttered, ¡®Mr. Newton, I hope you won¡¯t bring your personal emotions into your work. If you have something against me, you can just talk to me about it.¡± Craig¡¯s gaze toward her was icier than before. He leaned against the chair and smiled. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, who do you think made it possible for you to sit in that seat and say those things to me?¡± Yuliana was taken aback by his words, but she swiftly regained her senses and came to understand why Craig was behaving so abnormally. ¡°So, are you feeling indignant on behalf of Christopher? Yuliana cut straight to the chase. Anger flitted across her eyes as she continued after a brief pause, ¡°Mr. Newton, do you need me to remind you that I have divorced him? Glory Corporation used to be Christopher¡¯s, but now it belongs to me. He needed to give it to me, and I deserved it. I didn¡¯t steal or rob him of thepany. In fact, I got it legally. Perhaps, do you think that once a woman marries a man, she can only be tied to him for the rest of her life and be branded as his?¡± Yuliana¡¯s words rendered Craig speechless. Naturally, he knew that she was right, and his personal emotions and bias had gotten in the way of his usual rationality. Realizing this, Craig instantly adjusted his emotions and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t intend to ept his apology. She put her hand on the mouse and shifted her gaze toward the disy screen, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve said what I needed to say. You may get back to work, Mr. Newton.¡± Craig had more to say, but when he saw Yuliana¡¯s icy expression, he swallowed his words and didn¡¯t utter them aloud. He then got up and walked out of Yuliana¡¯s office. After hesitating for a moment, he whipped out his phone and dialed a number. The phone rang for a long time, yet no one answered it. Thus, Craig hung up and stopped calling the number. On the top floor of Prestige Club, Christopher was lying on the 6.5-foot-long couch with his eyes closed and cigarettes in his mouth. The smoke was almost clouding the entire space, and there was a wine ss in his hand that was hanging off the side of the couch. There was only half a ss of alcohol in the ss. After taking a puff of his cigarette, Christopher took a sip of wine, and the liquor spilled from the corner of his mouth. His phone had fallen to the ground and was ringing non-stop. The sound was ear-piercing and gave him a throbbing headache. Suddenly, he sat up from the couch and threw the wine ss into the corner. A loud crash resounded, and the wine ss was shattered into pieces. Christopher kept hitting his own head, but the throbbing sensation made it feel as if his head was about to explode. His emotions were in disarray, and he was on the brink of losing control. Yet, the phone was still ringing. Christopher swiftly picked up his phone and threw it into the corner, just like he did to the wine ss. moments ago. It was quiet, atst. He leaned his head against the couch, and his rapidly-beating heart finally calmed down. Nevertheless, the throbbing pain in his head wasn¡¯t resolved at all and grew to be more intense. Christopher opened his eyes, picked up the half bottle of spirits left on the table, and drank the liquor directly from the bottle. The burning sensation in his stomach seemed to relieve the severe pain in his head for a moment. But soon, a more intense pain spread throughout his head, and his consciousness gradually blurred. He kept his eyes open and was staring nkly in a direction. Christoper seemed to have caught sight of a familiar figure, who was holding a little boy¡¯s hand and walking toward him. He reached out to grab them, only to find that they had walked past him and were going further and further away from him. The next time he woke up, he was in the hospital. Raymond sat by the bed and was ying games. When he noticed the movement on the hospital bed, he lifted his eyes and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re awake? I thought you were dead.¡± Christopher looked at his surroundings and closed his eyes once more. He ced his arm on his forehead and didn¡¯t intend on moving or talking. Although the pain wasn¡¯t as intense as before, there was still a strong sense of difort. Seeing that Christopher didn¡¯t speak, Raymond put away his phone, stared at the man¡¯s face for a while, and sighed. ¡°Is your headache a sequ that developed from your time in prison?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t answer and continued to keep his eyes shut. At that, Raymond lost his patience and kicked the bed. ¡°Are you mute?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re giving me a fucking headache.¡± Christopher frowned. Raymond could only tamp down his anger and sit back down. ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t hold you ountable since you¡¯re a patient.¡± Christopher narrowed his eyes. Only when he felt more awake did he lift the nket and sit up. It was still very bright outside. Hence, Christopher couldn¡¯t have slept long. Christopher got out of bed and went to the restroom, washing his face with cold water. He relieved himself, then emerged from the restroom and kicked Raymond¡¯s chair, asking. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s past three o¡¯clock in the afternoon.¡± Christopher looked around and didn¡¯t find his phone. After thinking for a while, he remembered that he had smashed his own phone. He then turned around and walked out of the ward. Seeing this, Raymond kept his phone away and trailed after his friend. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Getting discharged.¡± Raymond hurriedly grabbed him. ¡°Do you want to fucking die? The doctor said you have to stay in the hospital for observation for the next two days.¡± ¡°No need,¡± said Christopher, shaking his friend off. Raymond knew Christopher¡¯s personality. Once thetter had made up his mind, he would never, ever waver. Hence, there was no choice but to follow Christopher¡¯s lead and allow him to be discharged. After getting in the car, Christopher searched around the vehicle. ¡°Where are the cigarettes?¡± Raymond looked at him with a grim expression. ¡°The doctor said you should quit smoking and drinking. You¡¯ll die if you keep smoking!¡± Fortunately, Raymond was looking for Christopher that day. However, he failed to get through to the latter¡¯s phone and called Prestige Club to find out about his whereabouts. It was then Raymond found out Christopher had only returned to Prestige Club in the morning. When Raymond entered the room, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes was so pungent that it hurt his nose. Meanwhile, Christopher was lying motionless on the couch as if he was dead. Back then, Raymond was scared out of his wits, so much so that he could feel his organs trembling. Fortunately, he found that Christopher was still breathing when he checked thetter¡¯s breath. ¡°My throat¡¯s itchy,¡± said Christopher. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Even if it is itchy, you have to endure it,¡± said Raymond. Christopher decided not to talk nonsense with his friend. His eyes were half closed as he peered out of the window. Looking at the man¡¯s miserable and pathetic state, Raymond faltered slightly and said, ¡°I heard from Craig about what happened Well, there are plenty of women in the world, not just Yuliana. Based on your looks, you don¡¯t have to worry about not being able to get a girl.¡± ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll find a couple of girls for you tonight. Chubby or skinny, submissive or domineering, I know them. all. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be satisfied,¡± he added. Christopher slowly opened his eyes to look at him. ¡°Raymond, what¡¯s up with you? Why do you have so much to say?¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°Send me back to Prestige Club first.¡± Christopher returned to Prestige Club and had someone send over a new phone. As soon as he installed the SIM card, he immediately received a call. Seeing the caller ID on the phone screen, Christopher paused for a second and took the call by the floor-to-ceiling window. Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Pardon Me When everything was said and done, Yuliana¡¯s legs were weak. Wesley¡¯s fingers tugged at her earlobe yfully as he asked, ¡°Did you like that?¡± Yuliana¡¯s mind was in a mor. Without thinking, she shook her head and leaned against his chest as her breathing grew even. At the sight of this, Wesley chuckled and did not say anything else. Just like that, they enjoyed thefortable silence for a while. Then, Wesley murmured, ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m leaving Juxshire tomorrow.¡± Stunned, Yuliana nudged out of his embrace and asked, ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± ¡°A couple of days, maybe, but that¡¯s just an estimate,¡± Wesley answered. Yuliana knew the nature of his work and did not press him further, merely saying, ¡°Be safe. I¡¯ll be right here waiting for you.¡± After that, Wesley waited until Yuliana had fallen asleep before leaving the room. He had only juste down the stairs when he saw that Hailey was still up. She was seated on the living room couch holding a needle and thread. Apparently, she was stitching up a bunny plushie with a torn ear. Hailey heard someoneing down the stairs and turned around. When she saw Wesley, she set her sewing task aside and stood up, then smiled as she asked, ¡°Are you leaving now, Mr. Duncan?¡± Wesley nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d still be up, Hailey.¡± ¡°Well,¡± she began as she nced at the plushie on the couch, ¡°Roe really likes this bunny. He brought it out for ytime two days ago and identally tore its ear, and he cried his heart out. I promised him I¡¯d fix it up for him.¡± However, it had been some time since Hailey did any kind of sewing, and she had a hard time locating her sewing kit. Thankfully, she found it today and decided to stitch up the bunny plushie. ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­¡± Sensing Hailey¡¯s hesitation, Wesley prompted, ¡°What is it, Hailey? You can tell me anything.¡± Hailey knew her ce. She was considerably rxed around Yuliana and Rowan, but when it came to anyone else, she tended to proceed with caution. That being said, Wesley was Yuliana¡¯s friend, and he was a guest, to boot. As the housekeeper, Hailey knew she had to stick to boundaries. As such, she had always treated Wesley with utmost courtesy. This would be the first time she crossed the line. Hailey mulled over her words for a few seconds, then said, ¡°Before I start, Mr. Duncan, I hope you¡¯ll understand that I¡¯m not trying to stick my nose where it¡¯s not wanted.¡± Wesley gave her a gentle smile. ¡°You can ask me anything you want, Hailey. It¡¯s the least I¡¯ll let you do after all the food you¡¯ve cooked for me thesest couple of years.¡± Hailey let out a smallugh, then said, ¡°The thing is, I¡¯ve seen Yuliana shoulder through thest few years of hardship. She¡¯s only so young, but she¡¯s had to take care of Rowan on her own, and because he¡¯s a premature baby, his health isn¡¯t the best, either.¡± Wesley knew this well. He had stuck by Yuliana¡¯s side all this while, and much like Hailey, he had witnessed the hardship she had to go through. Hailey sighed and continued, ¡°But things are looking up now. I know I have nothing to worry about now that Roe¡¯s health is getting better and Yuliana is happy. However, some things remain to be said, Mr. Duncan. You must know that Yuliana was unlucky enough to have met the wrong person in the past who put her through unimaginable pain. Now, she¡¯s going to need a whole lot of faith and courage to open up to a new rtionship She paused before adding, ¡°If you¡¯ve decided to stay with her, Mr. Duncan, then please cherish her and treat her well.¡± Wesley understood what Hailey was trying to tell him. Nodding, he vowed solemnly, ¡°Hailey, don¡¯t worry. I promise I won¡¯t let Yuliana get hurt ever again.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Hailey let out a sigh of relief when she heard this, and she finally grinned. ¡°Yuliana is so lucky to have met you.¡± It was Thursday the next day. Yuliana had nothing important lined up for the next two days aside frompleting some backlogged work. While Yuliana was resting after lunch, she decided to give Sabrina a call. ¡°Hey, Yuliana,¡± Sabrina greeted softly on the other line. Yuliana asked, ¡°Have you had lunch yet, Mrs. Livingstone?¡± ¡°I just got back from lunch with my colleagues.¡± Sabrina¡¯s lunch break was an hour and a half. She had been nning to take a short nap in her office after her meal when Yuliana called. Yuliana hummed lightly in response, but she did not follow up with anything else for a while. Growing suspicious at the girl¡¯s reticence, Sabrina probed, ¡°Is there something you need from me, Yuliana? Why are you calling me at this hour?¡± Yuliana wanted to talk to her about Damian, but for some reason, she could not bring herself to tell Sabrina to give up on this matter. It had been almost half a month since the incident. In the end, Yuliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°Mrs. Livingstone, it¡¯s nothing. I just figured I¡¯d call and ask about Jake, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Are you really okay?¡± Sabrina was concerned. She could tell from Yuliana¡¯s tone that something was not right. ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Yuliana lied. A beatter, she added, ¡°I¡¯ll bring Roe home one of these days to see you.¡± Sabrina nodded. ¡°Very well, but do let me know in advance so I can whip up something yummy for you and Roe.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Yuliana decided that she would have to wait for the right time to go to Yrinas to talk to Sabrina in person about this. She had only just hung up the phone when there was a knock on the office door. ¡°Come in,¡± she called out to the person on the other side of the door. Craig pushed the door open and came in, greeting, ¡°Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana stood by the water dispenser. Helping herself to a cup of water, she asked Craig, ¡°Mr. Newton, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Well, there is something,¡± Craig said with a self-effacing smile. ¡°I was wondering if you could go to Druobridge for me, Ms. Livingstone.¡± Yuliana frowned, and she had yet to wrap her head around Craig¡¯s request when she saw him ce a document before her. She flipped through the document. At a nce, the document contained particrs for an uing resort development project in Druobridge. Craig borated, ¡°This resort development is a key project that I¡¯m supposed to be working on right now. I originally nned to go over to the site and inspect it myself, but I have to make a trip to Xosa to work on another project. I¡¯d leave my subordinates in charge of the inspection, but I¡¯d still be worried all the same. Since you¡¯ve got nothing important lined up, Ms. Livingstone, I was wondering if you could do me a favor by going to Druobridge in my stead.¡± Yuliana knew about the project in Xosa. It was an important project that Glory Corporation had invested in, and it was only right that Craig would prioritize it. As for the resort development project¡­ Yuliana quickly flipped through the document. ¡°How is this a key project anyway?¡± she wondered to herself. Before Yuliana could speak, Craig added, ¡°Come on, Ms. Livingstone. Think of all the times I¡¯ve helped you out Can¡¯t you do me a favor just this once?¡± Now that he had put it that way. Yuliana could not possibly turn him down. She asked, ¡°Have you given the men at Druobridge a heads-up?¡± Craig said. ¡°Of course I¡¯ve even booked Ms. Livingstone a ne ticket to Druobridge. Your flight leaves tonight, and-¡± ¡°Hold on a minute!¡± Yuliana cut him off in a raised voice. ¡°Are you telling me I¡¯m supposed to go over tonight?¡± ¡°Yeah What, do you have other ns for tonight. Ms Livingstone? Craig pulled a look of despair as he wailed. But I¡¯ve already set up an appointment with the guys at Drusbridger Yuliana did not have other ns save for working overtime to clear the tacks at hand, especially since she hated procrastinating on them However, seeing as Craig was desperate, she had no choice but to priorities the resort development project right now Nheless, she did not think she would actually have to head over to Druobridge tonight. All the more shocking was that Craig had booked her a ne ticket Fine I¡¯ll go to Druobridge tonight, then,¡± Yuliana said She did owe Craig a few favors, after all Craig grinned when he heard this, and she saw his crooked teeth peeking out Thanks, Ms Livingstone As she looked at the grin on his face, Yuliana could not help feeling as though she had just fallen into a trap. The flight was scheduled to depart at around 9:00 p.m. Yuliana left work on time that evening and hurried home to pack her luggage. On her way out the door, she quietly told Hailey where she was going but decided to keep Rowan in the dark about this There was slight traffic on the way to the airport, but after she had checked in, she quickly made her way to the gate and boarded the flight ¡°Pardon me¡± Yuliana had only just settled in her seat when she heard this, and her mind went nk. She looked up at that moment and saw a familiar face. Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Do You Want To Get In? Their eyes met for two seconds. Both were slightly surprised. Christopher first came back to his senses and curled up the corners of his lips mysteriously. ¡°What a coincidence,¡± he said. Yuliana averted her gaze and hummed indifferently before withdrawing her stretched legs to make way for him Obviously, the empty seat next to hers was Christopher¡¯s. Christopher casually put his bag into the overhead bins above his seat and sat in with his head slightly lowered. There were still a few minutes before the ne took off. Yuliana used this time slot to check her unread messages and emails. She selectively replied to some of the important ones. When she was just about to turn on airne mode, something suddenly urred to her. She clicked on WhatsApp and searched for Wesley to send him a message. ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip to Druobridge. I¡¯ll be back the night after tomorrow.¡± Yuliana was not sure if Wesley could see the message, not to mention if he would reply. After sending the message, Yuliana waited for half a minute. Seeing that Wesley didn¡¯t reply, she turned on airne mode and put her phone into her bag. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect you to take the initiative and report your whereabouts.¡± A man¡¯s slightly sarcastic voice sounded beside her. Yuliana furrowed her eyebrows slightly and shot Christopher a look. She wanted to say something but then held her words back. She had nothing to say to Christopher, and she didn¡¯t need to exin anything to him. They didn¡¯t even have the need tomunicate, except for things rted to Rowan. As for Rowan, Yuliana didn¡¯t think that there was anything wrong with him. Everyone was already mature. Since they had already decided to be together, they should maintain this rtionship properly. The ne took off smoothly. Yuliana took out her sleep mask and put it on, ready to sleep. Halfway through the flight, the ne experienced turbulence. She woke up for a while, but since it wasn¡¯t serious, she fell asleep again very soon. When she finally woke up again, the ne was already circling above Druobridge Airport, ready to land. She subconsciously tilted her head sideways and looked out of the window. When she withdrew her gaze, she unintentionally caught a glimpse of Christopher. His arms were folded around his chest, his body curled up slightly. He fell asleep with his eyes shut tight; his eyebrows almost twisted into a knot. His face was so tense that all color drained from his face. Even his lips. were very pale. Yuliana hesitated for a while before reaching out and patting Christopher¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Yuliana. She thought that Christopher was airsick or unwell. However, Christopher didn¡¯t respond. Only then did she realize that Christopher was asleep. His reaction was more likely to be him having a nightmare. After thinking for a while, she felt that it was none of her business. ¡°The ne willnd very soon. He would then wake up himself,¡± Yuliana thought. Yuliana forcibly distracted herself from Christopher. She picked up the magazine provided on the ne and flipped through it. The magazine was mostly about Druobridge, introducing some very popr tourist attractions. Druobridge was a city rich in tourism resources. Those resort development projects mentioned by Craig were located in a small town down Druobridge. The scenery of the town was excellent, but due to the outdated transportation environment and public facilities, it had not yet be a popr attraction, and only a small portion of tourists had visited it. In fact, this resort development project was quite decent. Once everything was constructed and the public facilities included were improved, there would still be arge profit margin as long as it could attract arge number of tourists. ¡°Ana¡­¡± Yuliana was fully focused on reading the magazine. A familiar voice suddenly drew all of her attention. She turned her head out of reflex, only to see that Christopher still had his eyes closed, his face grimmer than before. There were at least ten minutes left before the ne would bending. ¡°Ana, you¡¯re mine¡­¡± Anger shed across the man¡¯s beautiful eyebrows. Yuliana curled up her fingers slightly and fell silent for a while. She exerted a little strength and patted Christopher on the shoulder. ¡°Christopher, wake up!¡± She exerted more strength on her grip and shook him several times. Finally, the man¡¯s eyebrows slowly rxed. After two seconds, a pair of dark eyes emerged from under his eyelids. He stared at Yuliana intently for a while, and then the darkness in his eyes slowly faded. He wiped his face and nced out of the window. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± he said. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana pursed her lower lip slightly and softly hummed in response. ¡°You had a nightmare,¡± Yuliana replied. Christopher tilted his head and leaned against the backrest of his seat. He faced Yuliana slightly and asked, ¡°What did I dream about?¡± Yuliana¡¯s gaze fell on the magazine in her hand. ¡°Your dream? How do I know what you dreamed?¡± Christopher stayed silent for a while. ¡°I dreamed about you.¡± The magazine pages in Yuliana¡¯s hand were slightly wrinkled. She lowered her eyes and didn¡¯t answer. After that, both of them didn¡¯t speak anymore. About ten minutester, the nended smoothly. The temperature of Druobridge was different from that of Juxshire. The altitude was higher, and the temperature difference between day and night wasrge. After getting off the ne, Yuliana, who was only wearing a pink knitted short-sleeve, quickly got goosebumps on her arms due to the temperature. It was quite cold. Yuliana did bring a coat in her suitcase. However, she didn¡¯t bother to open the suitcase and take it out. She followed the crowd and walked all the way out of the airport. On the other hand, Christopher answered a phone call and left the airport a little bitter. Craig did arrange for someone to pick Yuliana up, but even when a few minutes passed after Yuliana left the airport, the person who was supposed to pick her up didn¡¯t contact her. It was almost dawn, and the wind was gushing outside. It was much colder than in the airport. Yuliana shivered and called Craig. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you already arranged for someone to pick me up? Why hasn¡¯t anyone contacted me?¡± she asked. Craig was just about to go to sleep. Hearing this, he asked dubiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone contact you? It¡¯s impossible. Zavion said he had already given his heads-up.¡± Zavion was one of Craig¡¯s assistants, who was a freshman recently graduated from college. He was responsible for dealing with some minor errands. How could Yuliana not hear the perfunctory tone in his words? Realization dawned upon her the moment she saw Christopher on the ne. ¡°How about I call Zavion and ask him?¡± Craig said as if he had no idea what to do. ¡°However, Zavion is probably asleep at this hour. Even if I seeded in contacting him to pick you up, it¡¯s already veryte. Ms. Livingstone, maybe you can hail a car to go to the hotel yourself?¡± ¡°Mr. Newton!¡± Yuliana restrained herself and said through her gritted teeth, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I noticed that you¡¯re so troublesome before?¡± With that, she hung up the phone. She was so angry that her chest throbbed. At this hour, how many cars could be at the airport? Most of them were here to pick up someone. Every taxi that arrived was immediately hailed by others. Yuliana was rubbing her arms when she saw an empty taxi. Just as she was about to go over there with her suitcase, a middle-aged woman rushed over and stood behind the car. She waved in the direction behind her. Yuliana turned sideways and took a quick look. She saw a girl in her early twenties with a several-month-old toddler hanging in front of her chest while pushing a stroller with one hand. Yuliana sighed in her heart and withdrew her footsteps. She stood there, waiting for the next taxi. She lifted her wrist and checked the time. It was already past twelve o¡¯clock. At this moment, a ck Mercedes-Benz slowly stopped in front of her. Yuliana was slightly stunned. The window of the rearpartment was lowered, revealing the man¡¯s side profile. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and refused. ¡°No need. A car ising to pick me up,¡± she said. Christopherughed and said, ¡°Craig told me that the driver who was supposed to pick you up went home for his elder¡¯s funeral. He can¡¯te.¡± Yuliana felt speechless. ¡°Do you want to get in the car?¡± Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Feed Him To The Dogs Yuliana wanted to refuse, but right at that moment, several private cars stopped behind Christopher¡¯s car The cars were there to pick up people as well. Soon car honking filled the air. Yuliana opened the trunk to ce her luggage and got into the car before the airport security could come over. She sat in the front passenger seat. The driver nced at Yuliana and wanted to say something. After looking at the rearview mirror, he just smiled faintly at Yuliana. Yuliana gave the driver the hotel address. The driver¡¯s face beamed as he eximed, ¡°What a coincidence! Mr. Sce is also staying there¡± When Yuliana heard that, she immediately wanted to curse someone. ¡°Craig, that bastard!¡± Yuliana cursed inwardly. She turned on her phone and nned to reserve another hotel. However, it was August now and summer vacation had started. It was peak tourist season and Druobridge happened to be a renowned city for tourism. At that time, most of the hotels which had respectable conditions will be basically fully reserved. Slightly downscale hotels were either in remote areas or in unfavorable environments. Yuliana scrolled through her phone for a moment before she chose to give up. The hotel was a bit far away from the airport. It would take almost an hour to reach the hotel. Yuliana slept at the airport, so she didn¡¯t quite feel sleepy. She stared out of the window the entire way. However, it was hard to ignore the gazeing from behind her. She made every effort to distract herself and immersed her thoughts in the city of Druobridge. Druobridge was a totally different city from Juxshire. Juxshire embodied modernity and prosperity, which had a fast pace of life. Whereas with Druobridge, Yuliana had an indescribable feeling. The city made her feel a sense of inner peace, and every impetuous cell in her body rxed. After arriving at the hotel, Yuliana checked in and carried her suitcase upstairs by herself. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Christopher followed behind her slowly. Although they were staying in the same hotel, they didn¡¯t end up on the same floor. When Yuliana reached her hotel room, she finally got a reprieve from being stared at. She quickly washed up and went to bed. She thought she would be unable to fall asleep, but maybe her body was rxed. After listening to an audiobook for a while, she soon fell asleep. It waste at night when a soft click sounded. The hotel room door opened, and a tall ck figure slowly walked to the bedside. Yuliana slept soundly, and she even had a dream. In her dream, a wolf pounced on her. The wolf¡¯s four paws held her down, and she couldn¡¯t move. It opened its mouth, shing a row of sharp teeth before biting down on her neck. She screamed out in fear and suddenly woke up. When Yuliana woke up, she realized it was not just simply a dream. She was indeed held down and was unable to move her limbs. A burst of pain came from the side of her neck. As soon as Yuliana realized this, she panicked and started struggling violently. ¡°Who are you? Let go of me!¡± yelled Yuliana. She broke free her shackled wrist and continued to push and strike the other person in the face and head. Yet, pretty soon, her hands were tightly sped above her head. The man raised his hand. In the darkness, a pair of dark eyes stared at her just like the wolf did in her dreams. Yuliana finally managed to distinguish the man¡¯s profile through the dim light. ¡°Christopher?¡± faltered Yuliana. She couldn¡¯t believe it and even thought that she was still dreaming. However, the man¡¯s hoarse response shattered all her assumptions. Once she became aware of what was happening, anger started bubbling up in her. It almost razed through her remaining sanity. She restrained herself and suppressed her rage. ¡°How did you get in?¡± gritted out Yuliana. Christopher lowered his head and pressed their forehead together as he nuzzled his nose against her nose. His hot breath brushed against her lips. I opened the door and came in,¡± said Christopher in a voice tinged with a smile, with of hint yfulness in them. At that moment, Yuliana noticed that Christopher¡¯s breath reeked of alcohol. ¡°He had drinks,¡± thought Yuliana in despair. ¡°You had drinks, confirmed Yuliana. ¡°Yes, I did have a drink,¡± agreed Christopher. His other hand¡¯s fingers traced across her corbones before he added, ¡°But I can still satisfy you.¡± Yuliana¡¯s chest thumped a few times suddenly. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. ¡°Stop it with the drunken crazy act. I know you are not drunk,¡± scoffed Yuliana. Christopher didn¡¯t respond and started lightly kissing her lips. Yuliana tilted her head and dodged his lips. Christopher teasingly grinned, ¡°Ana, your body is much more honest than your mouth. It appears that Wesley Duncan isn¡¯t capable enough to satisfy you. Look, Wesley is not here. He won¡¯t be aware of what we are doing Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell him.¡± Yuliana became even more infuriated when she heard that, and growled, ¡°You are out of your mind!¡± Christopher buried his face against the side of her neck. He nibbled on the flesh of her neck and slowly breathed out, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m out of my mind. The only cure for this is you, Ana.¡± ¡°I regret it,¡± rambled Christopher, ¡°Ana, you can only be mine. I¡¯m going to end Wesley. I¡¯m going to chop him up and feed him to the dogs.¡± As she listened to Christopher¡¯s sinister words, Yuliana felt a chill run down her spine. Then she started struggling violently again and shouted incoherently, ¡°You are crazy! Christopher, let go of me!¡± Christopher had never said anything like this in the past. In the past, even if he were angry, he wouldn¡¯t speak in that kind of tone. At most, he would try to scare them off. However, at that moment, every single wording out of his mouth scared her to the bottom of her heart. Christopher stroked Yuliana¡¯s hair gently and consoled her, ¡°Yu, don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t hurt you. That is something that will never happen. I love you so much. How could I bear to hurt you?¡± ¡°However, Wesley deserves to die! How could he touch you? You¡¯re mine! You can only be mine,¡± mumbled Christopher. Christopher¡¯s voice was really gentle, but Yuliana only felt indescribable fear. She did not have any strength left to struggle. She curled up her slightly trembling body. He lowered his head before he continued kissing her for a while, then groaned, ¡°Ana, I have a headache. Behave yourself and do not move, alright.¡± After saying that, he slowly released her wrist and nuzzled his head to the side of her neck. Not long after, his breathing rxed and slowed down. Yuliana opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. In the dark room, the only sounds were the light breathing of Christopher and the violent pounding of Yuliana¡¯s heart. After some time, Yuliana finally came back to her senses. Her limbs were already numb. Bit by bit, she carefully moved her body out of his hold. Christophery on the bed, sleeping soundly. Yuliana shrank to the side of the bed and stared at him for a while before reaching her hand out to turn on the bedsidemp Christopher frowned slightly in response to the light stimtion Yuliana panicked and didn¡¯t dare to move After a while, when she noticed his brows were rxing, she Immediately packed her stuff and left the hotel room It was after 3 am, and Yuliana¡¯s mind was in turmoil She didn¡¯t even know where she could go Finally, when she reached the lobby that was on the first floor of the hotel, she sat on the couch for a moment. Then she walked to the hotel reception desk, took out her ID card, and requested. ¡°Please get a new room for me The staff looked at her before taking her ID card to check and asked, ¡®Is there anything wrong with the room? Yuliana opened her mouth and hesitated before stating, ¡°No, I just want to change a room The staff showed a troubled expression and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry. All the rooms in the hotel are fully booked.¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and took back her ID card. She silently walked back to the couch in the lobby and sat down The sunlight outside the window shone through the curtains, and Christopher woke up from his sleep He only realized something was wrong when he reached his hand out to the bedside table to grab his phone Christopher opened his eyes and sat up from the bed. His gaze roved around the room. Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Normal It was not his room. Christopher raised his hand and rubbed his dizzy head. He suddenly stopped, and some images shed across his mind. After a moment, he looked around again. The room was cleaned up, and no personal belonging was left behind. He sat cross-legged for two minutes, thinking about what had happened the previous night. After the fragments of memory were pieced together, Christopher slowly got up and walked into the bathroom. He washed his face with cold water and left the bathroom. After returning to his room, Christopher picked up his phone. Hesitating for a few seconds, he dialed a number. The phone rang a few times and was hung up. Christopher dialed again, but it was still the same. He did not call again. He brought his clothes to the bathroom and took a shower. When he came out half-naked, someone knocked on the door, and his phone kept vibrating. Christopher picked up the phone first and checked it. He did not answer the call. Then, he put on a loose sleeveless ck T-shirt, put a cigarette in his mouth, walked to the door slowly, and opened the door. He looked up and nced at the people standing at the door casually. Then, he lit the cigarette in his mouth. Looking at Christopher, who looked leisurely as if he was on vacation, ck Wolf was very unhappy. ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t forget why you came to Druobridge this time. You¡¯re not here to hang out with your ex-wife.¡± Although Oliver arranged for ck Wolf and his men toe to Druobridge with Christopher, they did not take the same flight or stay in the same hotel. They should not be too conspicuous when they went to Druobridge that time. The people they brought were divided into several groups and took different flights. After arriving at Druobridge, they stayed in an ordinary hotel. However, Christopher was different from others. Aside from requesting to fly in business ss, he even stayed in the best hotel in Druobridge. Christopher lowered his gaze and bit his thin lips. The scene of the previous night appeared in his mind again. He remembered smooth skin, soft and warm lips, and a faint fragrance between his breaths. He felt his throat suddenly tighten. After a while, Christopher slowly returned to his senses. ck Wolf¡¯s words fell into his ears. Raising his gaze, Christopher looked at ck Wolf indifferently. A smile appeared on the corners of his mouth, and he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t forget the purpose ofing to Druobridge. Did you forget who you are? Since when did you think it¡¯s your turn to teach me to do things?¡± ck Wolf was choked by Christopher¡¯s words. His expression instantly turned grim, and he looked menacing. He snorted. ¡°Christopher, do you really take yourself seriously? You think you¡¯re noble, but you¡¯re just like us, just a dog kept by Mr. Xavier. A dog that isn¡¯t obedient will end up like this.¡± With that, ck Wolf raised his hand and gestured at his neck. Christopher looked at him indifferently and flicked the cigarette ash. With a grin, he said, ¡°ck Wolf, I have no idea you have a hobby of pretending to be a dog, but I don¡¯t think Mr. Xavier likes that.¡± ck Wolf did not understand Christopher¡¯s words at first. After realizing it, he immediately exploded in anger and grabbed Christopher¡¯s cor, berating, ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll let my man murder you!¡± Christopher did not move and looked down at ck Wolf calmly. ¡°Let go of me.¡± ck Wolf was about five feet seven inches tall, about four inches shorter than Christopher. He was very burly and big since he kept training all year. When he tensed up, his muscles were clearly shown. In ck Wolf¡¯s opinion, Christopher was thin and weak, looking like a boy toy. Christopher did not have any skills but walked all over him easily. ck Wolf could not stand the humiliation. He had disliked Christopher a long time ago. Christopher¡¯s expression gradually turned cold, and his gaze at ck Wolf changed little by little. ¡°Let go of me Don¡¯t let me say it the third time.¡± Standing beside ck Wolf, the two men noticed the tense atmosphere and immediately persuaded, ¡°ck Wolf, forget it. We should get Mr. Xavier¡¯s business done first.¡± Hearing that, ck Wolf returned to his senses but still looked at Christopher with murderous intent. After a while, he loosened his grip on Christopher¡¯s cor and warned, ¡°The handler wille here later. If you dare to ruin Mr. Xavier¡¯s business, you won¡¯t return to Juxshire alive!¡± After saying that, ck Wolf left with his men. Christopher straightened his shirt, closed the door, and returned to his room. On the other side, ck Wolf and his men went into the elevator. ¡°ck Wolf, are we really going to help Christopher this time?¡± asked Python. He was the one who went to catch Terrence with Christopher the other day. He had always held a personal grudge against Christopher because of what happened at that time. Python tried to find a chance to kill Christopher to vent his anger. However, the mission at the moment was crucial. If anything went wrong, even ck Wolf and Christopher would have to be severely punished, let alone the men under the two. The man who had persuaded ck Wolf earlier suddenly smirked and said, ¡°This deal is already dangerous. As long as the deal can bepleted, isn¡¯t it quite normal if someone dies?¡± Among the men who joined in the mission at that time, except for Bamboo, who was Christopher¡¯s man, the others were friends who had been following ck Wolf for many years. ck Wolf and the dealer also had some association. It was easy to do something if he wanted to. ck Wolf nced at him, patted his face, and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re smart. It¡¯s not a waste of time my to care for you!¡± The man chuckled in response. Yuliana sat in the hotel lobby for several hours. After dawn, she hailed a taxi to Lofbury, the town where the resort development project was located. The project was led by the local government. Due to geographical constraints, Lofbury¡¯s conditions were quite harsh. Although it belonged to Druobridge, its development was far behindpared to other ces in Druobridge. As the town¡¯s name suggested, the town was in the valley of Mount Lofbury. It took two to three hours to get to Mount Lofbury by car from Druobridge. One needed to go up Mount Lofbury and follow the road built near the cliff to reach Lofbury. Fortunately, there were more tourists to Lofbury in recent years. The government also realized that and strengthened infrastructure construction. After the construction, it was not too dangerous to go to Lofbury. It was past ten o¡¯clock in the morning when Yuliana arrived at Lofbury. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The person in charge of the resort development project that received Yuliana was a director named Thomas. Turner, who was in his forties. He probably lived in the town for a long time and did not act impetuous like the people outside the town. He behaved very honestly and treated people warmly. Thomas took Yuliana to the office to have a rest. He made her a cup of coffee and briefly introduced the situation of the town. After having lunch at noon, he arranged for someone to take Yuliana to rest for a while. After two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Thomas brought Yuliana and visited ces in the town: Lofbury was also a town with a long history. The local government had a long-term vision as they preserved all the ancient buildings well. Meanwhile, the government nned for the new houses to be built in another area of the town. Even the new high-rise buildings that were built followed the characteristics of the original buildings in the town They were ingeniously integrated with the original ancient buildings. Then, Thomas took Yuliana to the scenic spots around the town. Most of them were in their natural state. and had not been developed The sky was blue, and the clouds were fluffy like cotton candy The forest was green, and theke was blue. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Do Nof Ask Yuliana remembered the pictures she had seen in the project n before. At that time, she thought it was heavily edited, only to find out that the real version could not even bepared to the picture. When it was getting dark, she followed Thomas back to the town. In the evening, the scenery in the town was different. The sky was dyed in a different color as if from a scene in an animation. There was a sense of unreality, but everything was real. ¡°Lofbury is really beautiful. I¡¯m not bragging about it, but it¡¯s much more beautiful than many famous scenic spots in Druobridge. Many tourists who came here said so.¡± Thomas said eagerly. Yuliana nodded. ¡°It truly is really beautiful. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such beautiful scenery.¡± She had been in Juxshire for many years and had not traveled much since she was a child. Before coming to Lofbury, she could not imagine such beautiful scenery at all. They chatted as they walked. Thomas arranged for Yuliana to live in the best hotel in the town. It was not as great as Druobridge¡¯s hotels, but it was much better than Yuliana expected. Thomas had arranged dinner. Thinking that Yuliana had been tired for a whole day, he personally took her to the hotel¡¯s front door after their meal. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, thank you for your hard work today. Have a good rest tonight. I¡¯ll talk about the resort with you in detail tomorrow morning,¡± Thomas said. Yuliana nodded and responded with some words of gratitude before entering the hotel. The hotel only had four floors, and there was no elevator, so she had to climb the stairs. After half a day, Yuliana finally understood why the government in Lofbury wanted to build a resort. The environment here was really poor. Most of the people who came were enthusiastic about traveling and adventures and did not mind the food and amodation environment. Although tourists like that could bring some profits to Lofbury, it was not enough to develop the town and to make the local people rich. If a resort were built, the food and amodation environment would improve. More and more affluent people woulde here to travel, which not only could it promote the development of the ce, it could also increase employment. Most importantly, the town also had abundant hot spring resources, which were very suitable for building Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. resorts. Yuliana returned to her room. ording to the situation after today¡¯s investigation, she reorganized the information for the next project. After some time, she felt thirsty and wanted to drink water, but she noticed. that there was no mineral water in the room. There was only one kettle.. Yuliana was worried about the hygiene here and did not dare to use it. She put on a gray knitted coat and nned to buy two bottles of water downstairs. ¡°Hello, two bottles of mineral water. How much is it?¡± ¡°90 cents.¡± Afterward, Yuliana turned on her phone and scanned the QR code to pay. At this moment, another voice came from the side. ¡°Two cups of instant noodles.¡± After paying, Yuliana put away her phone and nced at the man beside her. He was tall, thin, and in his early 20s. He was looking around the shop. Soon, he looked at Yuliana, and their eyes met before she looked away. The receptionist took two bottles of mineral water for Yuliana. Yuliana took it and walked toward the stairs. but she could not help muttering in her heart. The man who had just bought the instant noodles looked very familiar, and she felt she had seen him somewhere before. However, she could not remember, no matter how much she racked her brain. Yuliana was lying on the bed at night. She did not know whether the bed was too soft or the roorn was too cold She tossed and turned and was only able to fall asleep after a while. At that moment, her phone suddenly rang She opened her eyes, picked up her phone, and read the message. Wesley had responded to her Wesley: [Are you at Druobridge?] Yuliana replied affirmatively However, she thought it was too general and added, [To be exact, it¡¯s in a town in Druobridge] Wesley: [Which town?] Yuliana [Lofbury Have you ever heard of this town?] As soon as she replied to the message, Wesley called her, and Yuliana answered the phone. ¡°Are you in Lofbury? Wesley¡¯s voice was a little anxious) Yuliana was stunned Yes What¡¯s the problem?¡± Wesley did not say anything for a long time. After a while, his tone softened slightly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Where are you staying?¡± Yuliana turned on the light and sat up from the bed. ¡°In a hotel.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the name of the hotel?¡± ¡°Hatte Hotel¡± Wesley seemed to be taking a deep breath on the other end of the phone. After a while, he said, ¡°I have something else to do, so I have to hang up and turn off the phone immediately. Yuliana, listen to me. No matter what happens tonight, stay in your hotel room. Don¡¯t go out, okay?¡± Yuliana was confused for a few seconds. After she came to her senses, she panicked and asked, ¡°Wesley, are you also in Lofbury? What¡¯s going on in this town tonight?¡± ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t ask anything, okay? Stay in your room tonight, and don¡¯t go out when you hear any sound. I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow,¡± Wesley whispered. Yuliana bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡± After saying that, he hung up the call. Yuliana held her phone tightly. She felt a little uneasy. She put down her phone, turned off the light, andy back on the bed, forcing herself to fall asleep as soon as possible. She did not have to think about anything as long as she fell asleep. But the more she wanted to fall asleep, the more she could not. Her mind became more awake. At this moment, she suddenly remembered where she had seen the tall and thin man. It was in Wise Vige. That day, she sat in the car with Wesley, and the man was beside Christopher. She suddenly opened her eyes at this thought. Her heart raced violently as if it was about to leap out of her chest. ¡°Christopher is also in Lofbury?¡± she thought. This made Yuliana panic and her thoughts even messier. After ten o¡¯clock, the whole town was silent. It was quiet outside, and only a few low voices came from the rooms. It seemed to be raining. Yulians heard the sounds of raindrops hitting the window, but the rain was not heavy It was not noisy, and the tapping of the rain added a trace of tranquility to the night. Time ticked by, and after some time, amotion was heard from outside Yuliana did not turn on the light She got up from the bed in the dark, walked to the window and pulled the curtains a little as she peeked out of the slit Her room faced the street outside Because of the rain, the whole town was wet, and the ground was sparkling under the streetmps At this time, many people ran quickly in the street. They were looking back while running and using something in their hands as they pointed at the people behind them, but there were no soundsing from them However, she saw someone fall in the distance Yuliana s brain was buzzing She had lived for 28 years and had only seen such a scene in television and movies Suddenly, there was a breaking sound. It was the sound of ss breaking, and the sound was very close to Yuliana She screamed in fear, quickly squatted down, and reflexively reached out to cover her ears Her body could not stop trembling, and fear embodied her. Bang Bang Bang Bang! There was a rapid knock on the door. Yuliana¡¯s trembling body stiffened. She squatted in ce and did not dare to move. Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Is It Better If I Died In the past, if someone knocked on the door at midnight for no reason, Yuliana would not be afraid and would respond calmly. At this moment, it was different. She had just witnessed the scene on the street She felt extremely insecure and could not calm down at all The room was just a standard room with a bed and a few couches. There was also a round table in the room. Everything in the room could be seen at one nce Yuliana remained to squat by the wall as she stared at the door The knock on the door continued, and it became more and more anxious Yuliana became extremely nervous, and the sound of fear echoed from outside the window Although it waste at night, people were still on the street. Not only that, but themotion might wake those who had already fallen asleep. The whole town was in a panic. At this time, Yuliana¡¯s phone rang She was startled by the ringing of her phone. It took her two seconds to react. She panicked and wanted to get her phone, but her legs were weak. She had just stood up but fell to her knees immediately When they came in contact with the ground, the pain in her knees shattered her. Her eyes got wet uncontrobly. Holding back her tears and withstanding the pain in her knees, she stumbled to the bedside and picked up her phone. When she saw the caller ID, she was momentarily dumbfounded and clicked to answer it with trembling fingers. ¡°C-Christopher.¡± When the name came out, her tears streamed immediately. ¡°Ana.¡± After she heard the man¡¯s hoarse voice, Yuliana¡¯s panic seemed relieved, but her emotions had overflown, and she could not help choking on the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid and open the door,¡± Christopher said again. Yuliana was stunned and stopped crying. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Open the door,¡± Christopher repeated. Yuliana suddenly looked at the door, then hurriedly got up and ran to the door to open it. She saw Christopher standing at the door dressed in ck with a grim expression. He had a mobile phone in his hand. ¡°W-Why are you here?¡± Yuliana¡¯s fear was dispelled, but a trace ofplicated emotions emerged. Christopher clenched the phone that was still in the middle of the call, smiled at Yuliana, and went straight into her room. He walked slowly, taking each step toward the bed without saying anything. He lifted the quilt andy down, then covered himself with the quilt and said, ¡°Well, let me borrow your bed.¡± ¡°What! The reason he came to my room was just to sleep?¡± Yuliana thought. Yuliana would never believe that. ¡°Did he not hear themotion outside?¡± she thought again. Yuliana had many questions in her heart. She did not know why Christopher came to Druobridge or why he was here now. She wondered if those people outside had anything to do with him. There was also Wesley. She was also scared during the Wise Vige incident, but it was not as terrifying as this time. Any normal person would be panicked when they saw something like this happen in an unfamiliar and remote town. However, Christopher could still sleep. Yuliana stood by the bed and looked at him for a while, but themotion outside was still ongoing. Perhaps it was because someone was in the room, so she was no longer scared. She walked to the window again and looked into the street. There were now several police cars parked on the street. The people in the police cars quickly and orderly got out of their vehicles swiftly and neatly controlled the people who resisted on the street one by one But some people were still running around in the street, using the weapon in their hands as theirst resort. ¡°Humph!¡± A muffled grunt from behind attracted Yuliana¡¯s attention She turned around and saw Christopher lying on the bed. His position was still the same. One of his hands was hanging by the bed, not moving at all. Yuliana suddenly realized something was wrong She walked to the bed and looked at Christopher¡¯s face. She did not know whether it was because of the light or something else. She felt that his face looked abnormal. His brows were furrowed, and his lips were pursed as if he was trying to endure something. It was almost like her nightmare on the ne, but somewhat different Yuliana was unsure. She kicked the leg that was hanging by the bed. Only then did she realize Christopher went to bed without even taking off his shoes. She frowned slightly and forced herself to hold back her dissatisfaction ¡°Get up!¡± The man on the bed was asleep and did not react at all. Yuliana was always good at controlling her emotions, but after experiencing what happened tonight, she was not able to anymore. She lifted the quilt and grabbed Christopher¡¯s arm to pull him out of bed. ¡°Humph!¡± As soon as Christopher¡¯s body was moved, she heard Christopher grunting again, and he frowned even more. Yuliana stopped what she was doing and was about to speak when something caught her gaze. On the white sheets, arge area of bright red spread from Christopher¡¯s body, and the strong smell of blood immediately assaulted Yuliana¡¯s nose, telling her that the sheet was not dyed with paint or something else but blood. The blood on the sheet spread faster when she dragged him just now. The color and smell of blood stimted her vision and smell. Yuliana froze briefly, immediately put down Christopher¡¯s arm, and then looked at the dazzling red spot on the white sheets. She was at a loss and did not know what to do. After a while, she knelt by the bed and patted Christopher¡¯s face. ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher did not respond. Yuliana guessed that his back was injured, but she did not know the exact position. However, from the amount of bleeding, it must be serious. If the wound were not treated as soon as possible, he would die of blood loss even if he did not injure his critical areas. She had learned simple first aid and treatment of cuts, but she could not deal with Christopher¡¯s injuries. She thought, ¡°Should I call an ambnce?¡± Yuliana picked up her phone and was about to call an ambnce, but she suddenly stopped and looked up at Christopher. She wondered, ¡°Does Christopher have nothing to do with what happened tonight? Can he go to the hospital?¡± She then thought again, ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no time to care about this.¡± Yuliana made an emergency call. After the emergency center asked about the situation, Yuliana was about to report the address to the other party when her phone was suddenly taken away from her. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She looked down and saw Christopher opening his eyes and looking at her. His pupils were deep, but there were strands of red in the whites of his eyes. It was as if they were scarlet. He looked like a wild beast about to jurnp at her and bite her to death. Yuliana was frightened by his eyes and was stunned for a few seconds before her lips moved. ¡°Y- You¡¯re awake.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes slowly focused on her face after hearing her voice, and the redness in his eyes gradually faded His thin lips moved. ¡°Ana.¡± Yuliana felt that she was about to cry after she heard him. She responded faintly. ¡°You are injured and bleeding a lot. You must go to the hospital She did not even realize her voice was trembling when she said this Christopher closed his eyes and held his breath as he raised his shoulders slightly. He then slowly breathed out. He reached out and grabbed her trembling hand Don¡¯t worry I have a lot of blood, so I won¡¯t die soon¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say something like that, okay?¡± Yuliana said angrily Christopherughed in a low voice His chest trembled, and he felt the pain in his wound. He could feel that the blood was flowing faster after that He said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it better if I die? This way, you can live peacefully with Wesley, and no one will disturb you anymore.¡± Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Have You Seen This Man? Yuliana was shocked. After skipping a beat, her heart started to beat violently. Who could it be?¡± she wondered. Only Thomas and Wesley knew that she lived here, but Wesley didn¡¯t know what her room number was. Even if he knew, he shouldn¡¯t be able to arrive here at this time. Thomas couldn¡¯te too as it was alreadyte at night. He could contact Yuliana by phone if he needed anything Yuliana also guessed that Thomas should be too busy to find her. The hurried knocks on the door didn¡¯t sound like it was from the hotel staff After excluding all of them, the person who knocked on the door was most likely rted to Christopher. Yuliana suddenly remembered what Christopher had said before. ¡°If I go there, I will only die faster.¡± ¡°Because someone wants me to die!¡± She didn¡¯t know whether it was Christopher¡¯s friend or the one who wanted him to die. Although her body and mind were highly stressed, she was thinking extremely fast. In an instant, she had thought of all the possibilities in her mind. However, the knocking didn¡¯t stop. Instead, it became more and more intense. Yuliana even heard the sound of a foot kicking the door. She nced at the room quickly and responded in a soft and angry voice as if she had just woken up from her sleep. ¡°Who is it? It¡¯s the middle of the night!¡± After saying that, Yuliana quickly sorted out the things on the bed. Then, she lifted the nket and covered Christopher, only revealing his hair. Hearing someone in the room respond, the person outside knocked harder. ¡°Open the door!¡± The voice sounded very fierce. Yuliana¡¯s hands kept trembling, but she still yelled at the door calmly, ¡°Stop knocking! Just wait for me to put on my clothes when I open the door.¡± She stuffed all the suspicious things under the bed and took out a nightgown from the suitcase. After putting it on, she threw her undergarments on the floor and took out the perfume to spray it all over the room. Yuliana also put on a coat and made her hair look messy. Then, she walked to the door and held the doorknob. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Outside the door stood three tall men. They were like three mountains in front of Yuliana. The one at the front should be the one who just knocked on the door, as two people were standing behind him. One of them was holding a cigarette in his hand. With a solemn expression on his face, he looked at Yuliana fiercely. Yuliana was wearing a ck silk nightgown, so her exposed skin looked white in contrast. She raised her head slightly and nced at the three people outside. She raised her hand and flicked her hair to look. charming. The three men were staring straight at her and didn¡¯te back to their senses for a long time. Yuliana leaned against the door frame while smiling with her arms folded. ¡°Have you seen enough?¡± Hearing this, the three men came back to their senses. With an icy cold expression, Yuliana looked at the three men¡¯s faces. ¡°What do you three want? It¡¯ste at night. Why aren¡¯t you letting me sleep?¡± ¡°Have you seen this man?¡± The man at the front took out his phone and opened a photo before handing it to Yuliana¡­ Yuliana stared at the photo and furrowed her brows. ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing this, the three men outside the door immediately stared at Yuliana and asked, ¡°Where? When?¡± Yuliana recalled and replied, ¡°Last night, about eight or nine o¡¯clock? I remembered that my boyfriend and I went downstairs to buy some mineral water. That man was next to me, buying some snacks. Seeing that he looked handsome, I stared at him twice. My boyfriend was jealous at that time!¡± Thinking of this, Yuliana couldn¡¯t help smiling again. She rubbed her arms and continued. ¡°You three knocked on the door all night just to find him? He should be staying in this hotel as well Shouldn¡¯t you go and ask the hotel staff? It¡¯ste at night. You can¡¯t just go and knock on one room after another How disturbing! Lucky for you, my boyfriend is sleeping like a log Otherwise, he will surely cause a scene with you!¡± Hearing Yuliana¡¯s words, the man that was smoking looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you staying here with your boyfriend?¡± Yulianained, ¡°Yeah. If it wasn¡¯t for my boyfriend who said that he wanted toe here, I wouldn¡¯t havee!¡± The man started to size Yuliana up and said. ¡°We want to have a look at your room.¡± ¡°No, my boyfriend is sleeping. If you wake him up, he will surely scold meter!¡± Yuliana looked nervous and worried The man¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°We¡¯re just having a look by the door. We won¡¯t wake your boyfriend up.¡± Yuliana still looked reluctant. Then, she hesitated for a moment and nodded ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t wake him up!¡± Yuliana gave way. The man who knocked on the door took two steps inside. The room was small, so he could already see all of it at a nce. There were undergarments, women¡¯s clothes, and tissues scattered all over the floor. The smell of women¡¯s perfume and the ambiguous fishy smell in the air made it easy for people to realize what had happened before. There was no one else in the room except the one lying on the bed. The man at the front noticed the bathroom. He opened the door of the bathroom and looked inside. Then, he closed it and stepped back. He walked outside and shook his head at the man who was smoking. The man smiled at Yuliana and said, ¡°Sorry for interrupting!¡± After saying that, he quickly walked toward the stairs, and the other two immediately followed. As they turned around, Yuliana noticed that there was something on the back of the man. Yuliana immediately closed the door and leaned her back against it, gasping for breath. She felt speechless. ¡®Mr. Lawson, where do you think that brat would hide? We already searched the whole hotel, and we can¡¯t even find him!¡± say Reynolds threw the cigarette butt on the ground and put it out. ¡°Are you sure he entered this hotel?¡± One of the subordinates, Georgie, replied, ¡°We did see him running across town. Didn¡¯t ck Wolf that he¡¯s staying in this hotel? It¡¯s his first timeing to Lofbury, so he¡¯s unfamiliar with the ce. If he was injured, he could either go to the hospital or hide back in the hotel. The town was so chaotic tonight, with the police capturing people everywhere. He was shot, so he definitely didn¡¯t dare to go to the hospital, and the people in the town wouldn¡¯t dare to hide him.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Christopher was badly injured, so his wound must be treated in time. It rained at night. It was so cold that it was impossible for him to hide in the wilderness. Georgie¡¯s intuition told him that Christopher must be hiding somewhere in the hotel. However, they must find him in secret. After all, it was not their territory. There were policemen everywhere in the town tonight. If they were loud, they might be reported and captured. Tonight, Christopher was supposed to take ck Wolf and the others to make a deal, but ck Wolf had done something to Christopher¡¯s car in advance. Lofbury¡¯s terrain was steep, the mountain roads were rugged, and the light at night was not good. If he was not careful enough, an ident would happen. Despite that, ck Wolf was worried that he couldn¡¯t get rid of Christopher, so he asked Reynolds from Druobridge for help. Reynolds agreed to help for the sake of his friendship with ck Wolf and set up an ambush on the road. If Christopher didn¡¯t die, they could also take the opportunity to murder him. However, Christopher ran away. ck Wolf still had to take the people to the deal. He was busy, so he asked Reynolds to find Christopher and make sure that he was taken care of tonight. Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Chapter 397 He Might Be Dead Reynolds¡¯ people were divided into several groups. Some went to the town, some went to the hospital and clinics, and some went to various hotels. As ck Wolf said, Christopher stayed in Hatte Hotel in the town, so Reynolds brought two people with him here in person Looking at the situation outside, he also knew that the deal was known by the police, and both parties were fleeing, so he didn¡¯t know whether ck Wolf had been caught by the police. Seeing Reynolds being silent, the two subordinates felt a little ufortable. They couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Lawson, what do you think we should do now?¡± The police were capturing people everywhere. If they continued to look for Christopher, it would be very risky. Reynolds replied, ¡°Tell the others to stop the search. We¡¯ll talk about it in the morning.¡± He had to make sure whether ck Wolf was dead or alive and whether he had been caught by the police. If he was dead or caught by the police, it didn¡¯t matter whether Christopher was dead or alive. After all, he had no grudge against Christopher. Maybe in the future, Christopher would take over ck Wolf¡¯s role, and there would be business dealings between them It was just a paid job, so there was no need to take too much risk. If ck Wolf was safe and sound, as long as Christopher was still in Druobridge, Reynolds would definitely try every means to remove Christopher. Georgie replied, ¡°Got it, Mr. Lawson. I¡¯ll contact the others right now.¡± It took Yuliana half a minute to calm down. Then, she immediately walked to the bed and lifted the nket. Christopher¡¯s body was getting colder and colder like ice. The temperature in the town was very low after it rained at night. ¡°Christopher!¡± Yuliana sat on her knees by the bed and patted his face gently, but he still didn¡¯t respond. His face was getting paler, and his breathing was getting much weaker. This situation reminded her of Damian. Hearing the news of Damian¡¯s death, Yuliana hurried back to Juxshire and saw a cold corpse. At that time, Damian¡¯s face was also very pale. ¡°Will Christopher die?¡± she thought. Thinking of this, Yuliana panicked again. At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. She immediately picked up the phone and saw the caller ID. Her eyes lit up instantly. Yuliana panicked again. Just when she didn¡¯t know what to do, her phone was ringing. She checked the caller ID. Her eyes lit up instantly. She answered the call with trembling hands while holding back her tears. ¡°Wesley!¡± Hearing Yuliana¡¯s panicked voice, Wesley asked worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yuliana? Did you get hurt?¡± Yuliana stumbled and sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m fine! It¡¯s Christopher. He¡¯s injured and bleeding a lot. I think he¡¯s dying. I don¡¯t know what to do. Please help me!¡± Hearing this, Wesley was silent for a moment. Then, he said calmly, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as Wesley said that, Yuliana thought it would only be a few minutes. However, she waited for nearly an hour. When it was already dawn outside, Wesley arrived. He checked Christopher¡¯s injury and frowned. Seeing his unhappy face, Yuliana¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Will he die?¡± Hearing this. Wesley looked at Yuliana. Her nose was red, her eyes were swollen, her hair was messy, and a few strands of hair hung over her face There was dried blood in her hands, but she seemed to have no idea. She was focused on Christopher Wesley looked back and checked the items in Christopher¡¯s first aid kit. He didn¡¯t expect that it was well prepared Christopher had learned a lot from prison in recent years. Wesley asked. ¡°Are you afraid that he might be dead?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She pursed her lips and didn¡¯t know how to answer. The room was quiet for a while, leaving only the sound of Wesley¡¯s movements. Wesley said without an expression, ¡°He just lost too much blood and passed out. He won¡¯t die yet. The bullet must be taken out as soon as possible, but he should not be able to go to the hospital with his condition right now¡± Yuliana looked at Wesley and asked, ¡°What should we do then?¡± Wesley raised his head to look at her. ¡°Yuliana, do you believe me?¡± Yuliana nodded without hesitation. Wesley smiled. ¡°Great.¡± After a pause, he said gently, ¡°The scene afterward might be a little bloody. Turn around and don¡¯t look.¡± Yuliana knew what he was going to do in an instant, as she quickly imagined the scenes that would happen. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not afraid. I can help you.¡± Yuliana was very afraid. When she saw that Wesley was holding a knife in his hand and cutting open Christopher¡¯s flesh, she saw a lot of blooding out. She couldn¡¯t think of anything. Her mind was numb, and she could feel the pain. On the other hand, Wesley was very calm throughout the whole process. His hand movements were also very stable. He quickly took out the bullet, stopped the bleeding, sutured the wound, and calmly guided Yuliana. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Yuliana was still in a trance and asked uncertainly. ¡°Is he okay now?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Wesley replied, ¡°Of course not. His wound was not critical and not fatal, but he lost a lot of blood. In addition, this is not a hospital operating room, so the wound is very likely to be infected and the next two days are critical However, Christopher was well-prepared. He had all the necessary medicines, so he would at leastst for one or two days.¡± Yuliana asked, ¡°Can I take him to Druobridge¡¯s hospital?¡± Wesley sorted out the first aid kit and said, ¡°You must have seen what happened outside tonight. Lofbury will surely be under strict control these two days. You can tell by looking at Christopher¡¯s injury.¡± Yuliana was still worried. ¡°But¡­¡± Wesley stretched out his hand to pinch her chin and raise her head. His gaze swept across her face inch by inch, and he was a little sad. ¡°Yuliana, if I was injured, will you be so worried about me too? Cry for me, worry for me, and lose yourself for me?¡± Looking at Wesley¡¯s expectant eyes, Yuliana opened her mouth and said, ¡°Wesley, I¡­¡± ¡°Forget it!¡± Wesley interrupted her and smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I understand. We still have time, don¡¯t we? You¡¯re my woman now. Sooner orter, I want your heart to only have me!¡± He pointed at Yuliana¡¯s heart with his finger. Wesley packed everything and went to the bathroom to wash his hands. When he came out, he saw that Yuliana had calmed down and was tidying up the things on the floor. When he first arrived. Wesley had already seen them. Yuliana paused when she saw Wesleying out. Then, she looked at the undergarments in her hand and exined, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t get me wrong¡­¡± Wesley interrupted her exnation. ¡°I didn¡¯t get it wrong. Christopher is very injured. What else can he do?¡± Yuliana paused for a while and realized that it made sense. Wesley asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Yuliana briefly told Wesley what had happened before. After hearing this, Wesley pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Those people maye again. I will arrange for two of my men to live next door. On the one hand, they can protect you. On the other hand, if you need anything, you can tell them.¡± Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Chapter 398 I Want You To Love Me Yuliana looked at Wesley in a daze and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Wesley, she wouldn¡¯t have known what to do. ¡°Yuliana, I don¡¯t need your thanks.¡± Wesley smiled as if he was thinking highly of himself. However, the smile soon disappeared. He stretched out his arms to hug Yuliana. Then, he put his chin against her head and continued, ¡°Yuliana, I love you very much. I will do anything for you.¡± He lowered his head and kissed Yuliana¡¯s forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to thank me. I just want you to love me.¡± Listening to his words, Yuliana was greatly touched. Although Wesley had expressed his feelings for her a long time ago, when she heard him say this to her sincerely, her heart still beat uncontrobly. This was the most touching confession she had ever heard. Yuliana wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest. Listening to his powerful heartbeat, she whispered, ¡°Okay, I will never thank you again.¡± Wesley let go of her and said, ¡°Yuliana, I have to go now.¡± ¡°Now?¡± Yuliana was stunned. Wesley nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± After saying this, Yuliana pursed her lips and kissed him. Wesley pressed her neck to deepen the kiss, but he let go soon after. ¡°My men will be here soon. Don¡¯t leave the room until theye, okay?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get going then.¡± Wesley took a deep look at Yuliana, turned around, opened the door, and left quickly. Yuliana stood there and looked at the closed door. Only then did she have the presence of mind to think about what had happened that night. She walked to the window and looked outside. The chaosst night had subsided, but it was still different from when she came to the town yesterday. Two policemen were patrolling around nearby, and there were fewer people on the street than yesterday. The people even looked very cautious. Some tourists were carryingrge and small bags. Most of them were asked by the police on the street. Wesley was right. The town would be under strict control these two days. Yuliana originally nned to leave Lofbury in the afternoon and fly back to Juxshire at night. Looking at the situation, there was no way for her to leave. Thinking of this, she turned around and looked at Christopher who was on the bed. The expression on her face gradually faded away. The memory ofst night came to her mind. She was panicked and embarrassed. She was very afraid that Christopher would die. Ever since she was a child, Yuliana had never been so afraid of anything. At the moment, Yuliana hoped that Christopher wouldn¡¯t die. She seemed to bepletely grasped by a kind of fear. She had forgotten about her reason and calmness. She didn¡¯t even know how she dared to open the door to face the three men. Yuliana took a deep breath before walking into the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror by the sink, she was still wearing the ck nightgown with a casual knitted coat over it. Her hair was simply tied with a leather band on the back of her head, but it was messy Yuliana¡¯s hands, nails, and even her chest were stained with dried blood. Her face was a mess, her dark circles were showing, and her eyes were swollen because she didn¡¯t sleep at all After examining herself, Yuliana unscrewed the faucet, cleaned herself up bit by bit, and tied her hair again. The two men arranged by Wesley soon arrived. One of them was ke. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, Mr. Duncan asked me to bring these to you.¡± ke handed Yuliana the things in his hand and continued, ¡°There¡¯s breakfast in it. I bought it after looking in several stores, but the taste might not be good. After what happenedst night, the town was still in chaos, and many shops were still closed. You just have to eat these. There are also some medicines, which Mr. Duncan had specially ordered. The usage and dosage had been written. If you don¡¯t know how to do it, you can call me at any time. I¡¯m just next door.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± Yuliana took the things and thanked him. ke smiled. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, you don¡¯t have to be nice to me. This is what I do. We will go back to our room first. You should have breakfast while it¡¯s hot.¡± Yuliana nodded and watched them enter the next room. Then, she closed the door and turned around. For breakfast, there was oatmeal and several snacks. Yuliana didn¡¯t eat muchst night. After a whole night, her stomach had already been empty. In addition, the temperature in the mountain was low, so she felt that her limbs were stiff and cold. After a bowl of hot oatmeal, she feltfortable. After breakfast, Yuliana thought for a while and contacted Thomas. When she called, Thomas was busy. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I¡¯m so sorry. Something unexpected happened in townst night. I can¡¯t leave now. Can Ie to youter?¡± Yuliana asked, ¡°Thomas, what happenedst night? Why are there so many policemen on the street today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just some thieves in the town who have stolen from several houses. Now, the police are just capturing the thieves.¡± Thomas pretended to be rxed. After a pause, he added, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, the security in Lofbury has always been good. This is just an ident.¡± Thomas was afraid that Yuliana would have a bad idea of Lofbury, so heforted her. Yuliana just wanted to know about the situation from Thomas, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so cautious. In the end, she didn¡¯t find anything. After hanging up the phone, Yuliana stayed in the room. However, there was a man who was injured and unconscious in the room with her, so she couldn¡¯t sit still and became worried. Therefore, she took out theputer and re-evaluated Lofbury¡¯s resort development project. When she was done, it was almost noon. ke was the one who brought her lunch. It was nearly three o¡¯clock in the afternoon when Thomas hurried to meet Yuliana. Thomas took Yuliana to a cafe next to Hatte Hotel. He ordered coffee for them both and asked Yuliana, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, are you flying back to Juxshire tonight?¡± ¡°That was what I nned to do. However, there was such a bigmotion in the townst night, so I think I have to take a look at the resort. That¡¯s why I¡¯m nning to stay in Lofbury for two more days.¡± Yuliana smiled and took a sip of coffee. Thomas¡¯ expression changed, but it soon returned to normal. ¡°It¡¯s right to look at it more. We must be careful when investing. However, I may be too busy to apany Ms. Livingstone these two days. How about I arrange for another person to apany you?¡± *Sure. Thank you, Thomas.¡± As soon as she said that, Thomas¡¯ phone rang. He got up and walked to the side to answer the call. Suddenly, his face turned anxious. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Livingstone. I have to go back to my office immediately for a meeting.¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°Go ahead, Thomas. There¡¯s no need to worry about me.¡± Thomas was still a little worried. He hesitated for a while and reminded her, ¡°Ms. Livingstone, there are still few thieves who didn¡¯t get caughtst night. As a woman, you should try not to go to a remote ce.¡± Yuliana nodded. Thomas left a phone number for Yuliana, which was a teacher in their unit. His name was Liam Evans. Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Whatever You Want Thomas left a phone number for Yuliana, which was a teacher in their unit. His name was Liam Evans. Liam, who Yuliana met yesterday, was quite young and should have worked for only a few years. Thomas asked Yuliana to contact Liam if she needed anything. After Thomas left. Yuliana sat in the cafe for a moment. Several people were sitting at two or three tables away from her. They were two men and two women, wearing quick-drying windbreakers, sweatpants, and mountaineering shoes. They should be tourists that came to Lofbury. At this time, the four of them were drinking coffee and chatting. They were talking about what had happenedst night. However, they didn¡¯t dare to talk too loudly so their voice was low. Fortunately, Yuliana could vaguely hear them because there were only a few people in the cafe. ¡°It¡¯s the first time in so many years of traveling that I¡¯ve seen police all over the street,¡± said a man. Yuliana nced at him. He seemed to be in his thirties. The woman next to him said, ¡°I was woken up by the noise outsidest night. When I looked outside the window, it made me wide awake. It was as if I¡¯m watching a movie.¡± The woman¡¯s expression was vivid, which made the people next to herugh. Another handsome and gentle-looking man continued the topic. ¡°I heard from the hostel owner this morning that the thieves¡¯ leader had been arrested and lots of contraband had been seized. If it went to the market, I don¡¯t know how many people and families would be affected and harmed.¡± The previous woman sighed. ¡°Yeah! However, it¡¯s not surprising because Lofbury is close to the border, and the drug dealers in this area are indeed more active than in other ces. I¡¯ve always heard that this town is like and of idyllic beauty, but if the news of what happenedst night is spread, I guess many people won¡¯te here in the future.¡± The town was called Lofbury because it was a basin in the middle of Mount Lofbury. It was surrounded by mountains. Toe over from Druobridge, one must go over a mountain. On the other side was a higher and more steep mountain range. That mountain was Mount Lofbury, and the Southeast Region was behind it. Yuliana finished her coffee before returning to the hotel. Back in the room, Christopher was already awake. He was lying on the bed while holding his phone in his hand. He was also tapping on the phone screen repeatedly. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he immediately looked at the door vigntly. However, seeing that it was Yuliana, he slowly rxed. Yuliana said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Yuliana put the things she brought on the table. Christopher nodded and stared at her. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Yuliana replied, ¡°I went out to meet someone. Are you feeling better now?¡± Christopher put down his phone and said in a pitiful tone, ¡°No, my wound still hurts.¡± Yuliana ignored him and took out the things she had brought. She bought some drinking water and some emergency food, just in case. . Seeing that she ignored him, Christopher asked, ¡°Who helped me to deal with my wound?¡± He didn¡¯t underestimate Yuliana¡¯s ability, but he could feel that the wound on his back was treated professionally. Although it was not as professional as a doctor from a hospital, it was simple and effective like the person had dealt with such injuries many tirnes. Yuliana paused and looked at Christopher She then pursed her lips and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you be quiet?¡± Christopher supported his hand on the bed and tried to move his body, but when he moved a little, his wound hurt. He snorted with anger. ¡°Mmm Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Seeing this, Yuliana immediately threw away the things in her hand. She walked to the bedside and looked at his wound Blood beads were oozing out. Her face suddenly darkened. She pressed his other shoulder and said in anger, ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you know how much you¡¯re hurt?¡± Christopher said innocently. ¡°My body feels numb, so I just want to change my position.¡± Yuliana looked at him silently for two seconds. ¡°What position do you want to change into?¡± Christopher thought for a while and said, ¡°I want to sit up.¡± He had been lying on his stomach all the time, so his whole body stiffened quickly. After waking up, he moved slightly to move his limbs, but this posture made his head tilt to one side. It made him quite troublesome to rotate his body. ¡°Slow down. I¡¯ll help you get up. Don¡¯t push hard on the area of your wound.¡± Yuliana was afraid that Christopher¡¯s wound would tear open, and it would bleed heavily likest night. She didn¡¯t even want to recall the scenest night. Yuliana carefully helped Christopher up. The blood on the sheet had dried up, which was particrly eye-catching. However, she couldn¡¯t let the hotel staff change it. She thought for a while and said to Christopher, ¡°You can sit on the chair for a while.¡± Christopher sat down obediently on the chair, while Yuliana opened the suitcase and took out a bag of things. After unpacking, she found that it was a disposable bedsheet cover. Christopher watched as Yuliana quickly changed the blood-stained hotel bedsheet, put the disposable bedsheet cover on it, and then helped him back to the bed. After sitting down, Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn¡¯t see the dazzling red color on the bed anymore, so she felt refreshed andfortable. She checked the time, and it was five o¡¯clock. When she was about to ask Christopher if he was hungry and what he wanted to eat, she saw Christopher staring at her. She looked at him in a daze, as if she had been frozen for a moment. When she came back to her senses, she turned around and picked up the dirty sheets on the ground and put- them on an unused chair. ¡°Ana.¡± Christopher suddenly called her. Yuliana froze again as her back was facing him. The emotions on her face changed several times before finally calming down. She turned to look at Christopher and said, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t call me that again. It will make me ufortable and troublesome.¡± Christopher smiled. Then, what do you want me to call you? Ms. Livingstone, Yuliana, or Liana?¡± Those were normal names, but when he said them, they felt different to Yuliana. Yuliana frowned slightly. After thinking for a while, she gave up and didn¡¯t want to argue with him. ¡°Whatever you want.¡± After saying that, Yuliana took out her phone to send a message to ke. She wanted to ask him to go out and bring back some light meals. Christopher looked at her slender profile and asked, ¡°Ana, do you remember what I said to you that night?¡± Yuliana, who was sending a message to ke, suddenly stopped typing. ¡°I regret it now.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t respond to him immediately. She continued to type the message and sent it out. After that, she went to the chair and sat down. She turned on theputer to check today¡¯s mail. However, as soon as theputer was turned on, she stopped again. She wanted to say something, but she couldn¡¯t get over it She looked at him with cold eyes and asked, ¡°Christopher, do you think it¡¯s ridiculous that I was so worried about youst night?¡± She sneered and leaned back against the chair. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Justugh if you think it¡¯s ridiculous. because I think it¡¯s ridiculous myself However, I don¡¯t want myself to keep being this way.¡± In recent years, she had been trying to remove Christopher from her life and forced herself not to think about anything rted to him. After a long time, she thought that she had forgotten about it. It was only untilst night that she realized it was not what she had thought. It was ridiculous. Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Big Enough For Us Yuliana said calmly, ¡°Christopher, what am I to you? Do you think I should be grateful that you say you have regretted it? Is it because I still like you? Is that what you think?¡± She spoke softly, with a slight mocking in her tone. Christopher frowned and denied, ¡°I never thought of it that way.¡± Yuliana withdrew her gaze, adjusted her posture, and looked at theputer screen again. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. After we leave here, we will be the same as before now that we¡¯re going our separate ways. We have had nothing to do with each other since a long time ago Our only intersection is Roe. I don¡¯t want Roe to lose his father¡¯s lovepletely, so don¡¯t ever say these things again. It will bother me.¡± After finishing her words, Yuliana immersed herself in her work. Christopher didn¡¯t say anything more but looked out of the window. There was only silence in the room and the sound of the mouse and keyboard. After finishing checking the email, Yuliana called James and Craig, one after the other, tomunicate with them about work and exined the situation where she would return to Juxshire two or three days later. It was Sunday the day after and there was no work arrangement. However, there was a lot of work on Monday and Tuesday, so they had to make another arrangement. Maybe Craig finally felt guilty, and he took over all the work he could. They could only wait for Yuliana¡¯s return to settle the rest of the work he couldn¡¯t take. Yuliana didn¡¯t like her n to be interrupted. It annoyed her a lot. When she was on the phone with Craig, there was a knock on the door. They both turned and stared at the door at the same time. Yuliana thought it was ke returning from buying the dinner. She hung up the phone after giving a brief exnation to Craig and went to open the door. However, as soon as the door opened, Yuliana was stunned. ¡°Y-You have finished your work?¡± Yuliana froze for two seconds before asking in surprise. Wesley smiled and hummed, ¡°I have finished my part of the work.¡± He paused momentarily, looked behind Yuliana, and asked, ¡°Is he awake?¡± Wesley was asking about Christopher. Christopher was sitting on the bed, his back against a pillow and his head against the wall. His injured part was suspended in the air. He tilted his head and looked in the direction of the door. In fact, there was a porch at the entrance. One could only see the room after walking two steps forward. Therefore, Christopher couldn¡¯t see what had happened at the door. However, he could hear their voice. He also knew who the one showing up was from the voice. Soon, he also realized who helped to deal with the gunshot wound on his shoulder. He sneered, and his face turned into an indifferent expression. He didn¡¯t do anything but y with his phone casually Yuliana nodded and nced into the room. She then turned sideways and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Actually, she was a little worried to let Wesley and Christopher face each other. She knew clearly about Christopher¡¯s temper. He used to be bad-tempered before. Although he was calmer and more reserved at the time, it was impossible for him to change his personalitypletely after three years in prison. She didn¡¯t want any head-on conflict between them at the time. However, the situation was totally unlike what Yuliana had expected. After Christopher saw Wesley, he didn¡¯t say a word and only showed a cold expression. He sat on the bed and yed with his phone. Wesley bought some dinner. He bought Christopher a bowl of oatmeal and also some other dishes. Wesley took the oatmeal to the bedside and asked, ¡°Do you need me to feed you?¡± Christopher nced at him coldly and took the oatmeal with one hand. Wesley didn¡¯t say anything. He walked to the round table before serving several other dishes and two tes of pasta on the table. Yuliana packed up theputer, sat down, took the fork from Wesley, and habitually said, ¡°Thank you.¡± After saying that, she suddenly realized something and looked at Wesley guiltily as if she had done something wrong. Wesley was amused by her appearance and said pleasantly, ¡°I¡¯ll let you slip this time, but there will be no next time.¡± Yuliana smiled and replied, ¡°You¡¯re so strict.¡± Wesley served a piece of grilledmb chop for Yuliana and smiled. ¡°If I¡¯m not strict enough, you won¡¯t remember it.¡± Yuliana wrinkled her nose and snorted in dissatisfaction. Christopher had a bowl of pasta the night before, and it had been nearly 24 hours. He should have been hungry, but he had no appetite after two sips of the oatmeal. The other two people in the room were chatting happily while eating. Even though their voices were very low, the room was small enough that their conversation could still be heard clearly. It was noisy and irritating. Christopher put the oatmeal on the bedside table next to him. He didn¡¯t control his strength, and it made a muffled sound. The two people who were eating turned to look at him, and Christopher stared into Yuliana¡¯s eyes with cold eyes. Yuliana nced at the oatmeal that was barely eaten. She pursed her lips, withdrew her gaze, and continued to eat her food. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Wesley withdrew his gaze as well. However, they didn¡¯t speak much after that. After eating. Wesley packed the empty bowls and put away the trash. Then, he went downstairs and booked another room on the same floor as Yuliana¡¯s but several rooms apart. Wesley gave Yuliana the keycard and said, ¡°I¡¯ve requested another room. You can go there to rest tonight.¡± Yuliana took the keycard, looked at Wesley, and asked, ¡°How about you?¡± Wesley nced at Christopher and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about him. I¡¯ll be here tonight.¡± After a pause, he looked at Yuliana¡¯s reddened eyes and the dark circle around them. He guessed that she hadn¡¯t rested well since the night before. Feeling sorry, he said, ¡°Go there now. Wash up and rest early.¡± Yuliana was indeed sleepy. Her mind was blurred, and her eyes were sore. ¡°But if I were to let Wesley stay and take care of Christopher¡­¡± she wondered. Wesley noticed her concern. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s okay.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana thought for a while and nodded. However, Christopher, who had been silent the whole time, spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t want him here.¡± He stared at Yuliana with an overwhelming gaze, and a trace of anger could be seen in his cold expression. It was clear that he was full of rage. Yuliana nced at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. He has no obligation to take care of you here, nor do I. I think you¡¯re in good spirits and won¡¯t need anyone to take care of you. In this case, you can stay here and recover from your injuries.¡± After that, she quickly packed everything and said to Wesley, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Wesley took over the stuff from Yuliana, held her hand, and left. Christopher heard the door closing, and his chest kept heaving, which hurt the wound on his right shoulder. The room Wesley requested was also on the same floor, but it was Room 416, a few rooms away from Yuliana¡¯s previous room. Wesley opened the door, put Yuliana¡¯s luggage into the room, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and request one more room.¡± Yuliana was stunned and hurriedly tugged at his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Her eyes met Wesley¡¯s, and she could clearly see the changing expression in his eyes. The tips of Yuliana¡¯s ears were a little red, and she said stiffly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to waste the money. This room is quite big, big enough for both of us.¡± Wesley chuckled. ¡°Is it just because of money?¡± Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 You Were Asking For Me? Yuliana thought she was long past being shy about these things, and yet her face couldn¡¯t help but burn when Wesley looked at her like that. However, she also liked to be coy, so she went up to hug him and said, ¡°Of course not. I want you to stay here with me. In fact, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t rest today, but I dare not rest.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The trauma fromst night was still fresh in Yuliana¡¯s mind. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from trembling every time she closed her eyes, for all she could see was a sea of blood. She didn¡¯t want to be alone. Wesley was taken aback by what she said, but he recovered quickly. Yuliana was different from him. He had experienced the same thing that happenedst night countless times, so he was already used to it. It was only natural that Yuliana would be scared since that was her first time. He gently patted her back and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡± Yuliana felt relieved. Over the years, she always felt safe as long as Wesley was by her side. After washing up. Yuliana leaned against Wesley¡¯s arms and closed her eyes to make herself sleepy. She didn¡¯t know whether it was because she hadn¡¯t rested for a long time, so her brain was over-active and over-exhausted, or because she was thinking about something else, but she found it difficult to fall asleep. Wesley realized Yuliana was still awake by the little movements she was making. He looked down and saw her frowning and pursing her lips while her eyes were still closed. She was obviously irritated about something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked in a low voice. Yuliana opened her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy, but I can¡¯t sleep, so I¡¯m annoyed.¡± The same thing happened to Yuliana after her divorce from Christopher. She would feel tired and sleepy but found herself tossing and turning on the bed, unable to fall asleep. She had to depend on sleeping pills or mtonin, but even so, she slept very poorly. ¡°It¡¯s not even nine o¡¯clock yet. You don¡¯t have to sleep if you can¡¯t sleep. Why don¡¯t you go to bed only when you feel like sleeping?¡± said Wesley. It was easier for a person to lose sleep if they forced themselves to fall asleep. ¡°Do you want to watch a movie?¡± added Wesley. Although Yuliana didn¡¯t want to watch any movies, she didn¡¯t know what else she could do. It wasn¡¯t like they could only sit there and stare at each other all night. That would be too weird. ¡°Okay, I have a tablet in my suitcase,¡± Yuliana answered. Wesley got up and took out the tablet from her suitcase. He tried to connect it to the hotel¡¯s WiFi and discovered the speed was pretty fast. He sat back on the bed and asked, ¡°What movie do you want to watch? ¡°I don¡¯t know. You choose one,¡± replied Yuliana. Wesley chose a movie released on Independence Day two years ago. The movie was about busting a drug ring, and it didn¡¯t enjoy any sess at the box office because a more popr movie came out at the same time as it did, so very few people had seen it. The actors and actresses in this movie were not popr or famous to the extent that Wesley and Yuliana didn¡¯t even know some of their names. Wesley watched it once when he was bored. He thought it was the best movie he had ever seen. Yuliana watched for a little while and finally couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open. She was between sleep and wakefulness when, in the haze of her sleepiness, she suddenly heard a gun going off. She jolted awake, and her face immediately turned pale. Wesley immediately pressed the pause button and hugged Yuliana tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. The sound is After a few seconds, Yuliana calmed down and raised her head. She felt a little embarrassed that she was actually frightened by the gunshots in the movie. I¡¯m sorry for pulling your attention away from the movie,¡± Yuliana apologized Wesley raised her chin, looked into her eyes, and said, ¡°Yuliana, you don¡¯t need to thank me, nor do you ever need to apologize to me, understood? I know you¡¯re just doing it out of habit, but this habit of yours makes me feel like I¡¯m a stranger to you.¡± Wesley felt like Yuliana was still unable to fully trust and rely on him whenever she was being over- polite to him. Yuliana dazedly looked at him and was at a loss for what to do. Wesley suddenly smiled when he caught her looking at him like that. He lowered his head and kissed her without hesitation. Yuliana felt an electric current run through her scalp, and her pupils widened. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± ordered Wesley. Yuliana closed her eyes before slightly turning sideways so she could loop her arms around Wesley¡¯s neck. She kissed him back wholeheartedly. After all, it was only natural for a human being to enjoy beautiful things. In the past few years, it wasn¡¯t that Yuliana didn¡¯t have such bodily needs. It was more like she didn¡¯t want to indulge in them. Now, it was different. Yuliana was in a rtionship with Wesley and enjoyed him touching her. Thest time she was at Wesley¡¯s house, she had nned to do it with him but backed out at thest minute. As for the reasoning, she didn¡¯t know it at that time, but now she understood it very well. Therefore, Yuliana felt a little guilty about Wesley and responded to his advances more eagerly. Wesley pressed Yuliana¡¯s shoulder and gently pushed her away. His dark eyes had be even darker. ¡°Yuliana¡­¡± Yuliana reached out to take off his clothes. Wesley looked into her eyes deeply. ¡°Are you sure? I won¡¯t stop likest time, even if you scream it out.¡± Yuliana nodded and kissed him. Wesley circled his arms around Yuliana and bent her to his will. Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door. The two of them ignored the knock. Soon, the knocking turned into a kick, as if the person wouldn¡¯t stop until the door was kicked down. Wesley suppressed the roiling desire in his body and looked up at Yuliana. ¡°I¡¯ll open the door.¡± A flurry of expressions passed by Yuliana¡¯s face before she finally nodded. Wesley put on his clothes and went to open the door. Yuliana sat up, put on her clothes, and remained seated quietly on the bed. Needless to say, she knew who knocked on the door. Soon, Wesley¡¯s words confirmed Yuliana¡¯s spection. ¡°Mr. Sce, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Wesley, dressed in an oversized T-shirt, was leaning against the door frame and staring at Christopher, who was standing at the door. Christopher¡¯s face was grim and scary. He scrutinized Wesley from head to toe and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Yuliana.¡± Wesley frowned slightly. ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡± ¡°Asleep?¡± Christopher nced at Wesley and asked, ¡°Are you perhaps hiding another woman in your room, Mr Duncan?¡± Wesley¡¯s eyes also turned cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have a habit of eavesdropping, Mr. Sce.¡± Christopher¡¯s face turned even darker at Wesley¡¯s retort. ¡°Get out of my way.¡± Wesley didn¡¯t move. ¡°Mr. Sce, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to force your way in. He smiled contemptuously. ¡°Mr. Sce, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re injured right now. But then again, you¡¯re no match for me, even if you¡¯re not injured.¡± ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t we have a go and find out if that¡¯s true?¡± Christopher challenged with a smile. Yuliana walked over to the door when she realized they were about to fight. ¡°You were asking for me?¡± she asked calmly. Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Chapter 402 He Misses You Too Yuliana walked over to the door when she realized they were about to fight. ¡°You were asking for me?¡± she asked calmly Wesley looked at her and said in a soft voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have toe out. I can handle it.¡± Yuliana looked at him and smiled helplessly. ¡°I know you can handle it.¡± However, she didn¡¯t want Wesley and Christopher to fight because of her. Wesley didn¡¯t say anything more after he realized Yuliana¡¯s intention. He respected her decision. Christopher immediately turned his gaze toward Yuliana before she asked him the question. His usual cold eyes had turned red in an instant. Yuliana was wearing a camisole and shorts. That was how she always liked to dress for sleeping She had also thrown on knitted outerwear, but even so, the marks on her neck and chest were very apparent. Yuliana looked at Christopher and easily noticed his reddened eyes. Inexplicably, she felt her heart clench as an uneasy feeling settled all over her body as if she had wronged him. Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but mock herself when she thought of that. She and Christopher were divorced, after all. He had no say in her business, even if she decided to sleep with a different man every night. She bit her lower lips, and her eyes became calm. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to see me? What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked Christopher again when he didn¡¯t answer her the first time. Christopher met her calm eyes. He felt like there was a fire burning in his chest, making his throat dry. After a while, the emotion on his face gradually faded, and he said, ¡°I video-called our son just now. He kept crying and said he misses you.¡± His tone was softer than when he was speaking to Wesley. Yuliana was stunned. She looked at him suspiciously for two seconds and said, ¡°I see. I will call him later.¡± In fact, Yuliana had video-called Rowan yesterday. When her son picked up the call, he immediately threw a tantrum and kept saying he wanted to see her. After a while, he only calmed down when Yuliana promised him she would be home tonight. That afternoon, Hailey called Yuliana when she was at a meeting with Thomas. Rowan, who was beside Hailey, asked Yuliana what time she would arrive at Juxshire tonight. Yuliana didn¡¯t expect there would be changes in her n, making her unable to go home that night, so she had no choice but to ask Hailey to cate Rowan. In fact, Rowan wouldn¡¯t throw a tantrum as long as he didn¡¯t hear Yuliana¡¯s voice or see her face. Moreover, Rowan should¡¯ve been sleeping at that hour, so it was obvious someone had brought her up on purpose. Yuliana frowned as she thought of that. Christopher looked at Wesley and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Duncan, my wound seemed to have split open. Would you mind helping me dress it up again?¡± Wesley threw a nce at Christopher and thought, ¡°Does he really think I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to.¡± He then turned toward Yuliana and said, ¡°You call Roe, and I¡¯ll tend to Christopher¡¯s wound.¡± Yuliana looked into his eyes and nodded. ¡°Go back to your room first. I¡¯ll be right there,¡± said Wesley to Christopher. Christopher looked at the two of them and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Duncan.¡± He then turned around and left. The door closed behind him. Christopher remained standing where he was and clenched his fists for a moment. After a while, he slowly unclenched them and went straight back to his room. Back in Room 416, after the door was closed, Wesley pressed Yuliana against the wall, grabbed her hand, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yuliana, help me.¡± Half an hourter, Wesley took a shower. Yuliana was already on the video call with Rowan, and the little guy was crying non-stop ¡°Mommy. I miss you. Can youe back now?¡± Rowan was weaning cartoon pajamas, crying so hard that his eyes and nose turned red. The way he curled up in Hailey¡¯s embrace made him seem very pitiful It was heartwrenching for Yuliana to see Rowan like that. ¡°Mommy knows that you miss me very much, and Mommy wants to go back as soon as possible, but Mommy needs to settle some stuff before Mommy can return You¡¯re about to start school soon, so you need to learn to be by yourself. Can you do that for Mommy and stop crying?¡± Rowan nodded, but it wasn¡¯t long before tears streamed down his face again. ¡°But I still miss Mommy so much. I don¡¯t want to be by myself¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes started to sting too when she saw him crying again. Wesley put on a T-shirt, walked over to Yuliana, and said, ¡°Let me talk to Roe.¡± Yuliana nodded and said to Rowan, ¡°Roe, don¡¯t cry. Mr. Duncan wants to talk to you.¡± Then she handed the phone to Wesley. ¡°Roe,¡± Wesley shouted at the screen. Rowan tried to hold back his tears. ¡°Daddy Wesley.¡± ¡°Are you a strong boy, Roe?¡± asked Wesley. Rowan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, a strong boy also needs to be brave¡± ¡°But Mr. Coke said I¡¯m only three years old, so I don¡¯t have to be brave if I don¡¯t want to. He also told me I¡¯ll naturally be brave once I grow up.¡± Yuliana was stunned to hear that. She wondered what else Christopher had told Rowan. Since Rowan was born, Yuliana had never instilled the idea that he had to be brave. In fact, if she had her way, she would rather her son see her as someone he could rely on forever. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Of course, it was not realistic for her to think like that because Rowan would grow up one day, and she would grow old. It was just a fact of life that he would need to face many of life¡¯s challenges alone, but she just hoped that that day wouldeter than sooner. Yuliana snapped out of her reverie and heard Wesley say, ¡°But you¡¯ll make your mommy sad if you don¡¯t stop crying.¡± Rowan was stunned momentarily and quickly wiped off his tears with the back of his fleshy hand. ¡°Mommy. don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯ll stop crying and patiently wait for you toe back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best, Roe.¡± Wesley returned the phone to Yuliana and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll head over to Christopher¡¯s now.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Wesley opened the door and walked out. Yuliana dazedly stared at the closed door for a while before turning her attention back to Rowan and Hailey. ¡°It¡¯ste now. Time for you to go to bed, Roe.¡± ¡°Mommy, I promise I won¡¯t cry anymore. Please don¡¯t be sad,¡± said Rowan in a high-pitched tone as he struggled to hold back his tears. Yuliana¡¯s heart softened, but the wrenching feeling remained. ¡°I¡¯m not sad. Don¡¯t worry, Roe. Mommy will be back in a few days. Hailey will take care of you, and you can go y with Jasper and Annie.¡± Rowan disentangled himself from Hailey¡¯s embrace andy on the bed like a good boy. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now, Mommy. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Hailey covered Rowan with a nket and said to Yuliana, ¡°Roe is asleep now. You should rest too, Yuliana.¡± ¡°Okay Thank you for all your hard work, Hailey,¡± replied Yuliana. Hailey smiled and said, ¡°What hard work? I¡¯m so happy to have Roe with me every day.¡± After hanging up the phone, Yuliana sent a message to Wesley to ask him about Christopher¡¯s condition. Wesley quickly replied with a text saying that Christopher¡¯s wound had indeed split open and required redressing. Yuliana was stunned. She quickly suppressed her emotions and went to the bathroom to wash up before going to bed. This time, Yuliana fell asleep very quickly. However, she didn¡¯t sleep well. She had one nightmare after another.. ¡°Ah!¡± Yuliana woke up in a sweat. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Why Did You Not Return? Yuliana looked around and realized that she was still in the hotel room. What just happened was just a dream. However, her dream felt so real and vivid. She even felt how warm the blood was when it hit her face. She raised her hand and wiped her face at the thought of the blood in her dream and came away with only cold sweat on her hands. After a while, Yuliana picked up her phone and checked the time. It was four o¡¯clock in the morning. She had slept for only five or six hours. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Wesley back yet?¡± she wondered. Yuliana opened her WhatsApp. Thest message was sent by Wesley, telling her not to wait up on him and to sleep first. Her mind went nk for a while, and then she typed in three words: [How is he?] After a few minutes, there was still no reply from Wesley. Yuliana hesitated for a moment. Then she got up, put on her clothes, left her room, stopped in front of Room 406, and knocked on the door twice. After a while, the door opened from the inside. Wesley seemed to have just been woken up, for his eyes had that blurred look to them. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked in a hoarse and low voice. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± he said. Yuliana saw his sunken and wrinkled eyelids, and she knew it was not only her who didn¡¯t sleep well that night. She was sure that Wesley didn¡¯t sleep well too. She thought it must have taken most of the night for Wesley to dress Christopher¡¯s wound. Besides, Wesley must have slept on the chair since there was no way he would sleep on the same bed as Christopher. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe back to the room?¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart ached for him. She raised her hand and touched the corner of his eyes, trying to smooth the wrinkles. Wesley grabbed her hand and pressed it against his face before kissing it twice. ¡°I did, but you were fast asleep, so I didn¡¯t want to wake you. Christopher¡¯s wound is a little inmed. I took his temperature, and he had a low fever. I was worried his fever would worsen during the night, so I decided to keep an eye over him.¡± Yuliana knew that Wesley did that to put her mind at ease. But apart from being moved, she couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry for him. ¡°It¡¯ll be morning in two to three hours. Why don¡¯t you go back to the room, and I¡¯ll stay here instead?¡± she whispered. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. You should go back.¡± Yuliana hesitated. ¡°I can¡¯t fall back asleep.¡± She just woke up from the nightmare. The cold sweat on her back was still sticking to her skin, making her feel extremely ufortable. ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± asked Wesley. Yuliana nodded. ¡°Come in.¡± Wesley put his hand around her waist and guided her into the room before closing the door. Yuliana nced at the sleeping Christopher. His limbs were spread all over the bed, just like how it was last night. He quietly slept as if he was a wounded beast who had lost all of his aggression. Wesley also nced at Christopher. He frowned slightly and took out the thermometer to measure his temperature. The frown on Wesley¡¯s forehead became even deeper when he saw the numbers. ¡°What¡¯s his temperature?¡± asked Yuliana. ¡°It¡¯s almost 104 degrees Fahrenheit.¡± Wesley put away the thermometer and took out some medicines from the first aid kit. He looked at Yuliana andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His fever is caused by the infection of his wound. The temperature shoulde down after I inject anti-infection and fever- reducing medicines into him.¡± Yuliana nodded and stood aside. She watched Wesley take the syringe and deftly inject the medicine into Christopher¡¯s body. Christopher, who was in and out of consciousness because of the fever, seemed to sense something. He struggled a little and then calmed down when the needle was pulled out. After the injection, Yuliana and Wesley sat down on some chairs. One hourter, Wesley took Christopher¡¯s temperature again. When morning broke, Christopher¡¯s temperature finally dropped below 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Yuliana nced at Wesley, whose eyes were hollowed out by ack of sleep. ¡°Go back to your room and sleep for a while. I¡¯ll watch over Christopher.¡± Wesley looked at her and nodded. Wesley was indeed very sleepy. He hadn¡¯t had much rest for three consecutive nights. He tried to nap whenever he could, and except forst night, he hardly had the chance to lie on an actual bed ever since he came to Druobridge. Yuliana didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all after Wesley left. Herputer and the books she brought to pass the time were all in Room 416. The only way she could kill the time was to scroll through her phone. She checked out the apps on her phone one by one. Most of them were for work, and the only two apps for entertainment were a social app and a short video app. Yuliana opened the short video app and watched a few videos about cats and dogs. She remembered that Rowan had asked for a pet dog before. At that time, she had just moved to Champs Manor after returning to Juxshire from Jeahron. Annie¡¯s family had a Corgi. Rowan fell in love with the Corgi as soon as heid his eyes on it and had been asking for one ever since. But at that time, Yuliana didn¡¯t give in to Rowan¡¯s request for fear that he would be allergic to the dog¡¯s fur due to his poor health. It took a long while before Rowan was able to get over his disappointment. It was only after Yuliana took Rowan to the arcade twice and bought a few of his favorite toys did Rowan forgot about the whole pet dog thing. But Yuliana actually liked to see children having fun with pets, so it was natural for the short video algorithm to always rmend her videos like that. She leaned against the chair and scrolled the short videos. Suddenly, she heard a low crying from the bed ¡°W-W¡­ Wat¡­¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t hear the words clearly, so she nced toward the bed. Christopher¡¯s lips seemed to be moving and not moving at the same time. This caused Yuliana to wonder whether she imagined things. However, she heard the words clearly when Christopher spoke again. ¡°Water¡­¡± Yuliana put down her phone and walked to the bedside. The lights in the room had been turned off, but there was some light from the morning sun. Christopher¡¯s eyebrows were all scrunched up, and his eyes remained closed. Yuliana didn¡¯t know whether he was awake or dreaming, so she asked, ¡°Are you asking for some water?¡± Christopher frowned again when he heard her voice and mechanically repeated the same word ¡°Water Yuliana immediately picked up the bottle of mineral water at the head of the bed, opened it, and helped him drink the water. However, Christopher was in a sleeping position. There was no way he would be able to drink it without spilling on himself unless he was propped up. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Yuliana hesitated for a while, put down the bottle, and sat on the bed. She helped Christopher up, careful to avoid his wounds, but he was still burning with fever and couldn¡¯t exert any energy, so all of his weight bore down on Yuliana. Yuliana held Christopher on one side of her shoulder and fed him the water with her other hand. Christopher immediately gulped down the water as soon as the rim of the bottle touched his lips. He drank in a hurry, and some of the water spilled out of the top, drenching their clothes. Yuliana frowned. She wanted to clean up the mess, so she decided to put the bottle down, but Christopher pulled the bottle back to his mouth before she could ever do that. Yuliana was stunned. She cast her eyes down and saw Christopher was wide awake. ¡°Well, you should be able to drink from the bottle yourself now that you¡¯re awake,¡± said Yuliana. After that, she tried to break free from his grip, but Christopher held her tighter, not giving her break free. He raised his head and looked at her with his dark eyes. any chance to Yuliana panicked and struggled to break free, but the next second, the half-full mineral bottle went flying across the room. Christopher turned over and pinned her down on the bed. Then, he threw himself on top of her like a beast. She felt a stingy sensation on her lips before the taste of blood filled her mouth. Yuliana pushed his shoulder with both hands to dodge his kisses. ¡°Christopher!¡± Christopher ignored her cries and continued to bury his head in her neck, kissing at the ces where Wesley had left his mark. ¡°Ana, you are mine and only mine.¡± Christopher bit her corbone. Yuliana felt pain, and her hand gripped his right shoulder tightly. Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Chapter 404 We Will Wait Inside Yuliana felt pain, and her hand gripped his right shoulder tightly. Christopher stopped and breathed heavily. He raised his head slightly and was met with Yuliana¡¯s cold eyes. He smiled and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yu, are you nning to murder your own husband?¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes became even colder, and the pressure on Christopher¡¯s shoulders grew stronger. ¡°Get off me!¡± It was as if Christopher didn¡¯t feel any pain at all. He gently pushed away the hair on her face and smiled. ¡°How can I get up when you¡¯re holding on to me so tightly?¡± Then, he lowered his head with the intent to kiss her on the lips again. Yuliana turned her face away from him in disgust. Christopher wasn¡¯t going to give up so easily. And Yuliana kept avoiding. The two of them continued on like this before he finally lost patience. He grabbed her jaw and kissed her full on the lips. But the kiss wasn¡¯t aggressive like before. Instead, Christopher gently sucked on the ce where the blood had dried up until it started bleeding again. While struggling, Yuliana moved her hand to Christopher¡¯s wound and pressed hard on it. Once again, it was as if Christopher was immune to the pain. Yuliana could feel the warm blood gushing out of the wound and staining her fingers. Weirdly enough, Christopher¡¯s movement became even gentler as he kissed her lips again and again as if he was trying tofort her. He finally stopped when Yuliana¡¯s lips stopped bleeding. He stared at her broken lips intently before gently brushing his fingers against them. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± said Christopher with a satisfied smile. He then looked into Yuliana¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yu. I was in the wrong. Please don¡¯t be angry with me anymore, okay?¡± he pleaded in a low and humble tone. Yuliana¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the way he was looking at her, and she unconsciously lessened the pressure she was putting on Christopher¡¯s wound. Christopher buried his head in her neck again, and his hot and heavy breath covered Yuliana¡¯s skin once more. Yuliana felt some stinging sensation as if she had been scalded, while the area around her heart felt as if it was being torn apart. Finally, she withdrew her hand from Christopher¡¯s wound and gently patted his back, coaxing him as she would usually coax Rowan. After a while, Christopher¡¯s breathing rxed. His hands, which were pinning her down before, had loosened their grip and were now hanging limply by his sides. Yuliana gently pushed him away until he was lying t on the bed. She checked her wound and wasn¡¯t surprised that the thick dressing was soaked with fresh blood, so much so that it was dripping down. She fetched the first aid kit and redressed Christopher¡¯s wound after sterilizing the area, just like Wesley did. However, she wasn¡¯t as skilled as Wesley, so it was understandable that she was fumbling her way through as she did that. But before Yuliana could finish dressing the wound, she heard a knock on the door, causing her to be startled. She looked at the messy room and then at herself, her emotions as disorganized as the room. She quickly wiped her hands with wet wipes before opening the door to reveal two men standing on the other side ¡°So we meet again, Miss,¡± said Reynolds looking at Yuliana with a faint smirk on his face. Once her eyes fell on them, Yuliana immediately recognized the two men from the previous night. She was actually expecting Wesley or ke, who was staying next door and brought breakfast to the room at around the same time yesterday. It never crossed Yuliana¡¯s mind that the two men from the previous night woulde to Christopher¡¯s room. After a while, Yuliana smiled stiffly. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Reynolds¡¯ eyes were glinting dangerously, and his smirk became even wider. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re just here to visit your boyfriend.¡± He nced behind Yuliana and asked, ¡°He should be up by now, right?¡± Yuliana¡¯s fingers tightened around the doorknob until her knuckles went white. Her mind was buzzing as she stiffly said, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s up.¡± She immediately realized something was wrong with what she had just said, so she quickly added, ¡°But he went out and is not in the room now.¡± ¡°Oh? He went out?¡± Yuliana nodded stiffly. ¡°Yes.¡± Reynolds was still smiling, but his smile sent chills down Yuliana¡¯s back. ¡°That¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll wait inside for him. toe back.¡± After saying that, he was about to push his way in, but Yuliana instinctively blocked the entrance with her body. Reynolds narrowed his eyes when he saw her doing that, but he kept his polite charade. ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t you going to invite us in for a drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible.¡± Yuliana calmed down a little and quickly came up with a n. ¡°My boyfriend will be angry if he sees other men in the room. Why don¡¯t you wait outside instead?¡± There was no way Yuliana would let them into the room. She knew they were already suspicious of the whole thing for them to return like this. Besides, they carried guns with them. It wasn¡¯t like she could scream for help, even with ke staying just next door. She was sure that bullets would fly before ke would even manage to get out of his room. The only thing Yuliana could do was buy herself some time and look for an opportunity to message ke and Wesley. There was only one other problem, her phone was in the room, and the two men outside the door didn¡¯t seem like the type to give up so easily. There seemed to be no way out of the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. There¡¯s always a chance we might be good buddies with your boyfriend. We¡¯ll exin to him what¡¯s happening when¡¯s he back,¡± said Reynolds in mock kindness. Yuliana remained standing at the door and said sternly, ¡°You say you¡¯re good buddies of his, but I¡¯ve never met the two of you before. I¡¯ve already helped you and let you into the room before. What else do you want from me? Now that my boyfriend isn¡¯t here, a lone woman like me can¡¯t let two strangers into the room. The two of you can either wait outside or leave. If not, I¡¯ll call for help right away.¡± Reynolds stopped smiling, and his face darkened. Reynolds¡¯ sidekick, Georgie, went ballistic at what Yuliana said. ¡°Why is Reynolds letting a mere woman talk to him like that? What a coward!¡± Georgie thought. ¡°Hey there, Missy. I suggest you know what¡¯s good for you and let us in. We¡¯ll leave right away if we find there¡¯s no problem. But if you don¡¯t, well. Don¡¯t say we didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Then, he took out a folding knife from his pocket. Yuliana¡¯s heart tightened and her legs went weak when she saw the sharp glinting de. ¡°Get out of the way now!¡± ordered Reynolds fiercely. He had stopped ying nice to Yuliana. Yuliana shuddered in fear. However, she was still determined not to let the two men into the room. She had no choice but to put all her hopes on ke She made up her mind to shout for help and was about to open her mouth when someone called out her N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes immediately filled with tears, and she turned to where the sound wasing from when she heard the familiar voice. Wesley was walking toward her with breakfast in his hand. He looked at the two men standing at the door with Yuliana blocking the way and asked, ¡°Who are you guys?¡± Reynolds sized up Wesley. With his experience in reading people, he could easily tell that Wesley was good at fighting and that they were of the same level. ¡°Only those who are confident of their skills would dare to set foot in Lofbury now,¡± thought Reynolds. Reynolds immediately put on a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. You must be her boyfriend. My, you sure look handsome. The two of you make a beautiful couple. How shall I address you?¡± Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Was This How Christopher Kissed You? Yuliana reached out and tugged at Wesley¡¯s clothes. Wesley gave her a side look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± Looking at Yuliana¡¯s slightly pale face, he paused and shoved the breakfast in his hand into hers. ¡°Head in first¡± Yuliana stood still and shook her head lightly. Wesley knew that she was worried about him. After thinking for a while, he did not persuade Yuliana anymore and instead wrapped his hand around her waist, letting her lean against him. Then, he stared at Reynolds and Georgie forbiddingly. ¡°Myst name is Duncan. I¡¯m apanying my girlfriend on a business trip in Lofbury this time.¡± Wesley paused a while before continuing. ¡°Who are you guys? Oh, by the way, are you guys the same men from two midnights ago? Did we offend you all in any way that you need to keep terrorizing my girlfriend?¡± His tone became more and more intimidating toward the end. Reynolds hurriedly exined, ¡°Misunderstanding! Everything is a misunderstanding!¡± It was not that he was afraid of the man in front of him. In Druobridge, Reynolds still had some capability. However, as he hadn¡¯t figured out Wesley¡¯s identity yet, he was worried he might mess with someone he shouldn¡¯t. Besides, it seemed that they had indeed misunderstood the situation. In that case, it was better to avoid any unnecessary trouble. Wesley sneered. ¡°Misunderstanding? Is it also a misunderstanding that this person threatened my woman with a knife?¡± Georgie was startled and quickly hid the knife in his hand. ¡°I apologize to you, miss. Mr. Duncan, miss, please let bygones be bygones and forgive me for my offensive conduct,¡± pled Reynolds. After saying that, he kicked Georgie and ordered, ¡°Apologize immediately.¡± Georgie hurriedly lowered his head. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Wesley nced at Georgie but did not care much about the apology. Rather, his gazended heavily on Reynolds. He raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, ¡°Yourst name is Lawson?¡± Reynolds nodded. ¡°Yes. Why? Do you know me, Mr. Duncan?¡± Wesley¡¯s gaze toward Reynolds turned much more courteous. ¡°Beforeing to Druobridge, I already heard that there was a Mr. Lawson here. Could it be so coincidental that you¡¯re also a Lawson?¡± Reynolds merely smiled, yet there was an increase of smugness in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just a small fry. How can I beparable to that famous Mr. Lawson? However, Mr. Duncan, if you get into any trouble in Druobridge, you cane and look for me. I will certainly try my best to help.¡± ¡°TII thank you in advance, Mr. Lawson. Since what happened today is a misunderstanding, let¡¯s just forget about it!¡± stated Wesley. ¡°TII remember your generosity, Mr. Duncan!¡± Reynolds patted his chest and added, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to your breakfast. We shall get going now!¡± Wesley nodded slightly and watched Reynolds leave with Georgie. Yuliana was so nervous that she had broken into a cold sweat, almost on the verge of copsing. Wesley exerted a little strength on his arm to support her body. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yuliana took a deep breath and nodded gently. ¡°Fortunately, you came back in time. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡± Looking at Wesley¡¯s calm expression, she said self-deprecatingly, ¡°Aren¡¯t I incredibly useless?¡± ¡°Of course not ¡°Wesley closed the door. ¡°You handled it pretty well, be it the night before yesterday or just now if it were someone else, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on till now.¡± Yuliana s entire body was weak, and her palms were also sweaty. Wesley supported her as they went in. He took a nce at Christopher, who was on the bed, and stopped, moving for a moment. Yuliana sensed his anomaly and followed his gaze, instantly remembering what had happened on that bed previously. Her fingers couldn¡¯t help but curl up. She looked at Wesley with pursed lips, wanting to exin. But Wesley met her eyes, and with his sharp gaze that seemed capable of seeing through everything, she felt increasingly guilty. Apparently, no further exnation was necessary. They looked at each other for two seconds before Yuliana averted her gaze. Wesley did not say anything. He took her to the chair and helped her sit down. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Then, he walked to the bedside and continued to finish the matter that Yuliana had not managed to complete prior. The room was exceptionally quiet. A few minutester, Wesley was done with the unfinished work. He walked toward Yuliana, who was looking out of the window in a daze, squatted down, and held her hand. His gazended on her neck. The bite mark on her corbone was particrly eye-catching, and he couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand to touch it gently. Yuliana subconsciously moved away in an overly aggressive way. Upon regaining her senses, she felt that her reaction was a little ridiculous, making her gaze toward Wesley even more guilt-ridden. However, Wesley did not say anything and merely asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Yuliana did not answer him and instead broke free of his grasp, standing up from the chair. ¡°I just recalled. that I still have some things to do. I¡¯ll go back to Room 416 first.¡± With that, she practically fled from the room. Wesley remained squatted in his spot as he watched her leave in a hurry. Only after a while did he notice the phone and keycard on the table. Sighing softly, he picked up the phone and keycard and went after Yuliana, only to see her standing in front of the door of Room 416 dazedly. He walked toward Yuliana while she turned and looked at him nkly. ¡°Do you not want your keycard?¡± He opened his hand and smiled gently. Yuliana caught a glimpse of the keycard in his hand and became overwhelmed with guilt. ¡°Are you not¡­ mad at me?¡± ¡°Of course! Which man wouldn¡¯t be mad to see his woman being kissed and nibbled by another man?¡± Wesley¡¯s tone was a little cold, but his words then took a turn. ¡°However, it was also me who gave another man the opportunity to do this. I shouldn¡¯t have left.¡± Hearing what Wesley said, Yuliana felt even worse, realizing she owed him even more now. ¡°What should I do to live up to his feelings toward me?¡± she mused. Seeing that she did not speak, Wesley swiped the card to unlock the door and took Yuliana into the room. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll bring breakfast over.¡± Yuliana nodded. Soon, Wesley brought breakfast over. The food was much better than yesterday, consisting of several famous local snacks. Sadly, Yuliana had no appetite. After taking two bites, she suddenly said, ¡°I want to go back to Juxshire today.¡± Wesley lifted his head and looked at her, falling silent momentarily. ¡°Because of Christopher?¡± Yuliana shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Staying here would only mean getting involved with Christopher even more and on a deeper level. She did not want to let Wesley down or even hurt him. However, it seemed like she would hurt Wesley no matter what choice she made. Yuliana put down her cutlery and started, ¡°Wesley, why don¡¯t we just-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Wesley abruptly pounced on her and urately sealed her lips with his lips, stopping her from uttering another word as though he was punishing her. Yuliana felt the broken skin on her lips being torn again, Wesley pressed against her lips as he asked, ¡°Was this how Christopher kissed you?¡± Yuliana panicked when her eyes met his dark gaze and lightly pushed him on the shoulders Wesley ¡± Wesley caught hold of her slender wrists ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t say anything more I don¡¯t want to hear it, and I will not agree to it. Since you¡¯ve agreed to be with me, I will not allow you to back away! I know you still have Christopher in your heart. I can give you time to forget him, and I can wait for you to be a willing party in this rtionship But you¡¯re not allowed to say anything more about backing away¡± Yuliana held his gaze and nodded ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Did I frighten you?¡± asked Wesley as he let go of her Yuliana shook her head. Even though she was indeed a little scared, she knew very well in her heart that Wesley would not actually hurt her Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Make Sure He Is Fine Looking at Yuliana, whose eyes lowered and whose look was absent-minded, Wesley could easily figure out what she was thinking ¡°You go back first. I¡¯ll arrange it.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°As for Christopher, you can rest assured. When Lofbury¡¯s ess control loosens up a bit, I will arrange for someone to send him to Druobridge Hospital.¡± Yuliana was a little curious and she looked up at him subconsciously. Wesley smiled and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, so I¡¯ll make sure he leaves Druobridge well and alive.¡± Yuliana did not feel better when she heard those words. She only felt moreplicated. She always felt that she owed Wesley more and more but did not know how to repay him. That was not the original intention of her being with Wesley. She would rather he get angry with her than always consider her in everything. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. However, in the end, she did not say anything. She just nodded and responded meekly. Yuliana had never gone to see Christopher, but Wesley had been there twice. He told Yuliana about Christopher¡¯s situation when he returned. She had started to have a fever again and was started sleep-talking. However, Wesley did not tell her what she raved about in her sleep. Wesley injected her with some medicine again. After noon, her temperature had dropped a little, but she was still unconscious. Yuliana did not ask him much. Wesley booked a night flight for Yuliana and arranged a car to take her to Druobridge Airport in the afternoon. Before leaving Lofbury, Yuliana made a phone call to Thomas, but he was busy. She just told Thomas that she was leaving Lofbury today. Soon, Thomas arranged for Liam to send something over. They were local specialties of Lofbury. Yuliana did not want to ept them. As the saying went, gifts blinded the eyes. She did not want to owe anyone any favors. Noticing Yuliana refused to ept the specialties, Liam called Thomas again. After a persuasive conversation, Thomas convinced Yuliana to take the items. In the end, Yuliana only epted a few items that were locally produced by the farmers and returned all the packaged goods. Liam mentioned the resort development project again to Yuliana. Compared with Thomas, Liam appeared much more immature in front of Yuliana. His ideas were clearly written on his face. Yuliana did not give a clear answer, only saying that the matter still needed to be discussed internally within thepany. Although the project did not require arge investment, running apany is not charity, and profitability must be considered. The news of Lofbury¡¯s recent incident would surely spread quickly and urately in a fixed circle. Those days, Yuliana had noticed that most of the tourists who came there had left and the town was noticeably more deserted today. Nevertheless, from her personal point of view, she still liked that ce. The scenery there was beautiful, and the people were simple and kind. However, looking at their conditions, she felt a little sad. There were many handicraft makers on the street. They spent a lot of time and effort making handicrafts that only sold for a few dors, but those handicrafts were difficult to be sold. Most of the handicraft makers were elderly people with white hair, wearing faded clothes, and their styles were like those of decades ago. Yuliana knew that there were many people at the bottom of society who lived in difficult conditions. In the past, she had only stumbled upon them online inadvertently and feltforted by donating some money, then left it all behind. Nevertheless, this time, she saw them with her own eyes, especially those whose turbid eyes were full of desire, and yet they were hesitant to speak when they looked at her. It made Yuliana feel indescribably awful. Therefore, she did not give Liam a clear reply and said that she needed to discuss it internally within thepany when she returned. After seeing Liam, Yuliana went upstairs to pack her luggage. Wesley had arranged a car to arrive at four o¡¯clock and it would take about three hours to Druobridge Airport. The flight was at 8:30 pm. It was only three o¡¯clock after she packed her luggage. Yuliana sat down and was idle for a moment. She tended to get lost in her thoughts when she did nothing. After apanying her downstairs to meet Liam, Wesley went to take a call and left the hotel. He had not returned after a while. She picked up her phone and flipped through Wesley¡¯s WhatsApp. She hesitated for a moment before calling Wesley through WhatsApp. It rang for a long time. Yuliana was about to hang up when Wesley answered. She was surprised and asked tentatively, ¡°Did I disturb you?¡± ¡°How could your call be a disturbance?¡± Wesley¡¯s voice was low, and he asked, ¡°Have you done talking with Liam?¡± ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I¡¯ve been back in my hotel room for a while, and I¡¯ve finished packing.¡± Wesley was silent for a moment and said, ¡°The car won¡¯t arrive for another hour. The town is much better today. Do you want toe out and have a walk around?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Yuliana agreed happily. Wesley said, ¡°I¡¯m almost at the hotel. I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Yuliana. After hanging up the phone, Yuliana gave herself a quick clean-up and went out with a small cross- body bag. The two of them wandered around the town. Yuliana went to the old town and bought a lot of handicrafts, nning to give them to her friends or colleagues in thepany, making the trip worthwhile. Before leaving, Wesley asked, ¡°Christopher woke up earlier. Do you want to say goodbye to him?¡± Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Will Not Dare To Look Yuliana asked him, ¡°Do you want me to say goodbye to him?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Wesley. Yuliana stepped forward and hugged him. ¡°So, don¡¯t always think about me. If there is something you don¡¯t want to do, you can tell me. I don¡¯t want you to feel wronged for me. That would put a lot of pressure on me.¡± ¡°Yuliana, you are not a qualified business person.¡± Wesley chuckled, ¡°Businessmen value profit. They know that investing more will yield higher returns. I¡¯m not doing all this for you without expecting anything in return, so don¡¯t think you¡¯ve taken advantage of me. Because one day, I will ask you to pay me back with interest.¡± Wesley felt quite despicable. Even though he said such nice things, he had only one goal in mind. He wanted to win Yuliana¡¯s heart. He knew very well that his kindness to her and even helping Christopher for her sake would only make Yuliana feel more indebted to him, and he could use that to achieve his goal. At four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the car arrived at the hotel entrance. Wesley carried the luggage and escorted Yuliana downstairs. Yuliana stood at the back of the car and watched Wesley put the luggage and two other packages into the trunk. ¡°When are you going back to Juxshire?¡± Yuliana asked. ¡°I have to stay at Druobridge for a few days, so, at the earliest next Wednesday,¡± Wesley replied, closing the trunk lid and dusting off his hands. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll wait for you in Juxshire toe back,¡± said Yuliana. ¡°Okay.¡± Wesley walked to the back of the car and opened the door. ¡°Get in the car. There¡¯s been some traffic on the road these days, and I don¡¯t want you to miss your flight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yuliana got into the car and waved to Wesley, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Be safe on your way back.¡± Wesley nodded. Suddenly, he leaned into the car, pulled the seat belt over Yuliana, and fastened it. Their breaths intertwined as they got closer. He paused for a while before leaning in to kiss her lips. Yuliana¡¯s ears reddened. She pushed him away and nced at the driver in front of them. Wesley noticed her little gesture, touched her ear, and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t dare to look.¡± Yuliana red at him. ¡°Let me know when you arrive.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Wesley finally closed the door to the back seat and walked to the driver¡¯s side, giving him a few instructions. Yuliana sat in the back seat and listened to Wesley¡¯s careful instructions to the driver about safety on the road and some matters after arriving at the airport. From all perspectives, Wesley was a very reliable man. Yuliana slightly pursed her lower lips and looked out of the window, subconsciously ncing at a window on the fourth floor. At this point, Christopher was standing by the window, topless, biting a half-burned cigarette on his thin lips and casually looking at the car downstairs. Yuliana knew that it was impossible for him to see her in the car, but somehow, she could still feel his eyes piercing through the window, staring straight at her. The two of them locked eyes for two seconds through the adjacent windows. Yuliana first withdrew her gaze and looked at Wesley who was still talking to the driver. After Wesley finished telling the driver, he walked to Yuliana¡¯s side and knocked on the window. She lowered the window and listened to Wesley saying, ¡°When we arrive at the airport, Alec will help you check in your luggage. I¡¯ve already arranged everything when you get to Juxshire. Someone will pick you up at the airport, and he will contact you at that time.¡± In fact, Yuliana wanted to say that it was not necessary and that she was familiar with Juxshire so she did not need anyone to pick her up. However, listening to Wesley¡¯s thoughtful and meticulous arrangement, she felt a sense of peace of mind and did not need to worry about anything. Since she was a child, Callie had taught her to be independent and not to rely on others. Only by relying on oneself can one truly stand firm Although she thought those words were right, sometimes she also wanted to try the feeling of being. unconditionally pampered by someone, without having to consider anything. Even if the sky befell on her, someone would hold it up for her. Yuliana felt that she had found the ideal feeling of love in Wesley. She leaned against the window and smiled at Wesley, ¡°Okay.¡± Wesley brushed strands of her hair away from her face, smiled, and knocked on the ss in front of him to signal the driver to start the car. Yuliana waved goodbye to Wesley again. When the car drove far away and she could not see the person behind her anymore, she closed the car window. Wesley watched as the car drove away. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He turned sideways and looked up at a window on the fourth floor and saw Christopher standing there. Their eyes met unexpectedly. Neither of them had any expressions on their faces. After staring at each other for a few seconds, Christopher walked away from the window and closed the curtain. Wesley then withdrew his gaze and walked straight to the hotel. He went up to the fourth floor and stopped in front of room 406, raised his hand, and knocked on the door. The person inside did not respond. Wesley took out the room card and swiped it. With a click, the door opened. He pushed the door open and went in. Christopher was sitting cross-legged on the bed, holding a lit cigarette in his hand. He had smoked so much that the room was filled with smoke that could choke someone. Wesley frowned and opened the window for venttion. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Christopher asked coldly, his eyes following Wesley as thetter moved around the room and opened the window. Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Chapter 408 What Is The Big Deal? Wesley picked up a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip while ncing at the cigarette in Christopher¡¯s hand. ¡°I suggest you smoke less. Even if you are young, you won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences,¡± Wesley reminded Christopher out of goodwill. Christopher chuckled. ¡°How generous of you to care about the health of your rival in love, Mr. Duncan.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°A rival in love?¡± Wesley smiled. ¡°Men all over the world may be my rivals in love, but you and Harry have no chance at all. Christopher, in fact, you know very well that there is no possibility between you and Yuliana¡± Even if Yuliana still had Christopher in her heart, she would never choose to rekindle an old me. Hearing that, Christopher¡¯s face darkened instantly. He looked at Wesley coldly and said, ¡°Nothing is impossible in this world. Besides, even if she is with you, how long can you bear with her having another man in her heart? Is it one day, one month, one year, or forever?¡± Looking at Wesley¡¯s fading smile, Christopher felt a little proud and continued, ¡°Are you going to say that Anal will eventually fall in love with you one day? Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re smart as a whip. Have you not thought about the three years you spent on her, yet she did not fall for you? Do you n to spend another thirty years? It¡¯s only been a year since we got married and divorced.¡± As Christopher became more and more proud, he acted like a childish elementary school student who was eager to show off. ¡°She told me herself that she loves me.¡± At that rate, Christopher was like a peacock in his pride which was extremely annoying. Wesley stared at Christopher and gritted his teeth. After a while, Wesley realized that he had be equally childish and ridiculous. ¡°In that case, you should live on with that memory of yours!¡± Wesley smirked. ¡°Please don¡¯t harass my woman anymore. I don¡¯t care if you get hurt again.¡± Christopher tutted and did not take Wesley¡¯s words seriously. ¡°Get out of here if you have nothing else to say. Stop being an eyesore.¡± Christopher flicked the cigarette ash before he continued smoking. Wesley sat down in the chair with his arms crossed and said with a straight face, ¡°ck Wolf ran away.¡± Christopher stopped smoking and asked, ¡°Ran away?¡± With much sarcasm, he sneered, ¡°You guys are incredible! I¡¯m amazed that ck Wolf managed to run away.¡± Wesley said, ¡°ck Wolf has already kept a trick up his sleeve, and he¡¯s obviously supported by the one from Juxshire. As for you, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you die or live.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he doesn¡¯t trust me.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes narrowed as he pushed the smoke out through his mouth. ¡°Well, the escape of ck Wolf just gives me a chance.¡± Wesley¡¯s face darkened slightly, and he immediately guessed Christopher¡¯s n. This time, Christopher came to Druobridge to test the waters. If he really appeared on the trading scene, he would not be able to get away easily anyway. Since ck Wolf meddled in, it served as the most suitable excuse for Christopher to get away. Christopher could eveny the me on ck Wolf Indeed, it was a wonderful move. Meanwhile, Wesley paused and suddenly thought of something. He scrutinized Christopher¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Have you known that ck Wolf was going to kill you?¡± ¡°What is the big deal?¡± Christopher snorted. Wesley¡¯s heart sank slightly. Christopher had indeed grown a lot in recent years. That night, Christopher would have died if he could not endure it for a while. If Christopher had already known how dangerous the situation would be and still chose to make a narrow escape, Wesley thought that he was really impressive. Wesley calmed down and said, ¡°The control of entering and leaving Lofbury will be much looser tomorrow. will arrange for someone to send you to Druobridge Hospital. Your inmed wound is quite severe. It¡¯s better to get it checked out with professional equipment if you don¡¯t want to lose your left arm.¡± Although Wesley took out the bullet and treated the wound that night, the hotel environment was not clean after all. In addition, it was a little hot in summer, and the wound was not carefully taken care of in the past two days. Christopher might be able to endure it for a short time, but the risk increased after a long time. Besides, Wesley promised Yuliana that he would let Christopher leave Druobridge alive. Reynolds¡¯ men were still looking for Christopher. It would save them a lot of trouble to leave that ce as soon as possible. Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Did You Find It? There was a bed and breakfast in Lofbury. Bang! Bang! A knock sounded on the door. Reynolds paused and looked at the person sitting next to him. Then he raised his voice and said, ¡°Come in!¡± The door was pushed open, and one reliable subordinate of Reynolds¡¯ came in. He walked to Reynolds and whispered in his ear. Reynolds winked at him and spoke to the person sitting next to him. ¡°Mr. Cullen, please help yourself and enjoy the coffee first. I¡¯ll go out for a while.¡± Jerry stared at Reynolds fiercely. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t y tricks on me. Although Druobridge is not my territory, Mr. Xavier can hunt you down if you dare to mess with us!¡± Reynolds draped the rosary beads in his hand and responded, ¡°Mr. Cullen, you can¡¯t believe me after all these years of friendship, can you? I met someone in the town this morning, and he looks like my friend who has disappeared for quite some time. But he said he didn¡¯t know me at all. I wondered if he was in trouble, sol specially asked someone to look into it. There, I just got some information.¡± Jerry withdrew his suspicious gaze and waved his hand in distress. ¡°Mr. Cullen, please wait for a while.¡± After speaking, Reynolds walked out of the room with his subordinate. When they reached the yard, Reynolds, dressed in a ck T-shirt, put his hands behind his back and continued draping the rosary beads. He nced at his subordinate and asked, ¡°Did you find it?¡± His subordinate nodded. ¡°Yes. His name is Wesley Duncan. He was in the special forces. After he left, he took on some work by himself. As long as the payment is enough, he can do everything. In recent years, he has gained some poprity in our field and has known many prominent officials.¡± Reynolds squinted at the sky and kept silent. Seeing that Reynolds was silent, his subordinate immediately sensed something and asked, ¡°Mr. Lawson, is there a problem?¡± Reynolds answered faintly. ¡°Do you think he came here just for his girlfriend¡¯s business trip?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The subordinate could not give an exact answer. He also felt a little strange in his heart. ¡°Can it be a coincidence that they came to Lofbury, of all ces? That woman doesn¡¯t dress like an ordinary tourist as well. Lofbury is just a small town in the middle of nowhere. What kind of business trip can it be done here?¡± Reynolds looked at him andmanded, ¡°Go and find it out.¡± The subordinate instantly understood what Reynolds meant. ¡°Yes, Mr. Lawson. Right away.¡± After saying that, he went out. He took a few steps forward, but he suddenly stopped and turned back, trying to say something. ¡°Mr. Lawson¡­¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Reynolds looked at him. The subordinate looked in the direction of the room. ¡°Since ck Wolf is not caught by the police, shall we proceed with the order for our men to look for Christopher?¡± The man whom Reynolds addressed as Mr. Cullen was ck Wolf. ck Wolf¡¯s real identity was Jerry Cullen. He was in his thirties. Since his skin was dark, and he acted ruthlessly like a wolf, his friends called him ck Wolf, and the nickname carried on. Over time, few people knew the real name of ck Wolf, Reynolds had known ck Wolf for more than ten years. More than ten years ago, they were quite close to one another. However, they had fewer chances to deal with each other after they had their own territories. and they gradually grew apart. A few years ago, when ck Wolf came to Druobridge, he would still call Reynolds up for a drink. Ever since ck Wolf worked for Oliver in recent years, ck Wolf hadpletely ignored the others. in the first half of the year, Reynolds tried to invite ck Wolf to a meal when ck Wolf came to Druobridge. His initial n was to ask ck Wolf to rmend him to Oliver for some connections so that he could do some small business in Juxshire. However, ck Wolfpletely ignored their past friendship and did not even let Reynolds say anything. He directly turned Reynolds down by saying that he had no time. This time, when ck Wolf asked Reynolds for help, Reynolds did not n to show up. Nheless, ck Wolf was smart enough to use Oliver as bait, and Reynolds agreed to lend a hand. *Just keep looking.¡± After saying that, Reynolds added, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Christopher is injured. Even if he leaves Lofbury, he won¡¯t be able to leave Druobridge.¡± The subordinate responded and left. Reynolds stood in the yard for a few minutes before returning to the room. ck Wolf leaned against the chair, heavily puffing a cigarette, and staring into space. The expression on his face was a little depressed and a little anxious. Obviously, there was turmoil inside him at that time. ¡°Mr. Cullen,¡± Reynolds called out. ck Wolf came back to his senses and pressed the cigarette butt hard into the ashtray. ¡°Hasn¡¯t Christopher been found yet?¡± Reynolds sighed and said apologetically, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this brat to be so capable of hiding. He was shot. It¡¯s impossible for him to leave Lofbury, but I have searched the whole town and still haven¡¯t found him. Can it be that he has died in the wild somewhere?¡± ¡°No way!¡± ck Wolf red at Reynolds. ¡°If he is alive, capture him. If he is dead, we need to get his corpse. He cannot leave Druobridge alive!¡± The goods and money were gone. Someone had to bear the consequences. Otherwise, Oliver would not be very pleased. Things took quite the opposite turn when ck Wolf sent the assassins to eliminate Christopher, and Christopher did not make it to the trading site. If Christopher returned to Juxshire alive, once he told Oliver the truth, ck Wolf would be stripped of his skin even if he was not killed. Reynolds promised, ¡°Mr. Cullen, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you find him.¡± ck Wolf nced at him and said, ¡°You¡¯d better do what you say. If I am put in a hard time, you won¡¯t get away too.¡± He was tantly threatening Reynolds. Though Reynolds smiled apologetically without showing his true expression, he sneered in his heart, ¡°Why would ck Wolf be Oliver¡¯s right-hand man? Is it because he is a fool?¡± When it was getting dark, Reynolds¡¯ subordinate came back with the news. ¡°Lofbury is going to build a resort. The woman is indeed on a business trip. She is said to be the boss of a group in Juxshire,¡± the man briefly reported what he had found. ¡°Oh?¡± Hearing that, Reynolds was also a little surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t see that such a gentle and delicate woman can be a big boss.¡± The subordinateughed and said obscenely, ¡°Yeah! I wonder if that kind of beautiful boss can be good in bed.¡± That night, Yuliana looked pure and coquettish when she wore a ck sling dress alone. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried such a woman before!¡± the subordinate thought evilly. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Reynolds smiled. ¡°But she is not from the same world as us. I advise you to keep that evil thought to yourself. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have a hard time.¡± The man was stunned and confused. ¡°I don¡¯t think Wesley is capable to take me down.¡± Although Wesley was somewhat famous in their field and had known many people, it was not easy for him to rise to fame on his own. Reynolds looked at his subordinate again and snorted softly without saying anything. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. The subordinate went and opened the door to let another man in. ¡°Mr. Lawson, someone wants to see you.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Reynolds paused and looked at him. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A man called Wesley whom you met at Hatte Hotel.¡± Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Sincerity ¡°The one who was at Hatte Hotel in the morning. He has thest name ¡®Duncan.¡± Hearing this, Reynolds had a cold expression. He was still in the same position and remained silent for a long time. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The subordinate who had opened the door earlier saw Reynolds in this state and asked, ¡°Why did he ask to see Mr. Lawson?¡± The subordinate who had just entered the room looked at him and shook his head. ¡°That person didn¡¯t say anything. He only said he would wait for Mr. Lawson at the cafe beside Hatte Hotel.¡± At that time, that subordinate was sitting in a car outside the bed and breakfast junction, keeping watch. Since that night, ck Wolf had gotten injured and had been hiding in an abandoned cave in the wilderness. He was lucky enough to escape being killed. Before dawn this morning, ck Wolf secretly entered the town and contacted Reynolds¡¯ men After that, he stayed in the bed and breakfast. The owner of the bed and breakfast was friends with Reynolds, so he turned a blind eye to that. The police did not make a huge scene like they did the previous day, as they were afraid of startling the residents and tourists in the town. Hence, they decided to continue their investigation in a rtively low-key manner. That was why it was risky for ck Wolf to seek Reynolds¡¯ help at this time. Nobody knew how Wesley managed to find this bed and breakfast. He casually walked over, like an after-dinner stroll, to the car that the subordinate was in. Wesley knocked on the car window. At that time, subordinate was a little dumbfounded. He lowered the window subconsciously and heard Wesley say, ¡°Go back and tell Mr. Lawson that I want to meet him. I¡¯ll wait for him at the cafe next to Hatte Hotel.¡± After saying that, he left. The subordinate was stunned for a while before quickly getting off the car. He hurried back to the bed and breakfast and reported that to Reynolds. The two subordinates looked at each other without saying anything else. After a momentary silence, Reynolds chuckled. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go and meet him,¡± he said. Wesley booked a private room. However, the conditions in the town were limited. Even the private room was not really luxurious. One could even hear the sounds of people ying poker in the next room. Wesley sat on the couch and took a sip of the earl grey tea that had been ced beside him. It had cubed sugar in it, so it tasted a little sweet. In the past, Wesley did not really like to eat sweet food. However, in recent years, Yuliana had given him a few candies. Every time she coaxed Rowan, she would also pass him a few. In the very beginning. Wesley did not like those candies, but he still took the candies that Yuliana passed him. and kept them in his pocket. Wesley took those candies home. He bought a ss jar to store them. Once, Wesley had to go on a business trip and leave for more than two weeks. When he left, he took several candies with him. When Wesley was on the ne, he suddenly missed Yuliana, so he took out a piece of candy and put it into his mouth. It was sour and sweet, and it tasted like plums. It tasted very different from cubed sugar. Previously, Alec said Yuliana had gotten her boarding pass and entered the waiting room. Her flight was scheduled for 8.30 p.m., but it was not even 8 p.m. yet, so Wesley did not think Yuliana had already boarded the flight. While Wesley was still deep in thought, the door of the private room was opened. Wesley snapped back to his senses and looked at the door. Reynolds came in with a smile and greeted Wesley enthusiastically, ¡°Mr. Duncan!¡± Tm sorry to keep you waiting. Mr. Duncan,¡± Reynolds added. Wesley got up and said, ¡°No, Mr. Lawson. I was the one who suddenly invited you to meet me. I hope you won¡¯t take offense.¡± He stretched his arm out with an open palm in a gesture of invitation and asked, ¡°Mr. Lawson, what would you like to drink?¡± Reynolds nced at the earl grey tea before Wesley and replied, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ll have the same as you.¡± Wesley called the waiter in and ordered another cup of earl grey tea. Soon, the waiter came in with the tea and said politely, ¡°Tll leave you to enjoy your drinks.¡± With that, he turned around and went out. Reynolds picked up his cup of tea and blew on it gently. He put it to his dark lips and took a small sip. The tea was still a little hot. His dark brows furrowed slightly. Following that, he lifted his gaze and looked at Wesley. ¡°I don¡¯t think you wanted to meet me just to have tea, right, Mr. Duncan?¡± Reynolds asked. Wesley smiled. ¡°Of course not.¡± He paused for a moment and said, ¡°I want to talk to you about coboration.¡± ¡°Coboration?¡± Reynolds raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Well, Mr. Duncan¡­ What kind of coboration do you want to talk about?¡± Wesley stared at him for two seconds. ¡°I want the same coboration as what you and ck Wolf have. However, ck Wolf wants Christopher to die, and I want Christopher to live.¡± Reynolds met Wesley¡¯s eyes, and the muscles of his face twitched slightly. He put down his transparent cup of earl grey tea. The cup was too full, and some of the tea sshed out. The hot tea sshed on the back of Reynolds¡¯ hand, but he did not care at all. Reynolds merely chuckled coldly. ¡°Mr. Duncan, how arrogant of you.¡± In response, Wesley only smiled. He did not speak at all, and he had aposed look on his face. The two looked at each other for a moment. There was a cold expression on Reynolds¡¯ face. Reynolds asked, ¡°Mr. Duncan, why do you think you are qualified to talk to me about the same coboration that ck Wolf talked to me about?¡± Wesley smiled and replied, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not qualified to talk to you about this, but someone else is.¡± Reynolds understood the meaning behind Wesley¡¯s words. He looked down and picked up the teacup again. Reynolds blew on the tea and took a sip. He did not respond to Wesley¡¯s words. Wesley knew that Reynolds was thinking about it, so he did not disturb thetter. Wesley only looked out of the window and waited quietly for Reynolds toe to a decision. Reynolds finally said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, have you ever thought about the fact that if I don¡¯t agree to your proposal, you and he won¡¯t be able to leave Druobridge alive?¡± Wesley took the initiative to look for Reynolds, which meant he had identally exposed Christopher¡¯s whereabouts. Initially, Reynolds was only slightly suspicious, but now he could be sure. Christopher was still in Lofbury. Wesley said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. You are someone with morals, but ck Wolf is different from you. He¡¯s narrow-minded and ungrateful¡­ But I guess this is something that you already know, right? Even if he made some promise to you, can you be certain that he will keep his promise in the end?¡± Reynolds naturally knew that Wesley was telling the truth. ck Wolf had asked him to deal with Christopher because thetter had threatened ck Wolf¡¯s interests. Even if he helped ck Wolf get rid of Christopher, ck Wolf would not agree to be the go- between for him. Reynolds knew that he would be the next Christopher. Reynolds pondered for a moment and then looked at Wesley. ¡°How do I know he is not the same person as ck Wolf?¡± Wesley smiled, took out a ck package from the corner, and unzipped it. ¡°This is a token of our sincerity. As long as he can leave Druobridge safely, there will be another gift for you.¡± Reynolds nced at the thing in that ck package, and his eyes lit up instantly. Following that, he chuckled and said, ¡°I like your sincerity. It¡¯s really to my taste.¡± Wesley asked, ¡°So, you have agreed?¡± Reynolds smiled and said, ¡°The reason why I work so hard is because of this!¡± ¡°This is obviously much better than ck Wolf¡¯s empty promises,¡± he mused. Reynolds asked, ¡°When are you intending to leave?¡± Wesley answered, ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Reynolds thought for a while and said, ¡°I have some connections in Lofbury. I¡¯ll go over and notify them about. this tomorrow. Both of you should have no problems leaving. After arriving at Druobridge, you can also contact me if you need anything.¡± As he spoke, he took out a business card and handed it to Wesley. Wesley took it. He threw a nce at it before putting it away. Reynolds looked at Wesley hesitatingly as if he had something to say. Wesley asked, ¡°What?¡± Reynolds smiled. ¡°Nothing.¡± Wesley stood up and said, ¡°In that case, thank you for your help.¡± After exchanging a few words of pleasantries, Wesley left the cafe. Meanwhile, Christopher was sitting in the car. He looked out the window casually. Christopher¡¯s body began to heat up again. He was sweating profusely. Even his clothes were soaked with sweat. Christopher felt cold when a gentle gust of cold wind blew past him. He tilted his head and watched Wesley approach him. Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Chapter 411 The Suspicious Person In The Car After Wesley opened the car door and got onto the front passenger seat, he ordered, ¡°ke, start driving.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ke immediately drove out of town. Christopher closed his eyes. Aside from his pale face and constant sweating, it was impossible to tell how ufortable he was at the time. He askedzily. ¡°Is the negotiation sessful?¡± Wesley nced at the rearview mirror and said, ¡°I think so.¡± Although Reynolds was not a good person, he should still have some ethics. Moreover, Reynolds knew that it was better to cooperate with them than with ck Wolf However, Wesley would not dare to trust him a hundred percent. He also lied to Reynolds. Wesley had nned to leave early the next day, but Reynolds already knew that Christopher was still in Lofbury. If Reynolds backed out and decided to harm Christopher, it would be difficult for him to avoid it. Therefore, he had made some arrangements before he went to see Reynolds. He even risked contacting that person for help so that they could leave smoothly tonight. A few police cars were parked at the town exit. All vehicles entering and exiting had to be inspected. It was very strict. When ke drove there, he was stopped. Two police officers walked over. One of them knocked on the window, and Wesley lowered the window. The other policeman, Anselm, said, ¡°Everyone in the car, please get down. We need to check the car.¡± Wesley smiled and said, ¡°Officer, there¡¯s a patient in our car. We need to send him to Druobridge Hospital. He is very weak now. Can we not get off?¡± ¡°Patient?¡± Anselm looked into the car and saw Christopher sitting in the back seat. After scrutinizing him, Anselm asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Wesley replied calmly, ¡°Pneumonia. He has a fever and can¡¯t even walk two steps.¡± Christopher looked sick andcked spirit. Anselm said, ¡°He can stay in the car, but the rest of you have to get off. We have to check the car.¡± Wesley smiled and said, ¡°Okay, we will get off.¡± After saying that, he gave ke a look. Then, they unfastened their seat belts and quickly got out of the car. When they exited the vehicle, the two officers examined the driver¡¯s and front passenger¡¯s seats, followed by the trunk. Then, they opened the back door of the car. They did not ask Christopher to get out, but they did ask him to move his body slightly and then carefully inspect the backseat. After checking, Anselm looked at Christopher. Earlier, he could not see Christopher clearly through the front passenger window. When he got closer, he noticed that Christopher appeared to be seriously ill. His face was pale with not the slightest hint of color, and his lips were paler than his face. However, his eyes were cold when he stared at people, making them feel ufortable. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Anselm asked casually. Christopher said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Is there no hospital in the town? It¡¯s not a serious illness, Why must you go to Druobridge Hospital? It¡¯s a few hours from here to Druobridge. Moreover, it¡¯s hard to drive on the mountain road at night. Can you hang on?¡± Anselm was not from Lofbury but came there for an assignment at thest minute. So, he did not know much about the situation there. Christopher just looked at him and did not reply. Anselm did not mind. His fingers touched the backrest as he was about to get his upper body out of the car. He felt something wet against his fingers and nced at it subconsciously. Seeing the stain on his fingers, he was stunned and looked at Christopher abruptly. Christopher also caught a glimpse of the change in Anselm¡¯s expression. He cast a nce at the spot where Anselm had made contact. He was sitting there just now with his right shoulder leaning against that area. When he entered the car earlier, he must have identally stretched the wound, and blood oozed out. Thinking of that, his gaze turned grave, as he looked at Anselm like a beast. Anselm was staring at him as well. For two seconds, they exchanged tense nces. Anselm soon returned to his senses. He was about to take the gun from his waist when he felt someone press against his shoulder. ¡°Officer, your leader asked you to go over,¡± Wesley said in his ear. Anselm was taken aback. He looked at Wesley and noticed that the hand that he was about to use to pull out his gun had been obstructed. Wesley immediately added, ¡°I¡¯m not lying¡± After saying so, he turned and looked sideways Anselm followed Wesley¡¯s gaze and noticed the open door of a police car parked nearby. Someone stepped out of the car and took a look around. Finally, his gaze was drawn to them, and he walked directly toward them. ¡°Captain!¡± Anselm shouted. After a pause, Anselm nced at Christopher in the car. When Anselm was about to exin the situation to Benjamin, Benjamin suddenly raised his hand to stop Anselm. Anselm was stunned. Then, he heard Benjamin say, ¡°Let them go.¡± ptain?¡± Anselm was stunned and confused. ¡°Captain, there is something fishy with the people in the car. We can¡¯t let them go.¡± Benjamin looked at him coldly. ¡°Are you the captain, or am I the captain? Obey the order.¡± Anselm pursed his lips and silently protested for a long time. Seeing that something was wrong, another officer came to pull Anselm aside and persuaded him in a low voice. Wesley looked at Benjamin and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± Then, he got in the car together with ke and drove off quickly. Only when the car was far away, Benjamin walked to Anselm and exined, ¡°I know you have doubts. I have them too, but this is an order from the boss.¡± Meanwhile, in the car, Wesley turned sideways to look at Christopher. He asked, ¡°How did he find out?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Wesley was referring to Anselm. Christopher was closing his eyes. Hearing the question, he lifted his eyelids and answered, ¡°My wound has opened up, and the backrest of the seat is stained with blood.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Wesley frowned. Christopher muffled his words vaguely and closed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It shouldn¡¯t be serious. It¡¯s bleeding a little at most. Don¡¯t disturb me. I don¡¯t want to talk.¡± Wesley was still worried. ¡°A little blood at most? How much blood do you think you can bleed? Let¡¯s do something about it first?¡± Christopher ignored him. Wesley looked at him for a few seconds and turned back as he thought, ¡°Since he didn¡¯t care about it, why am I worrying so much?¡± It would take two to three hours from Lofbury to Druobridge in the daytime. However, it was difficult to drive on the mountain road at night, so they could only drive more slowly. When they arrived in Druobridge, it was already past eleven o¡¯clock. Wesley used his connections to find a private hospital with better privacy for Christopher instead of sending him to a public hospital. Christopher was sent to the operating room immediately when he arrived at the hospital. There was no sign of healing in the wound. Due to the inmmation, part of the flesh had begun to fester. After the wound had been cleaned, it was stitched again. The operation was not long. In half an hour, the doctor had alreadye out of the operating room. The doctor took off his mask and said, ¡°I¡¯ve re-treated the patient¡¯s wound. Although it¡¯s not too serious, he won¡¯t suffer so much if he was sent to the hospital sooner. If it¡¯s a day or twoter, it will be more troublesome.¡± Wesley said, ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± The doctor nodded and strode away. Christopher had been unconscious since being pushed out of the operating room. Even after two packs of drip had been administered, he did not wake up. The nurse checked his body temperature, which was 37.3 degrees Celsius, after pulling out the needles. His temperature was the lowest these two days. The ward was quiet. Wesley sat on the sofa with his legs crossed and his back leaning against the armrest of the sofa. He opened WhatsApp and sent a message to Yuliana. Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Disappointed? Wesley sat on the sofa with his legs stretched out and crossed before him. He leaned back against the armrest of the couch, clicked into his WhatsApp, and texted Yuliana: [Are you asleep?] Yuliana had gotten off the ne at 10.40 p.m. and left the airport at around 11.00 p.m. She texted Wesley as soon as she got into the car he had arranged for her. However, Wesley was busy handling Christopher¡¯s hospital admission at the time and did not respond to Yuliana¡¯s text immediately. When Christopher hade out of surgery, Wesley left to tend to matters of his own and left ke to keep an eye on things in the hospital. In short, for the most part of the evening, Wesley did not have a quiet moment to himself to reply to Yuliana¡¯s text, until now. On Yuliana¡¯s end, she was in the shower when Wesley texted her back. The first thing she did when she got home was go into Rowan¡¯s bedroom to check on the little one, but he unexpectedly woke up when she sat down by his bedside. After that, he clung to Yuliana and refused to let go. She spent nearly an hour coaxing Rowan back to sleep. After that, only then did she retreat to her bedroom. By the time she was done with her shower, it was nearly 2.00 a.m. Her phone beeped twice before she noticed Wesley had texted her back. More to the point, his first text had been 20 minutes ago. He had asked her if she was asleep, but when he did not get a response, he followed up with a cursory: [Goodnight.] At once, Yuliana picked up her phone and called him. He answered within the first ring. ¡°I thought you were asleep.¡± Wesley¡¯s low voice filled her ear. ¡°I was in the shower, and I had no idea you texted me. Thank goodness you texted me goodnight, otherwise, you¡¯d have to wait until morning before actually getting a reply from me,¡± Yuliana exined gently. Then, she asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± Wesley said straightforwardly. ¡°I miss you so much that I can¡¯t sleep at all.¡± Yuliana¡¯s breath hitched when she heard this. Warmth and heartache filled her, and her voice was softer than before as she pointed out, ¡°Then hurry up ande back.¡± Wesley smiled and asked coyly, ¡°Do you miss me?¡± Yuliana paused for a moment, and then said, ¡°Yes.¡± She lifted the covers and slid into bed, pondering the question. ¡°I must miss him,¡± she thought. She texted him as soon as she got off the flight earlier, after all. However, for some reason, she could not help but feel guilty when she told him she missed him. Yuliana did not want to dwell on this. She hade to realize that there were some things she did not have to figure outpletely; she was better off that way. Unfortunately, Wesley had sensed the hesitation in her answer, but he was happy enough to and asked, ¡°Yuliana, could you tell me you miss me again? I want to hear it.¡± Yuliana said, ¡°I miss you.¡± Wesley felt like someone had stroked his heartstrings, and he wished he could fly back to Juxshire immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll go back as soon as I can for you,¡± he promised. Following that, they went on chatting for close to half an hour. In the end, Yuliana fell asleep halfway through the conversation. When Wesley did not hear anything on Yuliana¡¯s end except for the gentle sound of her breathing, he figured that she must have fallen asleep. However, he could not bring himself to hang up, so hey on the couch with his phone pressed to his ear. He could almost pretend she was sleeping right next to him. Meanwhile, Christopher opened his eyes and stared into space. He had woken up while Wesley was on the phone with Yuliana. The hospital room was probably too quiet because even though Wesley did not put his phone on speaker, Christopher could still hear Yuliana¡¯s voice on the other line. She did not sound indifferent when she spoke to Wesley, unlike when she spoke to Christopher. With the former, she spoke in warm and gentle tones, and there was no mistaking the trust and reliance she had for him. Christopher had been arrogant enough to believe that Yuliana loved him and that she would never fall for Wesley. Then again, hadn¡¯t Yuliana been in love with Harry for years before she finally moved on from him and fell for Christopher? This world, as it seemed, had no room for impossibilities. N?velDrama.Org ? content. As much as Christopher hated to admit it, Wesley was a rather good match for Yuliana. He might even go so far as to say that Yuliana and Wesley were an ideal couple. Yuliana woke up the next morning and was bewildered to find that her phone died, which should not be the case, seeing as her phone battery had been running on close to 60%st night. A minuteter, she vaguely recalled falling asleep during her phone call with Wesley. Her phone must have run out of battery then. At the thought of this, Yuliana plugged her phone in to charge and went into the bathroom to wash up. When she came out, her phone had restarted, and she quickly called Wesley. It took a while before her call went through. ¡°Wesley,¡± Yuliana greeted cheerfully at once. However, there was no answer on the other line. Confused, Yuliana reiterated, ¡°Wesley?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Wesley.¡± Yuliana stiffened at this, then pursed her lips and kept quiet. ¡°Disappointed?¡± On the other end of the phone, Christopher sat on the bed and looked out the window. ¡°Yuliana, would you mind telling me why you¡¯re so soft and gentle with Wesley, but cold and indifferent toward me?¡± He admitted that he was so jealous that he was about to go mad. Yuliana did not give him an answer. A beatter, she hung up the phone brusquely. She had no interest in speaking to Christopher at all. Christopher clutched the phone as a humorless smirk curled on his lips. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Wesley had only juste out of the bathroom when he saw Christopher gripping his phone. A grim look passed over his face as he walked up to the infirmed man and said, ¡°Give me that.¡± Christopher shot him an icy re and tossed the phone onto the couch, away from the bed. As the phone hit the cushion with a muffled thud, he said, ¡°If you want it, go get it yourself.¡± He had taken it from the couch when it rang just now. Wesley saw Christopher¡¯s stormy expression and decided to leave him be. He walked over to pick up the phone from the couch. Upon seeing Yuliana¡¯s contact in his call log, he immediately understood why Christopher looked so sullen. With his phone in hand, Wesley headed out of the hospital room and returned Yuliana¡¯s call. In the following days, Yuliana spent most of her time discussing the resort development project in Lofbury with Craig. As things were, Craig seemed intent on giving up on the project altogether. More urately, he never nned on investing in the project in the first ce. For starters, even without the recent event, Lofbury was no ce for a resort. Craig initially wanted someone to inspect the site. The inspection would not sh with his schedule as he had imed, but he merely wanted Yuliana and Christopher to have some time alone after finding out that thetter would be in Druobridge. Thest thing Craig expected was for Yuliana to actually want to invest in the project after the trip. He had always believed Yuliana to have a good head on her shoulders Granted, she did not join Glory Corporation right from the start, but she worked twice as hard as everyone else and became the CEO of the s, she did not appear to have used her head when she decided on investing in the resort development project in Druobridge. Thus, she and Craig had been debating over this for thest few days, but no conclusion was drawn. On Saturday evening. Yuliana had only just driven away from Glory Tower when her phone rang. It was a call from Sabrina. Yuliana rejected the call first, then pulled up at the curb and parked her car before returning Sabrina¡¯s call. ¡°Mrs Livingstone,¡± she greeted. Sabrina asked, ¡°Yuliana, do you think you can drop by Yrinas tomorrow?¡± Yuliana had nned on seeing Sabrina before the trip to Druobridge got in the way. Thus, when she heard this, she nodded and said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll bring Roe along, too.¡± ¡°You have to be really careful on the road,¡± Sabrina said emphatically. ¡°Especially if you¡¯re driving.¡± Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Daddy Wesley Is Not My Daddy After talking to Sabrina on the phone, Yuliana felt a slight heaviness in her heart. She stayed for a few minutes on the side of the road before driving back to Champs Manor. As she entered, she heard the voice of a childughing uncontrobly and shrilly. ¡°Daddy Wesley, I was wrong. Stop chasing me. I can¡¯t run anymore!¡± ¡°Draw on my face, huh? I¡¯m going to punish you!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Yuliana changed her shoes and went in, immediately seeing Wesley holding Rowan in his arms and tickling him non-stop. Rowan wasughing so hard that he was out of breath. Seeing this scene, Yuliana felt warmth spreading through her heart. Before Rowan was born, she had imagined such a scene. She had imagined a family of three living a simple and cozy life together. She had thought it would be an easy thing to aplish. Onlyter did she realize that the dream was far out of her reach. Now, however, she suddenly realized that it was not so out of her reach after all. It merely involved a different man. Wesley looked up and noticed Yuliana. He stopped tickling Rowan and said, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Yuliana nodded and walked to them. ¡°When did youe back? Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Rowan broke free from Wesley. He immediately got up and ran to Yuliana, who caught him and picked him up. Looking at the watercolor pen marks that had stained his face identally, she wiped the marks with her fingers gently and asked, ¡°Did you draw the turtle on Mr. Duncan¡¯s face?¡± Rowan¡¯s cheeks were flushed as he smiled and nodded. He looked at Wesley with sparkling eyes, then giggled and corrected, ¡°Mom, he¡¯s not Mr. Duncan but Daddy Wesley.¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment. She looked at the tall man standing in front of her and smiled calmly. ¡°Yes, that was my mistake.¡± Then she stared at Wesley¡¯s face and said, ¡°I have to say, Roe¡¯s drawing is pretty good. When he starts school, I might even sign him up for extra-curricr sses.¡± Wesley looked at her intensely and didn¡¯t answer. Yuliana¡¯s ears felt a little hot. She subconsciously raised her hand and wanted to wipe off the turtle that had been drawn with a blue watercolor pen on Wesley¡¯s face. However, it covered toorge of a surface and could not be wiped away in just a short while. When she was about to withdraw her hand and let Wesley wash his face himself, he grabbed her hand. Yuliana shot a nce at Rowan in her arms, struggled slightly to free her hand, and said in a calm tone, ¡°I can¡¯t manage to wipe it off. You should wash it off yourself.¡± Rowan looked with a nk expression at Yuliana and Wesley, who were holding hands, then giggled and ced his hand over theirs. ¡°I want to hold hands too!¡± Wesley pinched Rowan¡¯s chubby face and coaxed, ¡°Roe, close your eyes.¡± ¡°Why do you want me to close my eyes?¡± Wesley said seriously, ¡°Because I¡¯m going to do something bad, and children shouldn¡¯t watch.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana could not help but re at him. Rowan, who was having a good time, rolled his eyes and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± He even reached out to cover his eyes. Yuliana looked at his movements and couldn¡¯t helpughing in amusement. She thought, ¡°My son is so easy to fool. He¡¯d do whatever others say. He might even be as obedient to his kidnappers.¡± As she was thinking, the man in front of her leaned over. Before Yuliana could react, he had pinched her chin lightly and immediately pressed his warm lips against hers. At this time, the little boy, who was covering his eyes, secretly spread his fingers. The corners of his lips that were lifted instantly fell, and he reached out and pushed Wesley hard. ¡°Daddy Wesley, you can¡¯t kiss Mom!¡± He frowned, looking serious. Of course, Rowan was hardly strong enough to push Wesley away from Yuliana. However, the moment Wesley heard the child¡¯s voice, he automatically let go of Yuliana. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Looking at Rowan¡¯s expression of disapproval, he was stunned and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You just mustn¡¯t!¡± Rowan didn¡¯t know how to answer. He frowned and red at Wesley. He thought quickly. and as if he had just thought of something, he immediately added, ¡°My teacher, Mr. Henderson, said that boys can¡¯t simply kiss girls.¡± Then Rowan wrapped his arms around Yuliana¡¯s neck tightly and looked at Wesley vigntly as if he was afraid that she would be taken away from him. Yuliana had never expected Rowan to react this way. She thought that Rowan liked Wesley very much and was very clingy to him. By right, he shouldn¡¯t be so resistant toward Wesley. However, more than anything else, her heart was filled with regret. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been too intimate with Wesley in front of Rowan,¡± she thought. Then Yuliana said, ¡°Go wash your face first. I¡¯ll go upstairs to change my clothes.¡± Wesley nodded. Yuliana went upstairs, carrying Rowan in her arms. She put Rowan on the couch and said, ¡°I¡¯m changing my clothes. You sit here for a while. I want to have a talk with youter, is that okay?¡± Rowan looked at Yuliana. He had an uneasy expression on his face but still nodded in response. Yuliana went to the walk-in wardrobe and changed into a casual cotton dress with a loose cutting. When she came out, Rowan was still sitting there obediently with his head lowered, looking as if he had done something wrong. Yuliana walked over and carried him onto herp as she sat down. She asked in a gentle voice, ¡°Why did you lose your temper just now?¡± Rowan lowered his head and didn¡¯t answer. Yuliana asked again, ¡°Is it because Daddy Wesley kissed me?¡± Rowan hesitated and nodded. Yuliana was silent for two seconds, and then she stroked Rowan¡¯s soft hair gently with her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you like Daddy Wesley very much?¡± ¡°I like Daddy Wesley.¡± Rowan nodded. Then, with his thin brows furrowed, he looked at Yuliana seriously and said, ¡°B-But¡­ Daddy Wesley is not my daddy. Only Daddy can kiss you.¡± After all, only Jasper¡¯s father could kiss Jasper¡¯s mother. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Yuliana knew that at Rowan¡¯s age, it was impossible to make him understand the adult world. She tried as well as she could to exin in a way that Rowan could understand. ¡°Daddy and I have split up. I¡¯m now with Daddy Wesley, so Daddy Wesley can kiss me.¡± Rowan pouted, and his eyes turned red instantly. ¡°Why did you split up?¡± In fact, after Rowan came to know about the role of a father, the character had be clearer and clearer in Rowan¡¯s mind. In the beginning, he desired a father, andter, he felt angry because of his father¡¯s absence. Now, a part of him was very angry with his father, but in his subconscious, he still hoped to experience the kind of paternal love that other children experienced. Yuliana couldn¡¯t exin too much to him and only held Rowan in her arms. At night, Yuliana saw Wesley off. Wesley suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s take Roe out to have some fun tomorrow. Doesn¡¯t he like to go to the arcade?¡± Rowan had been clinging to Yuliana all night, not giving Wesley any chance. He didn¡¯t want Wesley to y with him as usual either. Wesley still wanted to fix his rtionship with Rowan, and he didn¡¯t want Yuliana to be put in a tough spot between him and Rowan. ¡°Not tomorrow¡± Yuliana was a little apologetic as she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to Yrinas with Roe tomorrow.¡± Wesley was stunned and asked, ¡°To see your aunt?¡± Yuliana nodded and hesitated before saying. ¡°Although I haven¡¯t told you before, you should know that I have been investigating the cause of my father¡¯s death for more than a year now. Aunt Sabrina is waiting for an answer too. Till now, my father¡¯s ashes have not been buried yet.¡± Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Chapter 414 The Living Is More Important She was silent for a moment andughed self-deprecatingly before continuing, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to continue Investigating.¡± She couldn¡¯t risk anything happening to Rowan. If anything happened to Rowan because of this matter, she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the consequences. However, she still felt slightly unresigned. She felt sorry for Damian and didn¡¯t know how to face Sabrina. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Naturally, Wesley knew. Ever since Yuliana decided to bring Rowan back to Juxshire, he had known her n. He mostly had an idea about every move that she made as well. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°You¡¯reing with us?¡± Yuliana was slightly stunned. ¡°What?¡± Wesley chuckled in a low voice. ¡°Do you not want to bring me to meet your aunt?¡± Actually, he had met Sabrina before. At that time, Damian just passed away, and Sabrina hade back from abroad with her son, Jacob. However, Sabrina was very emotionally unstable because of Damian¡¯s death at that time, so she probably did. not notice Wesley. ¡°No.¡± Yuliana smiled wryly and said, ¡°Well, it so happens I need a driver.¡± As they had to return to Juxshire in the afternoon, Yuliana, Wesley, and Rowan set off early the next morning. Rowan sat in the child safety seat in the back of the car. Yuliana originally nned to sit in the passenger seat to apany Wesley, who was driving. However, as soon as she sat down, Rowan made a scene and refused to sit obediently in his seat no matter what. He insisted on Yuliana sitting with him in the backseat. Yuliana found herself in a tough spot. However, Wesley said considerately, ¡°You can sit in the back with Roe.¡± Only then did Yuliana nod and went to sit in the back of the car. Rowan fell asleep in the middle of the journey. When they arrived at a rest stop, Yuliana switched to sit in the passenger seat. They left at 7:30 a.m. and arrived at Yrinas at 10:30a.m. By the time they arrived, Sabrina had already started preparing lunch. On the way there, Yuliana had told Sabrina that she would be bringing someone along. Being a sensitive person, Sabrina quickly figured out what Yuliana meant, so she had gone to the market to buy some cooking ingredients before they arrived. Yuliana went to the kitchen to help prepare the dishes. Sabrina asked, ¡°Have I seen Wesley before?¡± She thought he looked a little familiar, but at that moment, she couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen him before. ¡°Last year, he helped a lot with Dad¡¯s matters after Dad died.¡± Yuliana drained the washed vegetables. ¡°No wonder.¡± Sabrina smiled and said, ¡°He looks down-to-earth. Yuliana, if you think he¡¯s appropriate, then you should grab and hold on to him. Although marriage is not a must, it would be good to have someone so that you can support and take care of each other. It would be a good thing, and your father would feel at ease in heaven as well.¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°I know.¡± After dinner, Wesley took the initiative to help clean the dishes. Sabrina didn¡¯t stop him and simply handed over the work of cleaning up after the meal to Wesley and Jacob, while she took Yuliana upstairs to her room. Sabrina asked Yuliana to sit down, and then she picked up a photo album and opened it to a page. She gently slid her fingers over a man¡¯s face in a photo. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯ve been dreaming of your father recently. His limbs were tied up, his neck was severely restrained, and his body was hit by an electric baton. He was crying out miserably.¡± As she spoke, she teared up. When she heard this, Yuliana¡¯s heart ached even more. She even lost the courage to speak. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m telling you this not to make things difficult for you or try to put pressure on you.¡± Sabrina¡¯s voice sounded a little weak. ¡°Maybe I haven¡¯t been in good health recently, so I kept thinking about this sort of stuff.¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly asked. ¡°Aunt Sabrina, are you feeling unwell? I want to bring you to go to the hospital for an examination.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go to the hospital myself. Yuliana, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Sabrina smiled and said, ¡°I just miss Damian very much. I can¡¯t imagine what heaven is like for him.¡± Yuliana kept feeling that Sabrina seemed a little different this time. ¡°Yuliana, stop investigating your father¡¯s affairs.¡± Sabrina closed the album and wiped her tears. ¡°I¡¯ve thought. about it. Those people who managed to kill your father in prison must be big shots. How could we afford to mess with them?¡± Yuliana looked at Sabrina in slight disbelief and couldn¡¯t believe what she heard. She knew more than anyone. else how deep Sabrina¡¯s obsession was regarding Damian¡¯s death. ¡°How could she suddenly just give up on wanting to investigate it?¡± she wondered. ¡°Aunt Sabrina, are you hiding something from me?¡± Yuliana asked. Sabrina said, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t overthink it. I¡¯ve just been in poor healthtely, and I¡¯ve also sorted out my thoughts. Although the dead is important, the living is more important. Besides, Jake will start going to high school next year. His future is the most important.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°I asked you toe here this time because I wanted to ask you for a favor. I wanted to ask if you could help Jake transfer back to Juxshire to study the ninth grade. The quality of education in Juxshire has to be better than that of Yrinas. However, school is about to start, and there¡¯s not much time left, so I don¡¯t know if it can be done.¡± It turned out to be about Jacob going to school. As a mother herself, Yuliana could understand Sabrina¡¯s choice. Sabrina¡¯s ability to let go of her obsession with continuing to investigate the cause of Damian¡¯s death was the best thing that could have happened. Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Yes, I can help. Jake has excellent grades, but public high schools. may be more difficult to get into. He could go to a private school instead, though. After the high school. admission test next year, he can try getting into a public high school.¡± Of course, they could also find a way to get him into a public high school using money and connections, but the money was not a small amount. Yuliana was afraid that Sabrina would overthink it, so she didn¡¯t mention it. Yuliana added, ¡°Hand the matter to me. I¡¯ll take care of Jake¡¯s transfer to a new school.¡± Sabrina said gratefully, ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m so grateful to you. In the future, when Jake arrives at Juxshire, I will have other things to trouble you with.¡± Yuliana smiled andforted her, ¡°He¡¯s my family. There¡¯s no such thing as trouble.¡± In the evening, Sabrina finished preparing dinner early. Yuliana and the others left Yrinas after dinner. On the way back, Yuliana kept thinking about Sabrina¡¯s words. She felt that something seemed wrong, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Seeing her faraway expression, Wesley asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuliana came back to her senses and said, ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m probably thinking too much.¡± When they returned to Juxshire, Yuliana immediately began to contact the schools for Jacob. The best high school in Juxshire had to be Juxshire Middle School, which Yuliana attended. However, the annual enrollment quota of this school was fixed. There would be no spots unless there were students who transferred to other schools after the school year started. However, the spots at Juxshire Middle School were in high demand. Basically, the moment one student transferred to another school, a new student would immediately fill the spot. Yuliana contacted the teachers who had taught her during her high school years and asked about the situation There was a spot after all but not in the best ss. If Jacob wanted to be in a better ss, he would have to wait for a semester. If he received good grades in his final exams, he could then exchange. ces with the students from the better sses who did not do as well. After the consultation, Yuliana mentioned it to Sabrina, who immediately agreed without even thinking about it. In fact, Jacob was currently studying at the best high school in Yrinas. He was among the top 50 students in his year in every exam. Also, Jacob had returned from abroad and had studied at the high school in Yrinas for a year now. He had only just adapted to the new environment and was now transferring to Juxshire to adapt to yet another new environment. Sabrina was quite determined, and Yuliana did not find it appropriate to say anything more either. Therefore, Sabrina took Jacob to Juxshire and handled the school transfer procedures for him. She went back to Yrinas after Jacob started school in Juxshire Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Chapter 415 No Matter Christopher returned to Juxshire a few dayster than Wesley. The journey back to Juxshire from Druobridge was quite torturous. Christopher had taken a car, rode a train, and even hiked the mountains. On the way back, he also encountered several endangering experiences, adding to his injuries. Fortunately, they were minor injuries and were not serious. When he arrived at Juxshire, he looked quite miserable. His clothes were ragged with an unpleasant smell as if he had slept in a pigsty. In truth, Christopher may not have slept in a pigsty, but he did ride a truck with a dozen of piglets. It was midnight when he arrived at Juxshire. Before he could catch a break to find a ce to clean himself and change his clothes, Yahir and his subordinates found him. They kidnapped Christopher into their vehicle without giving him a chance to speak. Christopher struggled a few times.. The rope was tight, and he could not break free. He frowned and looked at Yahir beside him, questioning, ¡°Why are you doing this, Mr. Hatfield?¡± Yahir nced at him and said, ¡°Chris, this is Mr. Xavier¡¯s order.¡± Christopher pondered for a moment and sneered. ¡°Mr. Xavier¡¯s orders? Did I do something to offend him? I almost died during my trip to Druobridge. I narrowly escaped death, came back, and this is the treatment I get Yahir hesitated for a moment, and his tone softened as he persuaded, ¡°You can¡¯t me Mr. Xavier. After all, those goods are worth nearly hundreds of millions. The money has been paid, but he hasn¡¯t received the product. Mr. Xavier naturally needs a statement. Regardless, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. If you are not responsible for the failure of this deal, Mr. Xavier won¡¯t let you bear the responsibility alone.¡± Thetter sentencesforted Christopher. Oliver seemed quite easygoing but never showed mercy to his subordinates who made mistakes. ck Wolf came back to Juxshire about a week earlier than Christopher. During the week, ck Wolf lived a difficult life. Although Oliver would not take ck Wolf¡¯s life because of this, Oliver¡¯s torture was worse than death. However, Oliver¡¯s attitude toward Christopher was hard to figure out. Oliver knew letting Christopher stay beside him was risky, but the former still chose thetter. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Not to mention, the first task entrusted to Christopher was an important one. No wonder ck Wolf was jealous. Yet, saying that Oliver cared for Christopher was also not quite right. Otherwise, Oliver would have stopped this when he knew ck Wolf was hostile toward Christopher. Christopher even allowed ck Wolf to attack Christopher, utterly uncaring of Christopher¡¯s life or death. However, it was normal to be unable to figure out Oliver¡¯s mind. If the subordinates could read Oliver¡¯s mind, they would not be working under him. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap. Wake me when we arrive,¡± Christopher saidzily, closed his eyes, and fell asleep as soon as he leaned against the seat. It was no exaggeration that he did not sleep more than three hours for the past three to four days. At times, he felt his heart throbbing as if he might die the next second. It was incredible to think he could hold on till now. Yahir felt more incredulous when he heard this. He did not know whether Christopher was generous or that he already had ns. Yahir could not believe he could still fall asleep at such a time. Not only was Christopher asleep, but he was also sleeping soundly. He did not even wake up when the car parked in the parking lot of the Goodness Club. Yahir called and patted him a few times before Christopher finally woke up. ¡°Have we arrived?¡± Christopher opened his eyes dazedly and looked out the window. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Yahir smiled and asked, ¡°Chris, you don¡¯t need me to help you out of the car, do you?¡± Christopher nced at him. ¡°You can if you want. I just so happen to have no strength right now and I don¡¯t want to walk. It would be better if you carried me.¡± ¡°You youngsters just love to joke,¡± Yahir said. ¡°Mr. Xavier is still waiting for you. Give him a clear exnation quickly, and you can return earlier, shower, and go to bed. Lying down to sleep is better than sitting here. right?¡± Christopher pondered for a while and thought it made sense. He yawned, woke himself up, and opened the car doors. He followed Yahir and walked around for several minutes before finally stopping at a sliding door. Yahir opened the door and led Christopher in. There was no one in the room except Oliver. He knelt in front of a square table, holding a carving knife, and was carving a piece of wood. The wood was already taking the shape of a human figure. From the looks of it, it seemed like a woman. ¡°Mr. Xavier,¡± Yahir called with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve brought Chris to you.¡± Oliver put down the items he held and nced at Christopher before looking to Yahir, saying, ¡°Mr. Hatfield, please head to the next room for coffee. I want to speak to Christopher alone.¡± Oliver was more respectful toward Yahir, Yahir bowed and responded, ¡°All right.¡± With that, he left the room. Oliver pointed to the seat beside him and said, ¡°Sit.¡± Christopher showed no courtesy to him and sat down directly. Then, he nced at the coffeepot warming up at the side. He took a clean cup, poured a cup of coffee for himself, and asked, ¡°Can you ask someone to make something to eat?¡± He had lived for nearly 30 years and had never been so miserable, even during his three years in prison. Especially when he thought of squeezing into a vehicle with a dozen piglets, the surrounding was so smelly it made him sick, and he vomited several times. Oliver asked someone to cook spaghetti and deliver it here. Perhaps he also could not stand Christopher¡¯s odor, so Oliver asked someone to bring clean clothes and let Christopher wash up. After cleaning up, food was served. Oliver drank coffee while he watched Christopher. Christopher let himself be watched as he slurped the pasta slowly as if no one was around. When he put down his fork, Oliver said, ¡°Twenty minutes.¡± Christopher smiled. ¡°You seem pretty leisurely, Mr. Xavier. Do you have to keep the time while I eat?¡± Oliver did not show any displeasure toward Christopher¡¯s words. The former sipped coffee and said, ¡°Do you know how long it takes me to finish the pasta?¡± Christopher did not bother to answer such a boring question. Oliver continued, ¡°At my fastest, I only use two minutes. Even if I slow down purposefully, finishing a te of pasta will take me less than ten minutes.¡± ¡°What exactly are you?¡± Christopher frowned slightly. After a pause, he added, ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what you want to say, Mr. Xavier. You asked Mr. Hatfield to bring me here as soon as I arrived at Juxshire to ask me about the shipment, right?¡± Oliver looked at him and paused for two seconds. ¡°What I want to say is why we differ so much, even when eating the same te of pasta, when the same blood of the Sce family flows within us.¡± His tone was cold and sarcastic. ¡°Am I unworthy just because my father is an illegitimate child?¡± Christopher smiled. ¡°The Sce family is gone. Does it matter whether you¡¯re worthy?¡± Hearing this, Oliver smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re right. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The Sce family, who prospered in Juxshire for 200 years, had been destroyed. The present Sce family had long fallen and was not worth mentioning. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Chapter 416 A Woman Oliver picked up the woodcarving and carving knife on the table and said coldly, ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about the goods.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware of what happened to those goods, Mr. Xavier?¡± Christopher rested his head on his hand as he looked at Oliver¡¯s hands. ¡°You know I almost died in Druobridge, right?¡± Oliver casually said, ¡°You¡¯re back here alive, are you not?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alive.¡± Christopher sneered. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if you¡¯re happy about me returning to Juxshire alive, Mr. Xavier.¡± Oliver opened his eyes and looked at him. ¡°Are you ming me?¡± Christopher smirked. ¡°I¡¯m not ming you. I just feel a little displeased that I¡¯m being fooled like a monkey. Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t even have the right to feel displeased, do I?¡± Oliver smiled. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve thought things through clearly.¡± ¡°Only when one thinks things through that one makes no mistakes.¡± Christopher poured himself another cup of coffee and drank it slowly. ¡°Anyway, the deal failed, and I am responsible for your huge loss, Mr. Xavier. What do you want to do? Just say the word.¡± Oliver did not answer immediately. The room was quiet for a while. A momentter, Oliver said slowly, ¡°Tell me why the deal failed.¡± Christopher pondered for several seconds. ¡°I did not go to the deal site, so I¡¯m unsure of the specifics of the situation. Besides, I went into hidingtely and did not have the opportunity to understand the situation. Judging from the results, it must be because the transaction information was leaked in advance.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Oliver dragged his voice. He paused and looked up at Christopher, asking. ¡°Then, how do you think the news was leaked?¡± Christopher met his eyes and grinned. ¡°Are you suspecting me, Mr. Xavier? Ignoring that I wasn¡¯t even at the trading site, I also do not know the specific location of the transaction.¡± He paused as he rotated the cup with his fingers. ¡°However, I can understand why you doubt me, Mr. Xavier. If I were in your position, the first person I would suspect would also be myself. After all, ck Wolf and his subordinates were with you for many years and must be trustworthy. I¡¯m the only neer and failed my first mission, which is very suspicious.¡± Oliver did not deny his words and responded, ¡°I can¡¯t me you for everything regarding the goods, but you. have to take some responsibility, as you have said. I happen to have something I need you to do now. As long as it is done, I will forgive you for your past mistakes. In addition, I¡¯ll allow you to do whatever you want to ck Wolf.¡± Christopher¡¯s gaze froze momentarily. ¡°What is it?¡± Oliver said, ¡°Kill someone for me.¡± Christopher pursed his lips. ¡°Do you think killing a person is the same as gutting a fish? You can¡¯t ask someone to be killed as you like, Mr. Xavier.¡± Oliver smiled lightly. ¡°I thought killing someone is no different from killing a fish to you.¡± Christopher was silent for two seconds. ¡°Who?¡± Oliver gazed at him deeply. ¡°A woman.¡± Inte August, Yuliana was busy with Jacob¡¯s school transfer and Rowan¡¯s admission to kindergarten. Rowan was pretty excited on his first day of kindergarten. He woke up early and changed into his kindergarten uniform. Yuliana and Hailey sent him to school, but Yuliana felt worried, so she stayed there to observe for a while before leaving. Rowan was obedient as he sat in his seat properly, quietly paying attention to the teacher. Everything Yuliana was worried about did not happen. She thought the following days would go as smoothly as the first day. The next day, Rowan sobbed and refused to go to school. He cried miserably at the mention of going to kindergarten. His face was red, making him seem pitiful. Yuliana spent a lot of effort coaxing Rowan to send him to kindergarten. Although Rowan was young, he was not easy to deceive. When they arrived at the kindergarten, he kept clutching Yuliana¡¯s clothes and would not let go. When she walked away for a little bit, Rowan would chase after her in tears. In fact, most of the children who had just entered kindergarten were just like Rowan. After all, they were only three years old. They must feel insecure leaving the family and adults they were familiar with to face. strangers and a foreign environment. Yuliana was reluctant to part with Rowan, but she had been a teacher for several years. Now that she was at mother, she knew what was best for Rowan. It was time to let go of him and let him learn to face things independently. Three days ago, Yuliana sent Rowan to kindergarten, and it took her more than an hour to find a chance to slip away. On the fourth day, she did not send Rowan anymore. She left home first in the morning and then arranged a car, letting Hailey send Rowan to kindergarten. Rowan was crying all the way. Cry as he may, Yuliana could be a little more merciless because she did not witness it. After Rowan realized crying was useless, he went to kindergarten more smoothlyter. On one Friday, Yuliana nned to clock out from work earlier to pick up Rowan from school. However, as soon as she exited Glory Tower, Rowan¡¯s teacher called her. ¡°Hello, is it Rowan¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Nettles. I¡¯ll be in kindergarten soon. Please wait a moment,¡± she thought the teacher called to urge the parents to pick up their child. After all, Hailey usually went there and would arrive half an hour earlier. If Yuliana rushed over there now, she would be just in time for kindergarten to end. The teacher, Norah Nettles, hurriedly said, ¡°Let me exin. Just now, a man named Mr. Sce imed to be Rowan¡¯s family member. He wanted to pick up Rowan from school. Rowan seems to know him and is quite close to him, so I called you to confirm this with you.¡± ¡°Mr. Sce?¡± A name appeared in Yuliana¡¯s mind. ¡°Did he say his name?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s called Christopher.¡± Norah hesitated and then smiled. ¡°He looks pretty handsome.¡± Not to mention, he looked very simr to Rowan, just like a pair of father and son. However, he imed to be a family member, so he could not be Rowan¡¯s father. The man might be Rowan¡¯s uncle or something. Yuliana was silent momentarily and said, ¡°I see. Thank you, Ms. Nettles. I¡¯ll be arriving at the school soon. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± Norah responded, ¡°Okay.¡± After talking to Norah, Yuliana was a little distracted. Since returning from Druobridge, she had never asked about Christopher, nor did Wesley ever mention him. Yuliana¡¯s chest tightened ufortably when she suddenly heard his name again. The flowing emotions disturbed the peace in her mind. A few minutester, the car stopped in a parking area near the kindergarten. Yuliana walked for two or three minutes to the kindergarten gate. At this time, many parents were outside the kindergarten to pick up their children after school. Christopher stood outside the crowd, wearing a simple gray hoodie and ck casual pants. His striking height and appearance contradicted the parents who came to pick up their children at the entrance. Many parents were secretly looking at him. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana saw him at a nce. She stopped at the crosswalk and waited for several cars to pass, but her eyes could not help but fall on Christopher. He seemed to be thinner. Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Chapter 417 A Movie Christopher seemed to sense something. He looked up across the road and locked into Yuliana¡¯s eyes. Yuliana did not avoid him immediately. Instead, she looked back at him briefly and shifted her gaze when she crossed the road. A smallmotion urred at the kindergarten gate as soon as she crossed the crosswalk. She subconsciously nced at it and saw that the kindergarten gate had opened. Next, the parents picked up their children from the teacher. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. When Christopher walked over to Yuliana, he put away his phone and took two steps toward her, saying, ¡°I told Hailey that I¡¯ll pick up Rowan from school today. I¡¯ll take him to dinnerter and send him home tonight.¡± Yuliana frowned slightly and felt reluctant. She nned to bring Rowan and Wesley to dinner that Friday night.. During this period, Rowan¡¯s attitude toward Wesley changed a lot. Wesley had tried very hard to fix the rtionship with Rowan, but it had little effect. It was evident Wesley was a little frustrated. Therefore, she thought she should do something. Yuliana thought about it and said, ¡°Not tonight. Maybe another day. Tomorrow is Saturday, and you can take him out.¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened, but his tone sounded amused. ¡°Why not tonight?¡± Yuliana looked into his eyes and looked away unnaturally. She said nothing more and walked to the front to stand in line. Christopher slowly followed her. Without turning around, Yuliana could feel the strong presence behind her. Ten minutester, Yuliana picked up Rowan from Norah. His eyes could not help but wander between Yuliana and Christopher. Norah was unsure if it was an illusion, but he sensed something was happening between Rowan¡¯s mother and uncle. However, seeing a handsome man and a beautiful woman together was quite a sight. ¡°Mommy!¡± Seeing Yulianae to pick him up, Rowan was delighted. ¡°I miss you and Granny Hailey so much. Ms. Nettles says there¡¯s no school tomorrow, and we can have two days off.¡± He stuck two fingers out smugly. Rowan¡¯s smile was contagious, which brightened Yuliana¡¯s mood. She said to Norah, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Roe, Ms. Nettles.¡± Norah hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Mrs. Sce. I¡¯m Rowan¡¯s teacher. It¡¯s my responsibility.¡± Many children were still behind Norah, and Yuliana did not want to waste her time. After exchanging greetings, Yuliana took Rowan¡¯s hand and left. Christopher followed them quietly. Rowan skipped beside Yuliana as he told her about kindergarten. He felt his back be lighter and turned around subconsciously. His eyes sparkled, and a smile appeared on his rosy face. ¡°Mr. Coke!¡± Christopher took off Rowan¡¯s schoolbag on his shoulder, pinched his nose, and said, ¡°You keep talking to your mom. Have you forgotten me?¡± Rowan hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Christopher grinned. ¡°Do you remember what I told you just now?¡± Rowan¡¯s expression froze slightly, and then his eyebrows fluttered. He turned to Yuliana and said, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Coke said he would take me out tonight to y. Won¡¯t youe with us, Mommy?¡± Yuliana stopped and reminded, ¡°Did you forget what you told mest night?¡± Rowan¡¯s smile disappeared instantly when he heard this. He lowered his head slightly, looking unhappy. He broke free from Yuliana¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat with Daddy Wesley, Mommy.¡± Yuliana was stunned and immediately squatted down. She looked at her son¡¯s unwilling face and asked, ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you promise mest night?¡± Rowan muttered, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to.¡± Christopher reached out to pull Rowan into his arms and looked at Yuliana coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t force him if he doesn¡¯t want to.¡± With someone supporting him, Rowan turned around with his back facing her and leaned into Christopher¡¯s thighs. Yuliana felt conflicted and slightly helpless as she looked at the father and son. After a brief silence, she said, ¡°Take Roe out tonight and bring him back early.¡± Christopher listened and did not respond. Yuliana looked at Rowan again, and her lips moved slightly. She seemed to want to say something but felt somewhat bitter when she saw him holding Christopher¡¯s thigh tightly. She held back all her emotions and said in a very restrained voice, ¡°Be careful when you go out with Mr. Coke, and don¡¯t run around, okay?¡± Hearing this, Rowan tightened his grip on Christopher¡¯s thigh. Yuliana was a little empty. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, Roe.¡± Rowan still did not look at her. Yuliana¡¯s eyes were a little sad. She took Rowan¡¯s schoolbag from Christopher, turned around, and walked to the parking lot. Christopher silently stared at Yuliana¡¯s back and bent down to pick up Rowan. The child was crying on hisp just now, and his eyes were still red and wet. He wiped Rowan¡¯s tears and said, ¡°You can¡¯t ignore your mom, Roe. She will be very sad.¡± Rowan pouted lips, feeling insecure and aggrieved. ¡°I don¡¯t want Mommy to be sad, but I¡¯m sad too.¡± He put his arms around Christopher¡¯s neck and buried his head into Christopher¡¯s shoulder. His little body trembled. ¡°Mr. Coke, will Mommy and Daddy Wesley marry? If Mommy has another little son or daughter, will she not like me anymore?¡± That day, Rowan¡¯s deskmate, Alice, said her mother used to love her very much back then. Then, her parents divorced. Her mother found another man to be her stepfather, and now her mother did not love her that much anymore. Now, Alice¡¯s mother had another son, and she only hugged and kissed Alice¡¯s new brother. Her mother did not hug or kiss her as before. Instead, the mother often scolded Alice for being stupid and could learn nothing well. ¡°Of course not.¡± Christopher patted Rowan¡¯s back gently. ¡°You are your mom¡¯s most precious treasure. How could she hate you?¡± Yuliana was distracted when she had dinner with Wesley. When Wesley put the neatly-cut steak in front of her, Yuliana was still in a daze. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yuliana smiled. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s about thepany.¡± Wesley did not believe her but did not press further. He then asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re bringing Roe?¡± Yuliana ate a piece of steak, realizing it may have been overcooked. She frowned slightly and said casually, ¡°Christopher took him out.¡± Yuliana only ate a few more bites of the steak before she stopped. In the end, there was a lot left. She also did not touch the other dishes that were ordered. It was only about 7 p.m. when they came out of the restaurant. It was still early. Yuliana suggested, ¡°Do you want to go watch a movie?¡± In fact, she seldom went out alone with Wesley. Most of the time, Rowan was there. She did not have much experience in going on dates. All she knew was that other couples went to eat or watched movies on a date. Wesley said, ¡°No. Don¡¯t you have work tomorrow? You should go back and rest early.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana sighed with relief. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Sensitive To Me Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Wesley took Yuliana back to Champs Manor. He sat in the living room for a while, answered a phone call, and left. After he left, Yuliana went to the study room to deal with some work. At about 9 p.m., she heard a noise downstairs. Yuliana got up, walked to the window, and looked downstairs. Christopher had brought Rowan back. Rowan seemed like he had a good time. He was holding a toy in his hand as he hopped beside Christopher. Thetter seemed afraid of Rowan falling, so Christopher kept a hand near the child to protect him. ¡°Mr. Coke, can you take me out to y tomorrow?¡± Christopher said, ¡°I can¡¯t. I have something to do tomorrow. I¡¯ll take you out next weekend, okay?¡± Rowan nodded happily. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Eyes on the road. There are stairs ahead,¡± Christopher reminded Rowan and waited for him to climb the stairs. Then, Christopher looked up at the study room window on the second floor. At this time, Hailey heard the noise and opened the door to greet them. ¡°Wee back, Roe.¡± Hearing Hailey¡¯s voice, Christopher retracted his gaze. ¡°Granny Hailey!¡± Rowan shouted sweetly. ¡°I miss you.¡± Hailey hurriedly hugged Rowan. ¡°I miss you too.¡± After the two entered the house, the yard downstairs finally quieted down. Yuliana also sat back in the seat behind the desk, but she could not calm down and continue working. After a while, there was a knock on the door. Yuliana went to open the door and was not surprised to see the man standing there. She said nothing but looked at him calmly. She also had no intention of letting him in. The two looked at each other briefly before Christopher moved his lips and spoke. ¡°Roe is still young. Don¡¯t mind his words and actions.¡± Yuliana was already trying her best to suppress the emotions she could not vent anywhere. After hearing. this, she finally cracked and said sarcastically, ¡°He is my son. You don¡¯t have to say that. Don¡¯t think he¡¯ll acknowledge you as his father after he chose to leave with you today.¡± Christopher did not respond as he gazed at her deeply. His gaze made Yuliana feel guilty as her chest tightened. Without hesitation, she was about to close the door to leave him outside. Christopher sensed her intention and squeezed in first. Before Yuliana could react, she heard an indistinct sound. The lights in the study room were turned off. At the same time, Yuliana was trapped between the door and the man¡¯s torso. Her chin was pinched, and a pair of burning lips pressed against hers. Yuliana struggled vigorously, pushing the man¡¯s bulky figure with all her might. Next, her wrists were easily. pinned behind her. This lifted her hips lightly, and their bodies stuck closer. Soon, Yuliana lost all her strength. In the darkness, her tears rolled down her cheeks like tap water. The conflicted emotions engulfed her bit by bit. Christopher¡¯s kiss slowed down. He was tender as he kissed away her every tear. Then, he returned to her Tips, passionately entangled. Yuliana slowly lost consciousness and responded gently with her instincts. Christopher was stunned for a moment and could not wait to seek more. The temperature in the room kept rising as the sounds of the man and woman¡¯s voices could be heard. No.one knew how much time had passed. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Coke.¡± Rowan¡¯s voice snapped them back to reality. Yuliana froze for a moment and pushed Christopher away. In the darkness, she saw Christopher raise his hand up and slowly stroke her lips. She could guess his intention even if she could not see his expression. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Coke, are you in there?¡± Rowan stood outside and tried to push the door to get in but realized he could not open the door no matter how much he tried, so he tapped the door with his palm. Yuliana heard the knocks, as her back was against the door. It felt like they were knocking on his heart, making her realize what had just happened. ¡°Your body is sensitive to me, Ana,¡± Christopher remarked shamelessly as he smirked. Yuliana pursed her lips, red at him for a moment, and pulled her shirt. She turned on the lights and opened the door. The door opened abruptly, which shocked Rowan. He saw Yuliana and Christopher standing behind the door and asked curiously, ¡°You two are here. Why did you two ignore me when I called?¡± Yuliana looked at her son¡¯s innocent eyes and felt a little ashamed. She deliberately changed the topic and asked, ¡°Why are you here, Roe?¡± Rowan remembered what Christopher had said to him on the way back. Rowan hugged Yuliana¡¯s waist and said sweetly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I was wrong. Don¡¯t be sad, okay?¡± Yuliana teared up again. She squatted down and said, ¡°I was also wrong. I shouldn¡¯t force you to do something you don¡¯t like.¡± After they made up, Yuliana took Rowan¡¯s hand and went downstairs. Christopher followed. Hailey sighed as she saw the threeing downstairs. On Sunday, Yuliana went to Juxshire Middle School to pick up Jacob. Sabrina was in Yrinas. The drive was a few hours long, which was inconvenient for her. Sabrina also could note to Juxshire to visit Jacob frequently. Jacob had never been separated from Sabrina since he was a child. Yuliana was worried he was not used to staying at school alone, so she nned to pick Jacob up every weekend and send him back to school on Monday. Sabrina taught Jacob well. Although he was only a teenager and had never left Sabrina, he was very independent. He could doundry and cook. Yuliana asked him about his situation at school. Jacob told her that the school was great. The teachers cared about him, and he made a few friends. Yuliana knew he was sensible. He did not want to worry her and Sabrina, so he picked the better subjects. After lunch, Yuliana watched Jacob y with Rowan. After thinking for a while, she called Sabrina. Sabrina was alone in Yrinas and had no contact with the rtives of the Livingstone family for a long time. Now that Jacob hade to Juxshire to study, it must be hard for Sabrina to adjust. However, when Yuliana called her, a female voice sounded. ¡°The number you have dialed is not avable. Please try againter.¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°Jake, what¡¯s wrong with Aunt Sabrina¡¯s phone?¡° Jacob stopped and looked at Yuliana. ¡°Is the phone off? Maybe it¡¯s out of power.¡± When he left school in the morning, he talked to Sabrina on the phone. Sabrina also gave him many reminders. ¡°How do you stack this, Uncle Jacob?¡± asked Rowan. Jacob withdrew his gaze and took a building block. ¡°Just put it here.¡± Yuliana did not think much about it and nned to call Sabrinater. In the evening, Yuliana called Sabrina again, but her phone was still off. Yuliana was a little uneasy. She thought back to her visit to Yrinas and Sabrina¡¯s abnormal behavior. The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was off. She pondered for a moment and called Chandler. ¡°Chandler, it¡¯s me, Yuliana.¡± Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 She Was Not Home After Damian died, Chandler was the only Livingstone family member present to offer condolences. He would also send something to Sabrina and her child on special asions. ¡°Yuliana, why are you looking for me?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chandler did not like to put on a pretense. He guessed that Yuliana had not called him at that time to engage in idle gossip.. ¡°Chandler, can you please go to Sabrina¡¯s house?¡± Yuliana said anxiously. ¡°Her phone has been turned off. I¡¯m a little worried.¡± ¡°Where is Jake?¡± Chandler asked. ¡°How about calling Jake and asking him? Sabrina is an adult and has no ailments. Don¡¯t worry too much. Maybe her phone is out of battery.¡± Chandler was having a good time with his friend ying poker. ¡°Sabrina¡¯s old enough to take care of herself. There¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± he thought. ¡°Jake transferred schools and went to Juxshire. Sabrina is alone at home. I called her in the afternoon. Her phone was turned off. I just called her again, but it was still turned off. Some time ago, she said that she was in poor health, and now I¡¯m a little worried. Chandler, can you go to her house to have a look?¡± said Yuliana. Hearing that, Chandler could no longer refuse. After all, he borrowed two million dors from Yuliana at the beginning of the year. He had not paid back yet, and his business had been losing money in the first half of the year. He did not know how much more money he would need. If he could not afford it, he might have to turn to Yuliana for help. Thinking of that, Chandler hurriedly replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll check it out right away. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll call you if anything happens.¡± ¡°Thank you, Chandler,¡± Yuliana thanked him. ¡°We are family. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± After talking to Chandler on the phone, Yuliana was still restless. She went upstairs hoping to see Jacob. After spending several hours with Rowan in the afternoon, Jacob returned to his room to review his lessons and do his homework after dinner. The room was cleaned up by Hailey two days ago. It was initially vacant. Yuliana knew that Jacob woulde by often, so she asked Hailey to clean it up and let Jacob live in it. Yuliana knocked on the door. After a while, Jacob opened the door. ¡°Yuliana.¡± Yuliana went in and asked, ¡°Have you finished your homework yet?¡± Jacob shook his head and said, ¡°Juxshire Middle School¡¯s progress is different from that of my previous school. My current school¡¯s curriculum is taught at a much faster pace, so I have to make up for what I havecked before. Otherwise, I can¡¯t keep up with the work.¡± Yuliana picked up the textbooks and exercise books on the table and looked through them. ¡°Are you adapting just fine?¡± Jacob nodded and said proudly, ¡°Although it¡¯s a little difficult, I think I can ovee it.¡± ¡°I know you are excellent, but if you have any difficulties, do tell me. Don¡¯t keep it to yourself,¡± Yuliana warned him. Many elementary school students suffered from depression due to various pressures, and in the worst case, they chose to take drastic and terrible actions. It was good to have some pressure, as it could force people to make progress, but too much pressure would only stifle people. Jacob said, ¡°Yuliana, I know it. I¡¯m an adult now. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you and Mom worry about me.¡± Hearing that, Yuliana stili felt a little ufortable. Before Damian¡¯s ident, she was not very close to Jacob. It was mainly her fault. Jacob liked to y with her. When he was a child, he always called Yuliana sweetly. If there were anything delicious, he would always keep one for her. He would even keep half of the chocte given by his teacher in kindergarten. However, at that time, Yuliana still had resistance to Sabrina and Jacob. Although her attitude was not bad, it was not that good. Most of the time, she was indifferent. ¡°In retrospect, what wrong did Sabrina and Jacobmit?¡± she thought. Yuliana looked at Jacob, who had already shown signs of maturity, and she felt relieved. She thought, ¡°Dad will probably be happy to see that Jacob has grown up so well, right?¡± She calmed down and asked, ¡°Jake, did you call Aunt Sabrina today?¡± Jacob said, ¡°My mom called me when I left school this morning.¡± ¡°What did she say to you?¡± Jacob thought for a while and said, ¡°She said a lot. However, I didn¡¯t listen to her words carefully. I was in a hurry when you were waiting for me at the school gate. It seemed that she was telling me that I had to listen to your words and study hard at school.¡± Sabrina often said these words. However, why did Yuliana suddenly ask that question? Jacob asked, ¡°Yuliana, what¡¯s wrong? Is something wrong?¡± Yuliana shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just asking. Although Aunt Sabrina said these words with good intentions, you have grown up. You don¡¯t have to listen to others, let alone obey me every time. If there is anything you need, you can tell me, and I can give you some suggestions.¡± Jacob nodded again. ¡°You can continue to do your homework. I¡¯ll go out.¡± Yuliana walked absent-mindedly to the door, took a few steps, suddenly stopped, and reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t study toote. Have a good rest.¡± After walking out of the room, Yuliana went downstairs to wait for a while, and Chandler called her. ¡°Yuliana, Sabrina is not at home!¡± ¡°Not at home?¡± Yuliana was stunned and looked at the time on the wall. It was almost ten o¡¯clock. Where would Sabrina go if she was not at home? Seeing that Yuliana did not speak for a long time, Chandler hesitated and asked, ¡°Does she have a good friend? Maybe she¡¯s at her friend¡¯s house?¡± His words were euphemistic. However, Yuliana understood what he was trying to say. She frowned and said, ¡°Aunt Sabrina is not that kind of person.¡± Chandler did not say anything, However, he felt that Yuliana was too naive. Damian had been dead for more than a year, and Sabrina was still young. Why would she not find a companion for herself as soon as possible when she was still rather beautiful? Besides, why did she get Jacob to go to Juxshire to study? Wasn¡¯t she just afraid that her son would object, thus she wanted to keep him far away? Chandler sighed and said impatiently, ¡°Why don¡¯t I ask the neighbors around to see if anyone knows about it.¡± ¡°Okay Thank you, Chandler.¡± Chandler then hung up the phone without saying anything else. About ten minutester, Chandler called again. ¡°I just asked the neighbor. She said that Sabrina went out early in the morning. It¡¯s unclear whether she came back halfway. She also said that Sabrina didn¡¯t go to work a few days ago. She went back home to clean up and took out the pots and pans at home to wash them.¡± Although Sabrina had a good temperament, she did not have much contact with the neighbors around her after living with Jacob in Yrinas. At most, she would say hello to them. She would not invite others to go to her home or visit others¡¯ homes. Nor did she have any close friends or colleagues. Therefore, the neighbors were not clear about Sabrina¡¯s situation. They just figured out her routine after a long time, but in recent days, her routine was a little abnormal. Hearing that, Yuliana became more worried. Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Come She knew better than anyone how adamant and strong Sabrina was. To be powerful, Sabrina needed to have the financial ie to support herself and Jacob. Sabrina had not been absent from work for a day since she went to work, whether it was a windy, rainy day. or if she was sick and feverish. How could she not go to work for a few days? Jacob was still in middle school. He still had high school and college to attend for several years. After Chandler finished speaking. Yuliana remained silent for a while. Chandler vaguely noticed something wrong and asked, ¡°Yuliana, what¡¯s wrong with Sabrina?¡± Yuliana was a little panicky. Thinking of what Sabrina said to her thest time in Yrinas, Yuliana felt that something was wrong. However, what could Sabrina do? Chandler¡¯s words brought her back to her senses. ¡°Chandler, I¡¯ve really troubled you tonight. I¡¯ll figure out a way to deal with this matter. It¡¯s gettingte. Go back and have a rest.¡± Chandler wanted to ask more questions, but he could not get any information from Yuliana. He said calmly, ¡°Okay, you can call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Yuliana felt that she should do something. However, at that moment, she did not know where to start. She thought, ¡°Is Aunt Sabrina leaving her home temporarily, or has something happened?¡± A momentter she decided that she had to go to Yrinas to investigate.. Thinking of that, Yuliana immediately went upstairs to change her clothes and was about to rush to Yrinas overnight. When Hailey came downstairs, she saw that Yuliana was going out, so she asked, ¡°Yuliana, are you going out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yuliana was not sure if she coulde back the next morning, so she said, ¡°Hailey, if I haven¡¯t come back tomorrow morning, you can get Jake to call a taxi to go to school.¡± Hailey was worried when she saw her expression. ¡°But where are you going at such ate hour?¡± Yuliana thought for a while and said truthfully to Hailey, I¡¯m going to Yrinas. Sabrina¡¯s phone has been turned off today. I¡¯m worried. I want to go over and have a look. Don¡¯t tell Jake about this.¡± ¡°Yrinas?¡± Hailey was surprised. ¡°But it takes a few hours to drive to Yrinas. It¡¯s already ten o¡¯clock. Won¡¯t it be early in the morning when you reach there? Can¡¯t you go there tomorrow? Isn¡¯t it unsafe to drive at night?¡± Yuliana was not confident either, but she stillforted her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll drive slowly.¡± After saying that, she went out immediately. It was already eleven o¡¯clock when Yuliana got onto the expressway. At that time, there were not many vehicles on the expressway. The dense vegetation on both sides of the expressway seemed to be hiding many ghosts, which was quite scary. Along the way, Yuliana felt uneasy. She was worried about Sabrina¡¯s safety, but she had to pay attention to the road conditions and suppress the panic in her heart. Fortunately, Yuliana was always cautious. She drove slowly and steadily and finally arrived at Yrinas at about 2 a.m. Surprisingly, the lights in Sabrina¡¯s house were on. Yuliana breathed a sigh of relief. She parked the car on the side of the road, immediately opened the car door, hurried to the door, and knocked on it. After a while, the door opened. ¡®Aunt- Before Yuliana could say anything, she suddenly stopped talking. It was not Sabrina who opened the door, but a strange man. Furthermore, it seemed that he was not a good stranger. Yuliana turned around and wanted to run away. She was still a step slower. Her mouth was covered, and her whole body was dragged in. ¡°Chris, this woman wants to run away!¡± Yuliana turned dizzy and was dragged into the room. Before she could figure out the situation in the room, she heard the man who dragged her into the room shouting for ¡°Chris.¡± She was stunned for a moment, calmed down, looked up, and met a pair of cold eyes. ¡°Hmm!¡± Yuliana kept struggling and stared at the man standing a few steps away. She did not expect Christopher to show up there. ¡°Ah!¡± The man who covered Yuliana¡¯s mouth shouted and shook off Yuliana. He looked at the two rows of tooth marks on his palm, which had already started to bleed. Seeing that, the man shook his hand and pped Yuliana in the face. ¡°Bitch, I dare you to bite me again!¡± Yuliana was pped to the ground and felt dizzy. When the man was about to stomp on her, a wooden stool suddenly smashed into his head. He was confused and covered the area where he was smashed, looking at the person who smashed him. He was confused and said, ¡°Chris¡­¡± The other people in the room also looked at each other and did not dare to say anything. Yuliana came back to her senses and felt her ears buzzing. The p just now seemed to reach her ears, and then the pressure broke the inner membrane of her mouth due to excessive strength. At that time, there was a smell of blood in her mouth. She closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened her eyes again, a familiar and beautiful hand appeared before her. Without thinking. Yuliana subconsciously hid back, looked up, and nced at Christopher alertly. Christopher¡¯s eyes were still as cold as ever. He raised his hand to wipe the blood at the corner of her mouth, brushed away the hair near her ear, and said in a soft voice, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yuliana looked at him coldly as if she did not hear his words. She asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Christopher did not answer but looked into her eyes. Yuliana asked again, ¡°Where is Sabrina?¡± Christopher¡¯s thin lips moved as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Yuliana stared at him with red eyes. Although she was furious, she could not help laughing. sarcastically. Sabrina suddenly disappeared, and Christopher appeared. No matter what, it could not be a coincidence. Christopher ignored her stare and reached out to help Yuliana up. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Yuliana resisted and skidded back. Christopher paused, ignored her wishes, and directly picked her up from the ground. Regardless of Yuliana¡¯s resistance, he carried her to the couch and sat down. The other men in the room looked at Christopher¡¯s behavior and did not dare to say anything. After a while, the man Christopher smashed with the stool reminded hirn with a cold face, ¡°Chris, don¡¯t forget what Mr. Xavier said!¡± Then, the man nced at Yuliana gloomily. Christopher saw his gaze. ¡°Come here,¡± he said. The man hesitated a little but still took two steps forward. Christopher smiled devilishly. ¡°Not only you touched her with your dirty hand, but you also pped her in the face. Now I¡¯ll give you two choices. One is that you p yourself ten times, and the strength should be the same as that of hitting her. The other is that I will do it myself, but I want to remind you that I will do it more than ten times. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The man¡¯s face suddenly darkened when he heard that. He pointed at Christopher and cursed, ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t think that just because we show you respect, you are a really mighty person. I¡¯m telling you, our leader is only ck Wolf. You, little boy, are not qualified to be our leader.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Christopherughed coldly. He leaned against the back of the couch and looked at the man calmly. ¡°Do you think ck Wolf will avenge you if I kill you here today?¡± Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Do Not Open Your Eyes A trace of fear shed in the man¡¯s eyes. He was a little cautious, but soon he returned to normal. ¡°I don¡¯t know if ck Wolf will avenge me, but if you dare to ignore the task given by Mr. Xavier because of this woman, he will definitely kill you!¡± The man sounded confident. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened and he tilted his head to look at Yuliana. His eyes locked on the part of her face where she was hit. Her skin was white and thin, and her face was already red and swollen. The p print was very obvious. Yuliana¡¯s ears were buzzing. She did not know if she had hurt her eardrum, and her head also hurt. She could still hear their conversation¡¯ clearly but did not care about it. The only thing on her mind was Sabrina. She wondered where Sabrina was and whether she had fallen into the hands of those people. Christopher brought those people overte at night. Even if it was not for Sabrina, they must have been looking for something. The cabs, drawers, and storage spaces downstairs were all turned over. In a short time, Yuliana felt like her heart was on a roller coaster. The man thought Christopher got scared when he mentioned Oliver. He showed a proud expression on his face and said, ¡°Christopher, it¡¯s just a woman. If you want, Mr. Xavier can give you 1,000 women. Why do you mess with him for her? Why don¡¯t you give her to me, and I¡¯ll help you deal with it.¡± Every one of them had killed people. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The man just did not know what the rtionship between the woman and Christopher was, but since she appeared, he could not keep her alive. However, she was a little pretty. Before she died, he could let his friends have a good time. Hearing that, Christopher sneered. He raised his hand and gently brushed Yuliana¡¯s face. Yuliana hid again and looked at him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s just a woman.¡± Christopher met Yuliana¡¯s eyes and smiled devilishly. He let go of Yuliana, stood up, walked to the man who had spoken before, and patted him on the shoulder. He smiled, but his eyes were cold. ¡°Stand still.¡± The man was frightened by his eyes and was confused. Then he realized Christopher had turned around and was walking toward the kitchen. There was a sound of metal clinkinging from the kitchen. After a while, Christopher came out with a kitchen knife in his hand. Yuliana¡¯s expression immediately changed when she saw that. Just as she was about to speak, Christopher looked at her. His eyes were like a demon¡¯s eyes when it climbed up from hell, emitting madness. ¡°Chris-¡± ¡°Sh!¡± Christopher pressed his index finger against his lips and Interrupted Yuliana. Then, Christopher walked slowly to the man. Christopher looked at him coldly and said in a faint and slow voice, ¡°Which hand did you hit her with just now?¡± The man¡¯s face changed greatly when he saw Christophering out of the kitchen with a knife. He thought, ¡°Is Christopher really going to kill me here?¡± He remembered Python. Python was punished by Christopher after having a mission with him. He was about the same size and skill as Python, and he was certainly not a match for Christopher. ¡°What do you want?¡± The man¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. The muscles around his eyes twitched slightly, but he forced himself to pretend to be calm. Christopher pulled the edge of the knife with his fingers and cuts formed on his fingers immediately. The blood beads ooze out. He sucked his fingers in his mouth. The smell of blood permeated his mouth, but his eyes were locked on the man¡¯s face like a vengeful ghost. ¡°Do you remember what I just said?¡± He smiled and said, ¡°Since you won¡¯t do it yourself, it¡¯s no use keeping this hand. How about I chop it off for you?¡± The man¡¯s face twitched when he heard that. A trace of ruthlessness shed in his eyes. After a while, he decided to hit Christopher first, and then he waved his fist and smashed Christopher¡¯s jaw. Christopher avoided the blow easily, and the man¡¯s fists wiped past his ears with a gust of wind. Christopher grabbed the man¡¯s arm, pulled it forward, and kicked him at the knee joint. The man was about to crawl and fall. Christopher took him and dragged his arm directly, fixing his hand on the table. With a bang, the man¡¯s forehead hit the edge of the table. The man was dizzy and shook his head. When he came to his senses, he found that Christopher had already buckled him to the table, which was like a chopping board. Once the knife in Christopher¡¯s other hand was swung down, the man¡¯s hand was very likely to be gone. The expressions on the faces of the other two subordinates had long be pale with fright. Python had seen Christopher¡¯s tricks before, so he did not dare to fight against Christopher. The man was very panicked. He remembered they were friends who had known each other for many years and shouted, ¡°Why are you just standing there watching? Aren¡¯t you going to help me? Don¡¯t you think the three of us can kill him?¡± Hearing that, the two thought for a while and felt that he seemed to have a point. No matter how good Christopher was, there was only one of him and three of them. Thinking of that, they were eager to try. ¡°What? Do you want to get your hands chopped off too?¡± Christopher smiled and looked at them coldly. Looking at Christopher¡¯s eyes, they panicked, and such thoughts instantly disappeared. ¡°You two cowards!¡± the man cursed loudly. Christopher patted him on the mouth with a kitchen knife. ¡°What, don¡¯t you even want your tongue? Be good, be quiet. It¡¯s not good to quarrel at night. It disturbs the neighbors.¡± After saying that, he said gently, ¡°This kitchen knife may not be very sharp. If I m it down on your hand once, your hand might not be able toe off. Bear with it for a while.¡± The fear in the man¡¯s eyes grew stronger, and he struggled violently. Christopher nced at the subordinates and said, ¡°Come and hold him down. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll chop him up somewhere else.¡± The two hesitated for a while, but looking at Christopher¡¯s eyes, they could not help but step forward and hold the man on the table. Yuliana was stunned. She could not believe that the man in front of her was Christopher. Her lips moved as she tried to say something, but her mouth was wide open, and she could not make a sound. It was as if someone was strangling her. Christopher looked at her, his eyes still cold, but his face was extremely gentle. ¡°Ana, turn your face around. Don¡¯t look.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes were scarlet, and she shook her head. Christopher walked over and covered her eyes. ¡°Just turn around and close your eyes.¡± Yuliana hurriedly grabbed his wrist and said, ¡°Christopher, no.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Christopher asked softly. ¡°Ana. He doesn¡¯t deserve your kindness if he wants to kill you! I¡¯m just chopping off one of his hands!¡± Yuliana kept shaking her head. ¡°No.¡± Christopher ignored her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes. After saying that, he put down his hand, picked up the kitchen knife, and walked to the man. Looking at the fear in the man¡¯s eyes, he felt that a certain emotion in his heart was infinitely multiplied. ¡°Ah!¡± A miserable scream resounded through the night. Ten minutester, Christopher cleaned up the blood stains on his face and came out of the bathroom. Yuliana closed her eyes and sat on the couch trembling. Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Afraid Of Me Yuliana closed her eyes and sat on the couch trembling. Christopher walked over and gently caressed her face. This time, Yuliana did not avoid him but trembled more violently. ¡°Ana.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice was softer than ever. ¡°You can open your eyes now.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyshes twitched a little when she heard this as she slowly opened her eyes. Christopher¡¯s face came into view. He wore a ck shirt with two buttons undone from the top, revealing part of his chest and corbone. His skin seemed fairer than before, and he smelled as clean as before. Yuliana fell into a daze. It looked like he was the same Christopher before he was imprisoned. But soon, Yuliana heard the shrill cry from earlier. The look in Christopher¡¯s eyes changed instantly. She stood up from the couch in horror and moved to distance herself from Christopher. She stopped when she felt safe. Christopher¡¯s eyes gradually darkened as he saw her behavior. He sneered, ¡°Ana, you¡¯re afraid of me.¡± Yuliana gulped a few times but only stared at the coffee table. Although the table had been cleaned, the floor and the ce surrounding it were still stained with blood. The pale-purple-themed room looked extra striking with this. That noise seemed to have struck Yuliana¡¯s heart. Yuliana thought she had known all the changes Christopher went through these few years. She only realized tonight that the changes Christopher went through these years were way beyond her imagination and understanding. No matter how unscrupulous Christopher used to be, he would not cut off someone¡¯s hand without blinking. ¡°So, what happened to Sabrina?¡± Yuliana thought. ¡°Where is Sabrina?¡± Yuliana asked again. Christopher frowned slightly and said in a low voice, ¡°I told you already. I don¡¯t know.¡± Yuliana did not believe him at all and asked, ¡°Then why did you bring people to Sabrina¡¯s house? Are you looking for something?¡± Yuliana took two steps back as Christopher took two steps toward her. He said, ¡°Ana, it¡¯s better not to know what you shouldn¡¯t know. It¡¯s not good for you.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes swelled with tears. She could not hold them in anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you are looking for or how it benefits you. I only want Sabrina to be safe. If you dare to hurt Sabrina, I will never let it go!¡± Even though she had no confidence, she still made up her mind to give it a go. Christopher¡¯s face got grimmer. He stared at Yuliana for a long time. At this moment, the phone rang. The sound came from a bag on the ground. Just now, when Yuliana fell onto the ground, the bag fell, too. * Both of them looked at the bag. Yuliana wanted to get it, but she had to walk past Christopher. After hesitating for a while, she saw Christopher walk over. He picked up the bag and took out her phone. He looked at the caller ID and answered it. ¡°Yuliana, have you arrived at Yrinas yet?¡± The call was from Hailey. After Yuliana left, Hailey had been worrying, so she estimated the time and called to ask. ¡°Hailey,¡± Christopher answered. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Hailey was stunned. ¡°Chris?¡± ¡°Yeah, Hailey, it¡¯s me,¡± Christopher replied with a smile. ¡°Yuliana has arrived at Yrinas safely. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m relieved that she has arrived. After saying that, she paused, wanting to say something but hesitated. She then asked, ¡°Chris, have you been with Yuliana all this while?¡± Christopher looked at Yuliana and acknowledged lightly. Hailey was silent for a while. ¡°Chris, can you pass the phone to Yuliana? I want to speak to her.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Christopher removed the phone from his ears and said to Yuliana, ¡°Hailey wants to talk to you.¡± Yuliana tried not to show that she was on guard, took two steps forward, and reached out her hand. Christopher ced the phone in her hand. When Yuliana was about to withdraw her hand, Christopher suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, and shended directly in his arms. She freaked out immediately and had goosebumps all over her body. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Yuliana pressed hard against his chest and tried to push him away. Christopher held her waist tight and reminded her, ¡°Hailey¡¯s on the phone.¡± ¡°Yuliana, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Hailey¡¯s voice came from the receiver, and she was very anxious. Yuliana calmed down, stuck her phone to her ear, and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m okay. Hailey, what do you want to say to me?¡± Hailey hesitated for a while and said, ¡°Yuliana, after you left, I was worried that you went to Yrinas alone at night, so I called Mr. Duncan. He should be there soon.¡± Yuliana suddenly froze. Actually, they had not seen each other since Wesley left Champs Manor that night. Yesterday, Wesley wanted to ask her out with Rowan, but she refused with the excuse of having Jacob over at her house. Wesley was a meticulous and sensitive man, so he knew that she was deliberately refusing. But instead of putting pressure on her, he respected her very much. Because of this, Yuliana felt ashamed and disgusted with herself. She was sandwiched between Christopher and Wesley, and she was unsure of what to do. Her rationale for this was to decide to either separate from Wesley orpletely break up with Christopher. On the one hand, she could not let Christopher go. And on the other hand, she felt that Wesley was the most suitable person for her, and she should be together with Wesley instead. ¡°Okay!¡± While Yuliana was in a daze, the man holding her suddenly lowered his head and bit her ear hard. Yuliana instinctively groaned and looked up at Christopher. Hailey regretted when Yuliana went quiet for a while. ¡°Yuliana, I didn¡¯t know you went to Yrinas with Chris, so¡­¡± Yuliana understood what Hailey meant. ¡°I bumped into Christopher. I didn¡¯te here with him.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Christopher suddenly picked her up. She panicked, and in a moment, Christopher ced her down on the couch. Christopher looked down at Yuliana with his dark eyes. Yuliana quickly sensed that this position was too dangerous. She ignored the call that was still going on. Without hesitation, she threw her phone away and struggled to get off the couch. Christopher cuffed her hands with just one hand and pressed them over her head. He asked her. ¡°Ana, do you like Wesley?¡± Yuliana had no ability to resist. She felt truly afraid, but out of nowhere, she conjured up the courage. She sneered at him. ¡°Yes, I like Wesley a lot. Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Yuliana, are you there?¡± Hailey¡¯s anxious voice could be heard faintly from the phone that fell on the carpet. Christopher nced over, picked up the phone, and said, ¡°Hailey, Ana is a little busy now. She can¡¯t answer the phone now. Talk tomorrow when she gets home.¡± After saying that, he hung up the phone, turned it off, and threw it aside. He lowered his upper body slightly, kissed Yuliana¡¯s forehead, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yu, how much longer until Wesley arrives? When he arrives, do you think we will be done with the first round?¡± Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Chapter 423 My Heart Will Ache *Ana, whert will Wesley arrive? When he arrives, will we be done with our first round?¡± Hearing this, Yuliana immediately had fear in her eyes. Christopher saw the panic in her eyes and flicked the hair on her forehead away and whispered, ¡°Ana, don¡¯t be afraid of me. The more you are afraid of me, the more I can¡¯t let you go. You know, every time you were alone with Wesley, I couldn¡¯t help thinking about what you and Wesley would do. Were you two kissing, hugging, or even having sex? As long as I think of those scenes, I will feel particrly ufortable.¡± Christopher felt so ufortable that he wanted Wesley to disappear from the world. Christopher knew very well that he had a monster within him and would like to continue locking it away. But recently, it was struggling hard to break free, and he almost could not control it. Hearing this, Yuliana increasingly realized that Christopher was not normal. She struggled hard with both hands and frowned. ¡°You are sick.¡± ¡°Then treat me as a patient.¡± Christopher tightened his grip and did not give her a chance to break free. ¡°Ana, only you can cure my illness. You leave Wesley, and we¡¯ll start over together with Roe, the three of us. All right?¡± Christopher paused when he said thest two words. His tone was humble. ¡°No!¡± Yuliana replied without thinking. She stared at him with red eyes and said in a choked-up voice, ¡°Christopher, don¡¯t be delusional. When you wanted to divorce, I told you I will not turn back! Besides, what can you give Roe and me now? Look at you now-you¡¯re disgusting!¡± Yuliana only felt a me burning in her chest. She blurted out insincerely and just wanted to attack him with words to relieve her suffocation and grievance. She thought, ¡°Why should I start over just because he said so? What right does he have to ask me to leave Wesley?¡± However, it turned out that the things she said on impulse not only hurt him but also hurt herself. ¡°Since I¡¯m already disgusting, it doesn¡¯t matter if I got more disgusting, right?¡± Christopherughed indifferently, moved his hand to Yuliana¡¯s chin, and whispered, ¡°Yu, cooperate with me. I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± Then, he kissed her. Yuliana tilted her head and dodged. Christopher did not get to kiss her, so he paused for a while and then grabbed her chin. He pulled her face over forcefully and kissed her hard. Unlike the previous rough kisses when Christopher was in a daze, this time, he was very aggressive, his intentions very obvious. Christopher¡¯s idea was simple. As long as he and Yuliana got intimate physically, Yuliana would leave Wesley. It did not matter if she hated him as long as she was by his side. Yuliana felt pain in her jaw. She did not know whether it was because Christopher was too strong or because she was pped in the face earlier. Her eyes suddenly became ufortable, and Christopher¡¯s nonstop kiss did not give her room to breathe. She had forgotten how many times it was. Although she was a little scared before, she still felt that Christopher would not really hurt her. But tonight, Yuliana was afraid and desperate. Tears were about to roll down several times, and she tried hard to hold them back. She refused to beg. Yuliana struggled and resisted as much as she could, seizing the opportunity to attack the weakest part of Christopher¡¯s body. But every time she saw a little opportunity, he would easily ovee it. Not long after, the clothes on her body were torn. Both her hands were tied up. Christopher held her waist with one hand, and his eyes fell on her t abdomen. When he saw the faint scar on her waist, his gaze stopped. ¡°Ana¡­¡± he called in a low voice, his fingers gliding across the faint scar. Yuliana panted and felt exhausted. Her chest kept heaving violently. When Christopher¡¯s fingers glided across the scar on her waist, her body suddenly stiffened. When Rowan was born, she was very self-conscious for a period because of this scar. She did not dare to expose her waist. It was really ugly. Even so, she never regretted it. But now, she could not help wondering whether everything would be different if she had not known Christopher and if she had not been pregnant at that time. But soon, Yuliana abandoned this idea. If she had not known Christopher, Rowan would not have existed. She chose to give birth to Rowan. He was her son, and she loved Rowan so much. She would never regret that decision. Yuliana calmed down when she thought of this and simply gave up struggling. None of Christopher¡¯s men were his rivals. How could she break free from Christopher? Yuliana looked at him coldly and said in disgust, ¡°Just do whatever you want to and take your hand off.¡± She thought this would be as if a dog had bitten her. Christopher looked up and met her eyes. He seemed to have a surge of emotions, but he eventually calmed down. He lowered his head and kissed her scar gently. Yuliana¡¯s stiff body trembled a few times as he kissed her. Then, her eyes began to burn and became blurry. She nkly stared at the living roommp hanging obliquely above her. She felt as if someone had squeezed her heart. It ached badly. She did not know why she wanted to cry at this moment. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She held her tears back well just now. Yuliana closed her eyes and tried to hold back the tears in them, but they eventually rolled down the corner of her eyes. Her nose was blocked, so she took a deep breath through her mouth. ¡°Ana, don¡¯t cry.¡± Christopher kissed the tears on her face. ¡°When you cry, my heart will ache.¡± After she heard those words, the emotions that Yuliana umted over the years suddenly overflowed. She cried even harder, her whole body curled up, and she could not stop sobbing. But she did not want Christopher to see her crying. She knew that she could not avoid his gaze at all, so she instinctively turned her face to one side and suppressed her tears. Christopher turned her face around again and kissed her lips. He kissed her gently and slowly calmed Yuliana. Yuliana¡¯s state changed from resistance to confusion. Christopher noticed that Yuliana had loosened up. He slightly retreated and bit the tip of her nose. With her eyes still wet and her guard down, he kissed her again. He kissed her fiercely as if he was trying to devour her. Yuliana did not have time to react, and she was sucked into it. Everything around them seemed to stand still in time. Time, ce, and even everything else were all forgotten. The sudden knock on the door startled them at the same time. ¡°Yuliana, are you there?¡± It was Wesley. Yuliana¡¯s confused eyes were instantly alert. She looked at Christopher, who was close to her as if she had been hit hard. The craving look in her eyes was gone, and they became calm and cold. At some point, her hands had been untied. Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Sorry She pushed Christopher away without hesitation. Christopher fell to the ground unprepared. There was a muffled sound from the fall. The old house did not have good sound instion. Hearing the noise from outside the door, Wesley got anxious and rushed in without thinking. The scene in the living room instantly made Wesley furious. He strode forward and picked up the clothes on the ground to put on Yuliana. Yuliana lowered her head and did not dare to look at him. Wesley stared at the top of her head for a while, and then he turned around and smashed his fist into Christopher¡¯s face. Christopher returned the punch without hesitation. ¡°You asshole!¡± There was a scream and soon, the exchange between the two turned into a full-blown fight. The chairs and various ornaments in the living room were also drawn into their fight and got broken and smashed. Yuliana sat on the couch and watched them indifferently for a moment. She put on her clothes slowly. ignored the two people who were fighting, took her belongings, and went out. Seeing Yuliana leave, the two men slowly stopped. Then, Wesley quickly left to catch up to her. ¡°Yuliana.¡± It was dark at night as Wesley rushed out to stop Yuliana. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana stopped, but only turned to face Wesley after a while. The breeze picked up. Yuliana¡¯s hair was messy from the wind. She stared at Wesley for a moment as she tried to put herself in an objective point of view in regard to her rtionship with Wesley. After a while, she lowered her eyes and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Wesley froze and walked towards Yuliana. ¡°Don¡¯te here!¡± Yuliana held up her hand to stop him. ¡°Wesley, let¡¯s keep this distance, okay?¡± Wesley¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple shifted as if he wanted to say something, but he ended up holding back and said with a faint smile, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s maintain this distance.¡± Yuliana tucked her hair behind her ears, looked at the streetmp in the distance, and said, ¡°You said before that you didn¡¯t want me to say thank you and sorry to you because you didn¡¯t want those. But now, I realize that I can¡¯t give you anything but thank you and sorry. Wesley, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice was tinged with tears. She should hate Christopher for everything he had done to her from three years ago or now. There was Sabrina too. Yuliana was calm on the surface, but she felt extremely emotional deep down. She could not ept her feelings for Christopher. Likewise, she felt guilty toward Wesley. Wesley noticed that her emotions were spiraling out of control andforted her calmly, ¡°Yuliana, it¡¯s okay-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± Yuliana interrupted him with a loud voice. ¡°You¡¯re so nice. You treat me so well. Why can¡¯t I fall in love with you? All I want is a simple and pure rtionship, but everything is screwed up. I¡¯m sorry, Wesley, for hurting you.¡± This was Yuliana¡¯s third apology. Wesley knew very well what that meant. It represented Yuliana¡¯s inner apology to him and the end of the rtionship they had just begun to establish. They looked at each other for a moment. Yuliana turned around, walked to the car parked on the roadside, and opened the door.¡± Wesley stood there and watched as the car drove away. Then, he turned around and looked at Christopher, who was standing at the door. Wesley¡¯s eyes were filled with anger again. He strode over and once again swung his fist at Christopher. However, this time Christopher did not dodge and took the punch directly. Wesley did not stop just because Christopher did not dodge it, he continuously punched Christopher several dozens of times before stopping and panting. ¡°Why are you not fighting back?¡± Wesley asked. Christopher held his abdomen and slowly straightened his back. He wiped off the blood from the corners of his mouth and smiled rxedly. ¡°Because Ana felt guilty toward you. If you want to vent your anger, juste at me.¡± ¡°You madman!¡± Wesley felt irritated while looking at the smile on Christopher¡¯s face. ¡°Do you think Yuliana will return to you if she breaks up with me? No, she won¡¯t.¡± After saying that, Wesley turned around and left with a cold face. Christopher¡¯s eyes darkened. He leaned against the door frame, reached into his pants pocket, and took out a cigarette box. After lighting a cigarette, he picked up his phone to make a phone call. After leaving Sabrina¡¯s house, Yuliana did not go back to Juxshire but went straight to the nearby police station to report the case. It was likely that something had happened to Sabrina. Yuliana could not disclose the details to the police, so she only reported that after Sabrina left home early in the morning, she could not get in touch with her over the phone. Therefore, Yuliana suspected that Sabrina was in danger and asked the police to help find her. However, Sabrina was an adult. It had been less than 24 hours since she left home in the morning, so it was difficult to file a case without certainty that Sabrina was really in danger. After inquiring, the police helped check Sabrina¡¯s whereabouts after she left home in the morning. They found that Sabrina bought a high-speed train ticket to Jeahron this morning a few days ago, but there was no information on Sabrina¡¯s ticket registered at Yrinas Station. Sabrina did not get on the high-speed train at all. Yuliana was even more confused. She wondered why Sabrina wanted to go to Jeahron, and if Sabrina did not get on the high-speed train to Jeahron, where did she go? ¡°Sir, she is probably in trouble. Please help me find her. Yuliana was very anxious. The policeforted her, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. She is an adult with a simple social life, so there should be no idents. Is it possible that she had a conflict with your family and wanted to go out to relieve the stress and doesn¡¯t want to contact you? Or maybe you can ask her friends if she went to their homes?¡± The public security in Yrinas had always been quite good, plus Sabrina went out in the daytime. Judging from the hour she went out, Sabrina was probably on her way to catch the high- speed train. The way from Sabrina¡¯s house to the train station was a bustling area and not a remote one. As a middle- aged woman, she was dressed inly, so it should not attract any criminal. However, Yuliana¡¯s intuition told her that Sabrina was most probably in trouble. Yuliana waited at the police station until dawn, but the police officers still failed to find out where Sabrina was, so they asked Yuliana to fill in a new file for Sabrina¡¯s disappearance. After the case was filed, the police asked Yuliana to go back first. If there was any news, they would contact her as soon as possible. Yuliana came out of the police station. Yuliana could not leave at ease before she found Sabrina, so she had to entrust Craig with thepany again. Craig was a little guilty from the time when he nearly endangered Yuliana while on a business trip to Druobridge. Therefore, she agreed as soon as Yuliana voiced it. After giving out some pointers about thepany to Craig. Yuliana called Hailey, ¡°Hailey, has Jake gone to school?¡± Hailey replied, ¡°Yes. I did as you said. I got a car and sent Jake back to school.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Yuliana replied. Yuliana was worried. If something happened to Sabrina, what would happen to Jacob? Jacob was only a teenager, and he was pubertal When he was less than four years old, his family encountered a situation, and his life changed dramatically. Following his father¡¯s death, even his mother was missing now ¡°Yuliana,¡± Hailey called out. Yuliana came back to her senses and answered, ¡°Hailey, I might have to stay in Yrinas for two days. Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Man Of Woman? Haileyforted, ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t worry too much. Jake¡¯s mother is a kind person. She will be fine.¡± Hailey got to meet Sabrina thest time thetter sent Jacob to Juxshire. Sabrina was gentle and elegant and exuded a friendly aura. Compared to Yuliana¡¯s mother, they hadpletely different personalities. ¡°I hope so.¡± Yuliana was not optimistic. After ending the call with Hailey, she called Jacob again. ¡°Jake, have you arrived at school?¡± ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m almost there.¡± Jacob was still in the car. He went out at 6:00 a.m. because he had to go to school and arrive at 7:30 a.m. for morning self-study. ¡°Where have you been, Yuliana? When I woke up in the morning, Hailey told me you left on an errand,¡± Jacob asked. When Yuliana came to his roomst night, it was already past 9 p.m. At that time, she did not seem to be leaving and even asked him some things about his mother. When he went out earlier, he called Sabrina again, but her phone was still switched off. He was a little worried. Yuliana said, ¡°My friend is facing some problems. Go to school and attend sses. If anything happens to you at school, remember to call me.¡± Last night, Christopher and his men turned Sabrina¡¯s house into a mess. They must have been looking for something. She was not sure if they had found it. Now Sabrina was gone, and she was worried that those people would find Jacob. Jacob hesitated for a while and then asked, ¡°Did you manage to reach my mom? I called her again when I went out just now, but her phone was still off. I¡¯m a little worried.¡± Yuliana was silent for two seconds and then said, ¡°I did. Aunt Sabrina lost her phone, so you can¡¯t reach her previous number. I asked Chandler to visit her earlier. She¡¯s fine. When she buys a new phone, she will call you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jacob let out a breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m relieved.¡± Yulianaforted him, ¡°Jake, I have something else to do. I need to hang up the phone.¡± ¡°Okay, goodbye, Yuliana.¡± Then, the call ended. Yuliana leaned against the back of the chair and pondered for a while. Christopher must have chosen to go to Sabrina¡¯s house to look for something at midnight because he was afraid of being seen during the day. Now it was dawn, so they probably already left. Yuliana contemted for a while before driving back to Sabrina¡¯s house. As soon as she parked the car on the side of the road, Lucinda Rogers, who was sitting by the neighboring door and tending to the vegetables, looked at Yuliana. As Lucinda saw Yuliana, the former smiled and nodded. ¡°Kiddo, did youe to see your Aunt Sabrina again?¡± Lucinda¡¯s family had lived here for decades. When Yuliana¡¯s grandparents were still alive, they had already been living here. In fact, Lucinda was quite familiar with Yuliana¡¯s grandparents and knew a little about Yuliana¡¯s family¡¯s situation. When Yuliana was a child, she woulde back with Damian once or twice a year. Therefore, it could be considered that Lucinda had witnessed her growth process. However, after Sabrina moved here, she did not like to interact with people too much because of Damian¡¯s case Yuliana nodded and greeted Lucinda. ¡°Unfortunately, Mrs. Livingstone went out early yesterday and hasn¡¯te back yet.¡± The older woman continued, ¡°I heard that her son goes to Juxshire for school, so she probably has gone to Juxshire. Didn¡¯t you live in Juxshire too? Didn¡¯t she contact you when she went there?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuliana shook her head, and contemted briefly before she walked toward Lucinda and asked, ¡°Mrs. Rogers, are you at home every day?¡± Lucinda hurriedly grabbed a chair for Yuliana to sit down and replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, I retired a few days ago. Now, I take care of my grandchild at home every day, but they¡¯re still sleeping. They are about the same age as your kid.¡± Yuliana nodded and said she had seen Lucinda¡¯s grandchild before. When Rowan came herest time, he yed with Lucinda¡¯s grandchild. ¡°Mrs. Rogers, I want to ask you something.¡± Yuliana said. Lucinda looked at her and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Tell me.¡± Yuliana hesitated for a while and asked, ¡°Has any suspicious persone to look for Aunt Sabrina recently?¡± ¡°Suspicious?¡± Lucinda¡¯s expression changed instantly. Yuliana hurriedly exined, ¡°You see. I¡¯ve lost some money in my business these few months, and I¡¯ve been avoiding creditors recently. I¡¯m afraid they mighte to find Aunt Sabrina since they can¡¯t find me.¡± ¡°I see. Let me think.¡± With that, Lucinda thought about it seriously. Yuliana sat quietly aside and waited. After a while, Lucinda said, ¡°Some time ago, someone dide to find her. I have never seen that person before, but they were probably not worthy of suspicion since Mrs. Livingstone even invited them into the house. They probably know each other.¡± That day, Lucinda happened to be taking a walk with her grandson. She saw a man standing at the door of Sabrina¡¯s house and talking to Sabrina. Later, Sabrina spotted Lucinda and invited the man into the house. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Since Sabrina moved here, she had seldom associated with others. In addition, that person was a man, so Lucinda got curious and kept that in mind. That man stayed in the house with Sabrina for roughly an hour before leaving. Yuliana frowned. ¡°Was it a man or a woman?¡± Lucinda replied, ¡°A man.¡± Yuliana was silent for a moment and then asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Lucinda shook her head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything else. You¡¯re aware of this too. Mrs. Livingstone is 100 introverted that I feel awkward greeting her even if I wanted to.¡± Yuliana smiled politely and said, ¡°Mrs. Rogers, thank you. I¡¯ll go to Aunt Sabrina¡¯s house and have a look.¡± Lucinda nodded. ¡°Since Mrs. Livingstone is not in, and if you are not in a hurry to leave,e to my house for lunch.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, Yuliana walked to Sabrina¡¯s house. The door lock had been broken and was only roughly covered up now. However, it could not be noticed from a distance unless someone looked closely. Yuliana pushed open the door and went in. The room looked different fromst night as if it had been tidied up on purpose. Many things had been returned to their original positions and the damaged things had been cleaned up as if nothing had happened there. She stood at the entrance of the living room and looked around. The room was very quiet, so there should be no one in it. Yuliana first explored downstairs and then went to the second floor. The rooms on the second floor were also ransacked. Although the mess had been cleaned up, the position of many items was different from what she remembered. Yuliana went straight to Sabrina¡¯s room. Sabrina¡¯s room was in and simple, without anything extra. Yuliana walked to the dresser, swiped her fingers across its surface, and then sat down in a chair. After Sabrina and Jacob returned to Yrinas, Yuliana bought a new one for Sabrina after seeing the emptiness in the room. The material and design selected were consistent with the decoration style of the room, which was retro, so it matched the vibe of the room. This dresser had a hidden drawer specifically made by Sabrina herself. She usually kept some cash and important items in it. Sabrina did not hide this from Yuliana and even openly took money out of it, so Yuliana knew. Yuliana pulled out the bottommost drawer and pressed the button in the drawer. The hidden segment opened up, and an envelope was ced at the top. There was a name written on the cover: [Yuliana.] Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Chapter 426 I Knew You Would Be Back Yuliana stared at the letter. Something welled up in her heart, and she felt a surge of heat prickling her eyes. She stared at it for a while before reaching out to pick up the letter. Yuliana opened the envelope and took out the letter in it. There were five pieces of paper; the first three were for Yuliana and thest two for Jacob. Yuliana looked at Sabrina¡¯s handwriting on the paper, and tears welled up in her eyes. [Yuliana, when you see this letter, I may not be in this world anymore. I¡¯m sorry I had to say goodbye to you in this way. I hope you can forgive me. First of all, I want to apologize to you. Since your father was murdered in prison, I only wanted to avenge him and put all the pressure on you. I know I should not do this to you, but I still forced it on you selfishly. Over the past year, I have made you suffer. Next, I would like to say sorry and thank you. Jake is still in middle school, and he will take the high school admission test in one year. Three yearster, he will have to take a university entrance examination, attend university, get married, and have. children. I am unable to participate in these significant times in Jake¡¯s life. I¡¯m sorry I have to trouble you with these. For these, thank you, too.] Sabrina wrote a lot in the letter, the front part mentioned Yuliana and Jacob,ter followed by her father, Damian. At first, Yuliana did not understand why Damian married Sabrina. It was not until today that she understood. Sabrina¡¯s parents passed away in an ident. At that time, Sabrina had just graduated from university. Herfortable life had changed dramatically because of that ident. That ident was also the root cause of Damian¡¯ster imprisonment. After Sabrina¡¯s parents had an ident, Damian took pity on her and helped her secretly. Sabrina was very grateful to the benefactor, who she had never met. Later, Sabrina found out her benefactor¡¯s true identity coincidentally. At that time, Damian had already divorced. Sabrina was a young woman in her twenties, and her gratitude developed into romantic feelings for the mature and handsome Damian. She silently admired her untouchable benefactor from afar. However, theyter interacted because of work. Thus, the two of them got together naturally. Sabrina also said that Damian married her at that time not because he loved her. On one hand, he felt guilty. On the other hand, after divorcing Callie, he wanted to give Yuliana a new family. However, things did not go as nned, and the rtionship between the father and daughter only became more distant. After reading the letter Sabrina left behind, Yuliana felt that her tears had dried up, leaving behind only a bitter ache. Sabrina hoped that Yuliana would stop investigating the cause of Damian¡¯s death anymore and would not pursue Sabrina¡¯s cause of death too; that Yuliana would pretend this was an ident and not tell Jacob the truth. She also hoped the siblings could forget the past and live a good life. In the envelope, there were two bank cards. One contained the money Damian left to Sabrina and Jacob, and the other held money saved up from Sabrina¡¯s work over the year. Although they were notAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. much, it was enough to support Jacob until he graduated from university. Sabrina did not want to bother Yuliana too much, so she prepared everything she could to the best of her ability. Yuliana did not read the letter Sabrina left for Jacob and folded it back into the envelope. She sat in front of the dresser in a daze for a long time but still could not regain herposure. It was not until there was a noise downstairs that Yuliana quickly gathered her scattered emotions and stuffed the things left by Sabrina into her bag. After that, she immediately hid in Sabrina¡¯s wardrobe. When Yuliana hid in the closet, she did not even dare to breathe loudly. ¡°Who could it be?¡± she thought. Yuliana waited for a few minutes and finally heard the sound of the door opening. She looked out through the hollowed-out tiny square holes in the wardrobe and only saw a ck figure. The man stood at the door for a while and then slowly walked toward the closet. Yuliana held her breath, and her heart beat violently. The man stood in front of the wardrobe for two seconds and pulled it open with a click. There were not many clothes in the wardrobe. When the door was opened, Yuliana was also exposed. Yuliana and the man outside the wardrobe looked at each other. That man smiled and said, ¡°I knew you¡¯de back.¡± Yuliana was stunned when she saw his face clearly. Then, her eyes instantly turned cold, and she stared at him with pursed lips. ¡°Do you want me to carry you out?¡± Christopher held the wardrobe door with one hand and looked down at Yuliana who was squatting in the wardrobe. Yuliana knew how miserable she looked when he gazed down on her like that. She said, ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Christopher sidestepped and let Yulianae out of the wardrobe. Aftering out, Yuliana did not look at him and walked toward the door. Christopher reached out and pulled her back. He trapped her between the wardrobe and his chest, but his eyes fell on the bag in her hand. ¡°What have you found?¡± Yuliana sneered, ¡°What? Do you want to search my bag?¡± She simply opened the bag, poured all the contents on the ground, and said mockingly, ¡°Go on. See if there is anything you want.¡± There was nothing in the bag except for Yuliana¡¯s own items. Before, when she was hiding in the wardrobe, she stuffed the envelope into the inner pocket of Sabrina¡¯s clothes. In fact, that letter was nothing special and it did not matter even if Christopher read it. However, she did not know it was Christopher who came in. Christopher lowered his gaze and then let go of her. He squatted down to pick up the keys, tissues, lipsticks, and other items on the ground and put them back into the bag for Yuliana. Yuliana watched his movements briefly and turned to face the view outside the window. After a while, she pursed her lips and asked again, ¡°Christopher, does Aunt Sabrina¡¯s disappearance really have nothing to do with you?¡± Christopher paused, zipped her handbag, stood up, and then looked at Yuliana and said, ¡°I came to Yrinas for her. But when I came, she was already gone.¡± Yuliana turned to look at him and stared at him for a few seconds before she asked, ¡°What exactly do you want from her? Did Mr. Hatfield send you to do all these things?¡± Christopher was silent momentarily and then said, ¡°Mrs. Livingstone had evidence of the ident from more than a decade ago.¡± Nearly 100 people died in that ident. At that time, it caused a great sensation in Juxshire. It was Damian who was in charge of investigating the ident. ¡°No way!¡± Yuliana denied. Yuliana did not believe what Christopher said. If Sabrina had the evidence, Yuliana would have known. However, she soon hesitated again. She remembered Sabrina¡¯s anomaly when she came to Yrinasst time and then recalled Sabrina¡¯s transfer of Jacob to Juxshire and the letter she left. Sabrina booked a high-speed train ticket to Jeahron. Moreover, Lucinda also mentioned a man who came to see Sabrina a while ago. Everything showed that what Christopher said was probably true. Yuliana pondered for a moment and then returned to her senses and stared at Christopher. ¡°Why are your telling me this?¡± Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Here You Go Again Christopher parted his thin lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this in the hope that you let the matter slide. No matter what happened to Aunt Sabrina, you ought to stop getting to the bottom of it. Otherwise, given your rtionship with her, you¡¯d most likely be dragged into it.¡± He paused to think for a bit before continuing on a serious note, ¡°I¡¯m only saying this for your own good, Yuliana.¡± Those words seemedughable in Yuliana¡¯s ears. Still, she could not put on even a faint smile. ¡°Oh, really? Should I thank you for that, then? Drop whatever goodwill you may have for me. I don¡¯t need any of it!¡± she sneered. Her expression was grim, but her tone was icy She walked out of Sabrina¡¯s room upon dropping her remark. Christopher did not stop her that time around After freezing on the spot for quite some time, he went after her. Yuliana went downstairs and headed straight to the exit. She was all ready to depart from the ce. Although she had no ns to leave Yrinas for the time being, that building would be thest ce she would consider staying for the night. In fact, embarrassing memories from the night before had popped into her head the second she stepped inside a while ago. A wave of suffocation assailed her heart when she thought about it. If it had not been for trying to get any leads that Sabrina might have left, Yuliana would never have stepped into the building again in such a short time frame. Christopher ran toward Yuliana until she finally stopped by her car on the roadside. As soon as Yuliana opened the car door, Christopher mmed it shut. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Must I report it to you?¡± stated Yuliana nonchntly, her expression gloomy. Christopher stared at Yuliana for a couple of seconds before letting out a chuckle. ¡°No, but wherever your destination might be, I¡¯ming with you.¡± As Yuliana caught sight of Christopher¡¯s smug visage, her rage seemed to boil to no end. The longer her gaze lingered on his face, the more disgusted she felt. She raised her hand abruptly and flung her palm across Christopher¡¯s cheek. It was as though she had lost all control of herself. ¡°You¡¯re so shameless!¡± Yuliana fumed through gritted teeth. After pping Christopher, she could not stop her fingers from trembling, and even her whole body was quivering involuntarily. Christopher did not feel much pain after being pped, but he could feel a slight burning sensation around his cheek. In all honesty, right before Yuliananded her palm on his face, Christopher could have dodged the p or even stopped her altogether. But he had chosen to do none of that. Lowering his gaze, Christopher looked at Yuliana¡¯s trembling hand that had just pped him, and then he went against her will to grab her by the wrist before prying her fingers open. Right in front of his eyes was Yuliana¡¯s reddened palm. Most likely, her hand hurt more than his face. After a while, he raised his chin and looked into Yuliana¡¯s eyes. ¡°Next time, if you ever feel like smacking me, don¡¯t do it yourself. Just say the word, and I¡¯ll p myself in front of you as many times as you wish, as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Yuliana looked back at him and fell into a short daze. Soon enough, she regainedposure and retracted her hand from his grip. ¡°Psycho,¡± she cursed in a low voice and turned to look away. Just like that, the duo kept mum and stood there for quite some time. It was then Lucinda raised her voice and called out to Yuliana from the entrance, ¡°Hey, Kiddo!¡± Yuliana directed her line of sight toward the source of the voice, only to find Lucinda sitting on a chair at the door with her grandson in her arms. Mustering a smile on her face, Yuliana hummed a response and approached Lucinda¡¯s house right away. Christopher slowly followed Yuliana, distancing himself a couple of steps away. Yuliana side-eyed Christopher behind her, feeling annoyed. She had no idea what she was going to do with him. Yuliana got closer and gazed at the boy, Yohan Rogers, in Lucinda¡¯s embrace. ¡°Yohan, is it?¡± The boy must have just woken up not too long ago, for he appeared rather unenergetic, holding the milk. bottle with both hands and slurping the milk. However, his eyes lit up as he stared at Yuliana and Christopher. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s Yohan!¡± Lucinda replied with a smile. ¡°He¡¯s so naive and timid and not as good-looking as your son. They¡¯re both the same age, but your son can already speak well. This little one here, though, stammers a lot.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Lucinda might have grumbled about Yohan, but it was as clear as day that she sounded nothing less than affectionate toward her grandson. Yuliana reached out and touched Yohan¡¯s toe. ¡°Nah¡­ I bet it¡¯s nothing like that. This sweetheart of yours must be the precious darling in his parents¡¯ eyes. Yohan¡¯s so adorable.¡± Because Yuliana was a mother, she could not help being gentle and sweet to Yohan, who was about the same age as Rowan. A kid that young had a future ahead of him, after all. His life was only beginning. Lucinda nced at Christopher behind Yuliana and said with a smile, ¡°That youngd over there is your husband, isn¡¯t he? Your son looks exactly like him.¡± Yuliana¡¯s smile instantly stiffened. Not a word escaped from her lips. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Mrs. Rogers,¡± Christopher was the first to pipe up cheekily. ¡°No wonder your son¡¯s so handsome! He must owe it to his genes! Tsk, tsk. What a dashing father-and- son duo!¡± praised Lucinda as she pinned her gaze on Christopher. Despite the anger deep down, Yuliana dared not overreact nor express her displeasure. All she did was pull a joke. ¡°Why can¡¯t the credit go to me, Mrs. Rogers? Are my genes really that bad?¡± ¡°Who said that? I¡¯ll be the first to disagree!¡± replied Lucinda solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ve watched you grow into this finedy that you are now, Kiddo. There¡¯s never another girl in this entire neighborhood who can compete with you. I already knew you were blessed when you were still a child.¡± Yuliana merely grinned at thepliments. ¡°Me? Blessed? I hope so,¡± she mused. Yuliana stood there and chatted with Lucinda for a while. She then bade thetter goodbye and was about to leave. Lucinda invited Yuliana and Christopher to stay for breakfast, but Yuliana turned down the offer. Once again, Christopher trailed on Yuliana¡¯s footsteps as they paced toward the car parked on the side of the road. Christopher was like a puppy following its master, keeping a distance of about two to three steps and never too far away as he walked behind Yuliana. When they got to the car, Yuliana wheeled around and shot Christopher a frosty re. ¡°If you follow me again, I¡¯ll call the police and sue you for sexual assault!¡± ¡°Was it a sexual assault, as you mentioned?¡± Christopher narrowed his eyes to slits as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°I thought you also felt good about it,¡± he added softly. Yuliana gnashed her teeth and bellowed, ¡°You¡¯re so shameless!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already called me that just now. Why don¡¯t you call me something new?¡± Christopherughed cynically. That left Yuliana at a loss for words. ¡°Get lost, you!¡± she chided. With that, Yuliana opened the car door and hopped into the car. Sadly, when she was about to close the door, Christopher managed to lean in and snatch the key from her. Immediately afterward, he shut the car door for her, went around the car, and slid into the passenger seat. Only then did he plug in the car key. As Yuliana saw what Christopher had done thus far, immense frustration inundated her, but she had nowhere. to vent her feelings. She pounded the steering wheel hard with both hands and yelled at Christopher, totally out of control, ¡°What the hell do you want from me?¡± For a moment, Yuliana felt as if she acted nothing more like a hysterical shrew. Be that as it might, controlling her emotions was no longer an option for her at that point. There was nothing. she could do other than shout at Christopher. ¡°Can¡¯t you just let me go?¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes turned red with fury as she eyed Christopher and pleaded, ¡°Stay away from me, will you? I¡¯m begging you I don¡¯t want to see you I even feel suffocated when you¡¯re around. What more do you want from me, Christopher? Is it that fun for you to pick on me like this?¡± The more words Yuliana blurted out, the more aggrieved she felt. Worse still, her tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke. The look she shed Christopher, and her teary, reddened eyes seemed to shine with utter indignation. Christopher stretched out his hand and tried to wipe Yuliana¡¯s tears off, but she waved her hand to shove his hand away. She turned her head to look outside the window. Taking a deep breath, she bit her lip and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re always like this¡­¡± ¡°Ana-¡± Yuliana immediately interrupted, ¡°No! Don¡¯t talk! Don¡¯t even say a word!¡± With that, Christopher gawked at the back of her head and said nothing. Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Chapter 428 I Will Be Back Soon A few minutester, Yuliana sorted out her emotions and wiped the tears on her face with a few pieces of tissue. Based on her memory, she started the car and drove to thepany where Sabrina had worked Even though Yuliana knew that there would be nothing to gain, she still wanted to try her luck as she had run out of leads. Sabrina¡¯s social circle was very small. The only ces she went to were her home, herpany, and the nearby farmer¡¯s market. Although she had already filed a case at the police station, she didn¡¯t know if they had gone to Sabrina¡¯spany to investigate. Sabrina had worked at a small private enterprise. Its main business was pharmaceutical manufacturing, and Sabrina was responsible for the administrative affairs. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. When Yuliana arrived, the police probably hadn¡¯t arrived yet. It was the HR department¡¯s supervisor who received her. The supervisor said that Sabrina had suddenly resigned and seemed to be in a hurry to leave. Logically speaking, her resignation notice should have been submitted a month in advance, and thepany had to find a suitable person to take over her duties before she could leave. However, Sabrina didn¡¯t follow the usual process. She merely said that there was an emergency at home and she needed to leave as soon as possible. The supervisor knew what Sabrina was like. After joining thepany, she had been working conscientiously on her post. Dealing with logistics wasplicated, but she was very patient and handled every task properly. She was very sure that Sabrina wouldplete every assigned task to the best of her ability. Therefore, seeing that Sabrina was really in a hurry, she went to her superior, and they approved Sabrina¡¯s resignation before thepany hired a suitable person to take over. Her duties were temporarily handed to someone in the HR department. Sabrinapleted all of the formalitiesst Wednesday. She had handed in her resignation after Yuliana found a high school in Juxshire for Jacobst month. Sabrina had nothing else to worry about after settling Jacob¡¯s affairs. It was just like what Sabrina had written in her letter; she had gone to Jeahron, already prepared to die. She would avenge Damian¡¯s death even if it cost her her life. However, she didn¡¯t get on the high-speed train to Jeahron. After leaving thepany, Yuliana drove around the streets and alleys of Yrinas and went to the farmer¡¯s market Sabrina frequented, the nearby supermarket, and the cemetery where Damian was. Damian hadn¡¯t been buried yet, so he was just being kept there. Sabrina said in her letter that if she died, she wanted to be buried with Damian. ¡°Dad.¡± Yuliana stood alone in the ce where Damian¡¯s ashes were kept. Christopher didn¡¯te over. He stood at a distance where he could still see Yuliana and held a cigarette between his fingers. ¡°If you are watching us from above, please make sure Aunt Sabrina is safe. Jake is still so young. He needs his mother. I got separated from my mother at such a young age. Aunt Sabrina said that you always felt that you owed me for that, so you should exercise some power and ensure Jake doesn¡¯t end up like me.¡± After walking out of the cemetery, rain descended upon Yrinas. It was not that heavy, but by the time she got to the car, her hair and clothes were drenched. Christopher found a towel and gently dried Yuliana¡¯s hair. Yuliana was stunned but didn¡¯t resist his touch. She remained still like a doll and let him do whatever he wanted. Noticing that her clothes were also wet, Christopher frowned and asked, ¡°Do you have any spare clothes in the car?¡± Yuliana ignored him.. She gazed nkly at the water droplets on the ss. Christopher eyed her for a while, opened the door, and exited the car. He checked the trunk but came up empty. Yuliana had obviouslye here without any luggage. Christopher walked to the driver¡¯s side of the car and knocked on the ss. Yuliana looked at him through the rain and fog on the ss, still ignoring him. Hence, he continued to knock. Eventually, Yuliana got annoyed and rolled down the window. Christopher had only been in the rain for a while, but his hair was already dripping wet. There were drops of water hanging off the tips of his hair. He wiped away the rain on his face and said, ¡°Get into the other seat. I¡¯ll drive.¡± Finally, Yuliana listened to Christopher and let him drive. ¡°I¡¯m not in the right state of mind to be driving right now. I have Rowan and Jacob to take care of. I can¡¯t let anything happen to myself,¡± she thought. Christopher reached through the window, unlocked the car door, and climbed in. He picked up the towel that he had used to dry Yuliana¡¯s hair before and dried his own hair quickly. After putting it aside, he asked, ¡°Do you want to go back to Aunt Sabrina¡¯s house or the hotel?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and finally said something to him. ¡°The hotel.¡± Christopher wasn¡¯t in a hurry to start driving. He took out his phone and looked for the hotel¡¯s information online Then he booked a room, turned on the navigation, and drove to the hotel. It only took 15 minutes to get there. After checking in at the reception, Christopher took Yuliana into the room and said, ¡°Go take a hot shower first. It¡¯s cold due to the rain, so don¡¯t catch a cold. I¡¯ll go out and buy you some clothes to change into.¡± Hearing this, Yuliana looked up at him. Christopher paused for a moment and added, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With that, he turned around, opened the door, and walked out. Christopher had noticed that there was arge shopping mall not far from the hotel on his way here. It was not difficult to find clothes there. After purchasing them, he went to buy some food. Yuliana didn¡¯t really eat anything for lunch or breakfast. It was almost dark now. After finishing his shopping, he went back to the hotel and opened the door. It was quiet inside. In fact, it was so quiet that it seemed like no one was in the room. Christopher panicked and quickly entered the room. All the nervousness left his body when he saw Yuliana curled up on the couch asleep. He approached her and patted her lightly on the shoulder. ¡°Ana?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Yuliana answered vaguely with her eyes closed Christopher squatted beside her and gazed at her quietly for a while. He didn¡¯t wake her up and gently carried her to the bed, but her clothes were still wet. After hesitating for a while, he took off her clothes and covered her with the quilt. Yuliana was so deeply asleep that she didn¡¯t wake up even after all that. Christopher sat on the edge of the bed, not moving a muscle as he gazed at her sleeping face. She looked so soft and sweet. The phone in his pocket vibrated again, disturbing the peace in the room. Christopher took out his phone and looked at it. He got up from the bed, walked to the sofa, and lit a cigarette before answering the call. ¡°Have you found Sabrina?¡± Christopher put the cigarette to his lips and answered vaguely, ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s what I want to hear?¡± Taking a few puffs of smoke, Christopher held the cigarette with his fingers and replied, ¡°You need not worry, Mr Xavier. Something has likely happened to Sabrinal Oliver said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more day. If you still don¡¯t produce results, I will settle all our scores. with you.¡± Christopher spread his legs as he leisurely blew out another puff of smoke. He couldn¡¯t care less about Oliver¡¯s threat. Oliver asked again, ¡°I heard that a woman appeared at Sabrina¡¯s housest night, and you even chopped off one of the hands of ck Wolf¡¯s subordinates for her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hearsay.¡± Christopher said in a dark voice, ¡°That woman is my son¡¯s biological mother. He dared to hurt her, so I cut off one of his hands in return. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve already given ck Wolf enough respect?¡± Christopher flicked the ashes off the tip of the cigarette. ¡°What? Are you interrogating me over this matter, Mr. Xavier?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a hand. It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Oliver stated nonchntly. Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Chapter 429 I Saw Aunt Sabrina ¡°It¡¯s just a hand. Not a big deal.¡± Oliver understated the fact. Then, he suddenly changed the topic. ¡°But, is Ms. Livingstone really just a mom to your son?¡± Christopher sneered. ¡°So it turns out that you¡¯re not here to confront me, Mr. Xavier, but to show concern about my love life?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I just want to remind you not to let your personal feelings interfere with the task I assigned you,¡± Oliver said slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your love life, but once she threatens me. I won¡¯t show mercy to her.¡± In fact, he had seen Yuliana several times. Although Yuliana was like Sabrina, she was also a potential threat. ording to his code of conduct, he should deal with her together with Sabrina as soon as possible so as not to leave any trouble behind. But for some reason, he did not intend to take Yuliana¡¯s life. Christopher bit the cigarette butt and said casually, ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Mr. Xavier. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± With that said, he hung up the phone. Christopher threw his phone on the couch next to him while smoking slowly. Then, he went to the window to open it. It was still raining outside. Under the street lights at night, the wet streets looked mottled. After staring at it for a while, a terrified cry suddenly sounded behind him. He turned around and saw Yuliana curling up on the bed. Her whole face was all scrunched up, looking frightened. Christopher walked to the bed and touched Yuliana¡¯s face. He said softly, ¡°Ana.¡± In her sleep, Yuliana seemed to hear someone calling her. However, she was running wildly in the deep woods at that moment. In her dream, it was also raining like in reality. The sound of falling rain hit the branches, leaves, shrubs, and weeds. In the past, she would find it very melodious. However, it only made her feel panic and fear at that moment. The clouds covered the moon, and there was no light in the woods. Yuliana was lost in direction, and she did not dare to stop, as if something that scared her was chasing after her. All she wanted was to run out of the woods and see the light.. Nheless, the woods seemed to have no boundary, and she could not escape from the ce regardless of how hard she ran. The sudden sound of someone calling her name made her feel a tinge of security amidst panic. ¡°Ana¡­¡± Yuliana wondered, ¡°Who is calling me?¡± The sudden distraction made her trip over something. She fell into a sticky mud pit, and mud sshed on her face. Her heart beat wildly. She raised her hand and wiped her face, feeling something was wrong. It did not seem to be mud. Nheless, she could not care less about it. She just wanted to get up quickly and continue running. However, she seemed to touch something just as she was about to prop herself up. After a moment of hesitation, she touched it carefully with her hands again on the ground. Then, her whole body froze. ¡°Ah!¡± she screamed again, throwing away the thing in her hand. At that time, a lightning bolt split the night sky and illuminated the whole earth. Yuliana saw clearly what she had just touched with the aid of the lightning It was a person¡¯s head. The rain soaked the hair on that skull, and the long hair obscured the skull¡¯s face. For an inexplicable reason, Yuliana walked over slowly and flicked the hair off the skull. A face appeared right in front of Yuliana. ¡°Aunt Sabrina!¡± Yuliana woke up from her dream as she sweated profusely. She sat on the bed with her eyes looking nkly, gasping for breath. Hearing her voice, Christopher immediately opened his eyes and stroked her back. ¡°It¡¯s good that up. You¡¯re just dreaming.¡± you woke Yuliana¡¯s face was pale. She shook her head in pain and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s not a dream. I saw Aunt Sabrina. She has gotten dismembered in the dark woods. She must be sending dreams to me so that I could find her.¡± With that, she lifted the quilt and got out of bed. She did not even wear her shoes and walked straight to the door. Christopher immediately chased after Yuliana. He stopped her and patiently coaxed, ¡°Yuliana, you have dreams at night because you think of it too much during the day. You are just too worried about the safety of Aunt Sabrina these past two days. That¡¯s why you have nightmares. Besides, it¡¯s midnight now. Even if you want to find her, you should wait for the daylight tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Midnight?¡± Yuliana looked out of the window. It was already dark. Then, she came to her senses eventually and realized she was almost naked except for her lingerie. She frowned subtly. ¡°I came backst night, and you were already asleep. Your coat was wet. I can¡¯t let you sleep in wet clothes, so I took them off for you.¡± After Christopher exined, he immediately brought a bathrobe and wrapped it around her. Finally, he even tied the waistband for her carefully. Yuliana looked at his movements nkly and did not react too much. Christopher helped her sit down on the couch and poured her a ss of hot water. Yuliana took it and held it in her palm. She did not drink it but let the hot water press on her palm so that the heat could dissipate the cold on her body due to the cold sweat. ¡°How long have I slept?¡± ¡°Ten hours.¡± Christopher sat down next to her. Yuliana must have fallen asleep after drinking. She had nightmares all the time. Sometimes she was terrified, and sometimes she talked in her sleep. No matter what Christopher said to her, she just could not wake up. After that, she had a mild fever. Christopher had been sitting by the bed and taking care of her. After the early morning. Yuliana became silent for a while. Christopher also fell asleep by the bed until he was awakened by Yuliana¡¯s terrified scream again. Yuliana lowered her head, and her hair covered her face. ¡°That long?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not long. You didn¡¯t sleepst night, right?¡± Christopher looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you want to go to bed for a while?¡± Yuliana shook her head. Then, the two sat quietly without saying anything. The temperature in her hand became cold, and Yuliana raised her head and drank the water in one gulp. She put down the ss and got up. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Christopher asked, looking at her. Yuliana did not answer him but went straight to the bathroom. After taking a hot shower, Yuliana finally felt much more energetic. She picked up her phone and checked the time. It was already five o¡¯clock in the morning, and it would be dawn soon. Yuliana walked to the window and opened it. It had been raining all night in Yrinas, and the temperature there suddenly dropped significantly. In addition, the air humidity was high. When the window was opened, the cold wind poured in immediately. Yuliana, who had just taken a shower, could not help trembling. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her from behind. The warmth from someone¡¯s chest slowly engulfed her. Yuliana stood still like a puppet. ¡°Ana, I know you¡¯re worried about Aunt Sabrina, but she hasn¡¯t been in touch for two days. You have to be mentally prepared,¡± Christopher said softly. Originally, he did not want to talk to Yuliana about that. But as he said, they could not get in touch with her for two days. There was a great possibility that something had happened to Sabrina. Especially when he saw Yuliana having nightmares every day and worried for Sabrina¡¯s safety, he was a little worried whether Yuliana could bear it if Sabrina died. Yuliana was still silent and did not respond. She kept staring out of the window. A few minutester, she finally turned around and looked at Christopher. Her gaze fixated on him for a long while. She also observed him very carefully. Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Dead Or Alive After a while, she said, ¡°If Aunt Sabrina is not missing, will you kill her when you came to her housest night?¡± Christopher said without hesitation, ¡°I won¡¯t. She is the one you care about. How can I kill her?¡± Yuliana smiled. She moved Christopher¡¯s arm away, went back to the couch, and sat down, waiting for the next day toe. She had a feeling that there must be news of Sabrina on the second day. Yuliana sat quietly on the couch, waiting for dawn to approach. It rained all night and finally stopped in the morning. Christopher took the clothes that he bought yesterday and said, ¡°Put them on.¡± Yuliana nced at it, took it, and went into the bathroom to change into the clothes. The size fits perfectly, and the color and style were her favorites. The clothes were slightly thicker, which was suitable for Yrinas after the temperature dropped. After Yuliana changed her clothes, Christopher asked, ¡°What are you going to do today?¡± Yuliana stopped and looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own business to do? Didn¡¯t your boss arrange a job for your visit to Yrinas this time?¡± She didn¡¯t want Christopher to follow her. Christopher smiled and said, ¡°My job is to find Sabrina, either dead or alive. Although we have our own purposes, the premise was that we have to find her.¡± After a night, Yuliana maintained her cold demeanor towards him. Yuliana nned to go to the police station to inquire about the situation. If there were still no leads from the police station, she intended to retrace Sabrina¡¯s steps from her house to the airport the day before yesterday in the hopes of discovering something new. After checking out from the hotel, Christopher went to buy breakfast. After getting in the car, he handed a wholemeal bun to Yuliana and said, ¡°It¡¯s corn-vored.¡± When Yuliana was a teacher at Juxshire Primary School, she used to eat this. On top of that, it was convenient Secondly, she also liked the coarse grain, which made her feel full. However, in recent years, she has eaten less of it. Because Hailey was good at cooking, she always came out with different ways to prepare breakfast. She had already forgotten thest time she had a wholemeal bun. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Seeing Yuliana remain silent, Christopher babbled, ¡°You weren¡¯t eating all day yesterday. If you do not want to faint due to hypoglycemiater, just grab something¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°I had just tasted this wholemeal bun. It tastes tender, and the taste is simr to one close to Juxshire Primary School.¡± Yuliana was a little absentminded When she returned to her senses, she had already taken the wholemeal bun from Christopher and had a bite. Christopher put a straw on the pumpkin soup and handed it to her. ¡°Have some soup.¡± Yuliana nced at him and showed no interest. Christopher smiled helplessly and ced the soup into her hand. ¡°Drink it yourself.¡± Meanwhile, he grabbed the wholemeal bun from the other bag and finished it quickly for the first time. He probably was not used to eating fast, as he choked on it. He unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and forced down the previous two mouthfuls of the wholemeal bun with the water After finishing the meal quickly, before Yuliana asked him, Christopher went straight to the police station of the district where Sabrina used to stay. ¡°Yesterday, we had requested to obtain the surveince footage from traffic police regarding the route after Sabrina left home ording to the surveince footage, she got into a taxi after she left home. Normally. she would take the Yrinas Highway to the train station from where Sabrina lived, but the taxi driver detoured and took Lusterg Street instead and brought her into a path from Lusterg Street where there aren¡¯t any surveince cameras installed¡± We suspect something must have happened to Sabrina on this taxi. Our people had scouted along the way. but the path runs in all directions and is connected to arge forest, so it may take a while to find Sabrina ¡± The person who took charge of Sabrina¡¯s case exined to Yuliana the challenges they were facing. ¡°How long will it take?¡± Yuliana said eagerly, ¡°Can¡¯t we get more people to find her? You should know that my aunt can¡¯t afford to wait a minute as she will be in danger in any minute dyed.¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t usually do this. She knew exactly how difficult it was for the policemen at the grass-roots level. She just thought of the dreamst night, which was also in a forest. Meanwhile, the policeman mentioned that the end of the path was a forest too. The police understood the emotions of the family member¡¯s and exined. ¡°We had arranged as many people as possible to find her, but I hope you do understand as well that we have many other cases to handle, and their family members are in the same situation as you.¡± Yuliana calmed down and apologized, ¡°Sorry.¡± The policeman said, ¡°It is not ideal for both of you to be waiting here. We¡¯ll contact you immediately if anything happens.¡± ¡°All right.¡± As soon as Yuliana and Christopher left the police station, Yuliana¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from the police station. Yuliana¡¯s face changed instantly. She didn¡¯t pick it up after a long time. Christopher noticed her unusual behavior and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone?¡± She nced at her phone screen and noticed the three digits at the end of the phone number. Yuliana came back to her senses, and her heart beat fast. Her fingers trembled slightly, and she pressed the answer button. ¡°Is this Yuliana?¡± a man asked from the other side of the phone. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Neville, is there any news?¡± Neville said on the phone. ¡°I just received a call from the Lusterg Police Station, saying that a dead woman was found, and her appearance is very simr to the Sabrina we are looking for.¡± At that point, Neville paused and waited for Yuliana¡¯s reaction. Yuliana remained silent, and only her slight breathing sound could be heard from the phone. ¡°Yuliana, are you listening?¡± Yuliana replied in a hurry. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± After hearing Neville¡¯s words, Yuliana was stunned. She was like falling into another dimension, feeling cold and stiff all over her body. The three words ¡°Yes, I am just sounded like a mechanical response. Neville continued, ¡°If you have not gone far, I hope we can go together to the police station to make an identification.¡± Neville needed Yuliana to go over to identify the dead body because the woman¡¯s body waspletely beyond recognition. When the Lusterg Police Station sent him the photos, he almost vomited what he had eaten in the morning. He had been in this position for over ten years and had seen many massacres, too. Such insensitive and cruel ones were rarely seen. ¡°All right, I aming.¡± Yuliana replied incoherently as she trembled After the call, Yuliana and Christopher returned to the police station. Neville brought two men with him and immediately took Yuliana and Christopher to Lusterg Police Station. During the rush hour, the traffic was bad. It was almost ten o¡¯clock when they arrived at Lusterg Police Station The person in charge of the Lusterg Police Station reported to Neville, ¡°Neville, I was about to give you a call now as the case is tooplicated. I asked for instructions from the superior early in the morning, but after the superior had learned about the situation, he took over the case.¡± The body was found in the forest behind Xemrich Vige this morning. The reporter was a viger of Xemrich Vige. Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Chapter 431 What Is That The person who reported the crime was from Xemrich Vige. It had rained the previous night. Seeing that it had stopped raining at dawn, he took his dog into the woods. to pick mushrooms. The soil in the woods was suitable for the growth of various fungi. Every time it rained, all sorts of fungi grew like crazy in there. The vigers in Xemrich Vige often picked mushrooms in the woods and sold them in the market, which could earn them a lot of ie. However, they usually picked the mushrooms at the edge of the woods. The ce was too big, and they were afraid of getting lost inside if they went too deep. Hence, most people who raised dogs would bring them along. The dogs liked to run around in the forest each time, but they would instantly go to their owners when they shouted for them. It was about 7 a.m. at that time. The air was very humid since it had rained the previous night. It was foggy. and dark in the woods, making the ce look gloomy. The person who reported the crime heard his dog barking nonstop in the woods. He thought his dog had gotten into danger, and since it didn¡¯t seem like it was from too deep into the woods, the man ventured in to look for it. Right then, he saw that his dog was digging incessantly. The dog¡¯s unusual behavior made him suspicious. Moreover, that particr area of soil looked different from its surroundings. It looked like it had been turned over recently. If someone else had encountered such a strange thing in the vast woods, they would have been scared to death. However, the vigers of Xemrich Vige frequented the forest, and they had long been used to it. The man felt a little unsettled, and the dog was still barking. When he approached, he saw that it had dug out most of the soil on the surface, revealing a dark woven bag. Besides the dirt on its surface, it looked rtively new. ¡°What is that?¡± The man picked up a thick branch and began digging with his dog. To his surprise, he dug arge pit and found three woven bags, each containing something. He grew increasingly curious about the bag. Squatting down, he unzipped one of the bags and instantly saw, a woman¡¯s head. The man scrambled backward at once and fell onto the ground. Following that, he ran out of the woods in horror. He was in a daze when he arrived home. His wife noticed that something was wrong with him and began questioning him. He finally recounted what had happened in the woods after a long while. Upon hearing that, his wife called the police immediately. Neville and the chief of the Lusterg Police Station were discussing while Yuliana and Christopher were told to wait in the lounge. On their way to Lusterg Police Station, Neville disclosed some information about the case. ording to him, Sabrina had gone missing while on the way to Xemrich Vige. Based on the crime scene photos, the victim¡¯s. age and physical appearance were simr to Sabrina¡¯s. Moreover, the time of death for both of them. matched up. The possibility that it was Sabrina was quite high. Yuliana tried her best to keep calm and think positively during the journey there. But waiting was an anxiety-filled thing to do, and she became more and more pessimistic as time passed. Perhaps because it was cold or she wasn¡¯t feeling well, her face and lips had turned pale.. After entering the lounge, Yuliana sat there motionlessly, her eyes nk as she stared ahead. Christopher took a sip of water from his paper cup and started fidgeting with it. He watched as the cup changed its shape. After a moment of fidgeting, he turned to look at Yuliana. He got up, poured out the cup of cold water sitting in front of Yuliana, and filled it with warm water. ¡°Have some warm water.¡± Yuliana¡¯s eyes finally moved. She lowered her eyes and nced at the cup of warm water Christopher gave her. After a while, she finally took a sip from it. Her body warmed up a little when the water entered her body. Neville and the chief of Lusterg Police Station eventually came in when she finished her cup of water. Yuliana stood up instantly and looked at them. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting,¡± Neville apologized. ¡°Mr. Benita, when can I identify the body of the deceased?¡± Yuliana asked. Although she tried her best to contain herself, the anxiety in her eyes was unmistakable. Neville exchanged nces with the chief before exining, ¡°The Lusterg Police Station has taken over the case. We still need them to notify us of the specific time, but we won¡¯t have to wait too long either.¡± Earlier, both Neville and the Lusterg Police Station were talking about the case of the dead woman in the woods. After learning about the situation, Lusterg Police Station immediately sent someone over. Following the first round of investigation, it was found that the method of murder was highly simr to that of several murders within the country in recent years. Hence, they suspected it was done by the same person. However, the murderer of these cases had not been captured yet. Nheless, Neville couldn¡¯t reveal this information to Yuliana. ¡°Both of you better head home first. We will call you right away when the station requests for the victim¡¯s family to identify the body.¡± Neville said in a formal tone. Moreover, ording to the chief of the Lusterg Police Station, it was not quite suitable for the victim¡¯s family to see the body before the forensic scientist was done with the autopsy and restored it as much as possible. It wasn¡¯t something any ordinary people could stand seeing. Yuliana understood that the police had their procedures, so she could only go home and wait for updates. And this period of time was the hardest. She was constantly nervous the whole time. It was almost lunchtime when they left Lusterg Police Station. Christopher brought Yuliana to a Clusian restaurant and ordered a few dishes she liked, wanting her to eat more. But Yuliana had no appetite. She only took a few bites of the pasta and drank some of her soup. After lunch, Christopher booked a hotel room nearby and nned to let Yuliana have some rest. However, Yuliana sat on the couch and clutched her phone tightly once they entered the room. She jumped each time her phone rang as if she was reacting out of reflex. Christopher walked over and tried to take the phone from her. However, Yuliana instinctively tightened her grip on her phone. Then, she red at him and shouted, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christopher looked at her coldly and touched her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t you know you have had a slight fever sincest night? Ana, you need to rest. Come on, be good. Go and take a nap on the bed for a while. I¡¯ll wake you up immediately when there are updates from the police.¡± Yuliana blocked his hand, not appreciating his kindness. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± She could feel that she was a little unwell, but she didn¡¯t think it was a big deal since it was only a slight fever. ¡°Christopher, you must be happy now, right?¡± Yuliana asked sarcastically.. Christopher¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. ¡°What am I happy about?¡± Yuliana looked at him coldly and sneered, ¡°If that dead woman is Aunt Sabrina, doesn¡¯t it solve a big problem for your boss? Shouldn¡¯t you be happy?¡± She had no idea why she was being so sarcastic either. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. But she was so unhappy that she wanted to vent. She didn¡¯t know who else to vent to except for Christopher. Christopher¡¯s eyesnded on her face. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should be happy.¡± Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Jacob Is Gone ¡°But I¡¯m not happy to see you like this. Ana, I¡¯m only happy if you¡¯re happy¡± Yuliana would have found these words sweet if he had said them three years ago. But now, she only found them to be ironic. Yuliana stared at him for a few seconds before turning her eyes away. ¡°Don¡¯t act so affectionate. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± When she was done speaking, she picked up her phone and went into the bathroom. Yuliana stayed in the bathroom for a long time. Christopher was nowhere to be found when she came out. She stood in a daze for a few seconds, only to feel that the room was too quiet. The weather outside the window was gloomy, and everything seemed lifeless. It made her feel depressed. The police never called, even when the sky had turned dark. Instead, it was Jacob who called. ¡°Yuliana, why is my mom¡¯s phone still turned off?¡± Jacob was obviously anxious. Yuliana took a deep breath and pretended to be calm. ¡°Maybe she couldn¡¯t buy a new phone because she¡¯s been busy these days.¡± Jacob continued, ¡°But Mom isn¡¯t like this. It doesn¡¯t take much time to buy a phone, and the brand of the phone she normally uses isn¡¯t expensive. Mom knows that I¡¯d talk to her every day, so there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t buy a new one after so many days. Yuliana, maybe you could send me Chandler¡¯s number? I¡¯ll call him and ask about what happened. Mom wasn¡¯t in great condition when I transferred to Juxshire. I¡¯m worried about her being home alone.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Jake, I¡¯m outside now, so it¡¯s not a convenient time to talk. Perhaps I could call Chandlerter and tell him to visit Aunt Sabrina? I¡¯ll call you again by then. Will that do?¡± Yuliana didn¡¯t know how to tell Jacob that Sabrina had disappeared. After all, they had not confirmed that the dead body was Sabrina. ¡°Jacob is only a teenager. How could he bear the news?¡± she thought. Jacob kept silent for a while. When he spoke again, the anxiousness in his tone was much more evident. He also sounded a little choked up as he said, ¡°Tell me honestly, Yuliana. Something¡¯s happened to Mom, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Stop worrying so much.¡± Yuliana paused, and as if trying tofort herself too, she said, ¡°Nothing will happen to Aunt Sabrina, Jake.¡± Jacob fell silent for a moment before he said in a low voice, ¡°Okay, Yuliana.¡± Hearing his answer, Yuliana felt a little relieved. ¡°You have self-study in the evening, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked. Jacob was in the ninth grade that year, so he had a much tighter schedule. Hence, the school arranged self-study sessions in the morning and evening, specifically for students living on campus. ¡°Yes,¡± Jacob answered absentmindedly. ¡°Study hard at school and call me if you need anything,¡± Yuliana instructed. ¡°Okay,¡± Jacob replied again. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m going to go self-study now. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± With that, Jacob hung up the call. Christopher came back at around 8 p.m. He had left for more than two hours and brought some food when he returned. Yuliana still had no appetite but still forced herself to eat something. After that, Christopher gave Yuliana a few pills for colds he had bought. Yuliana couldn¡¯t fight the drowsiness anymore after she took the medicine. She sat on the couch and fell asleep soon after Christopher wiped her face, hands, and feet with a hot towel and carried her to bed. However, she didn¡¯t sleep for long. At 10:30 p.m., Yuliana was woken up by Christopher. ¡°Ana, wake up.¡± She was in a daze as she stared at Christopher standing by the bed. She was a little slow because of the medicine. A momentter, Yuliana sat up from the bed abruptly. ¡°Is there a call from the police?¡± ¡°No.¡± Christopher held Yuliana¡¯s phone as he continued, ¡°Mr. Sablich from Juxshire Middle School called and said that Jacob is missing.¡± Ss Sablich was Jacob¡¯s homeroom teacher. ¡°Missing?¡± Yuliana¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. She subconsciously assumed that Jacob had disappeared just like Sabrina did. ¡°Don¡¯t panic just yet. Mr. Sablich said that Jacob didn¡¯t attend the evening self-study session and wasn¡¯t in his dorm as well. He asked Jacob¡¯s ssmates about his whereabouts, and one of them said they saw him leaving the school at 6 p.m. He left on his own,¡± Christopher quickly said. Jacob had just transferred to Juxshire Middle School, and he wasn¡¯t familiar with the students in his ss. Besides, his ss was the worst in the ninth grade, and most students in his ss were spoiled, rich kids. In fact, he didn¡¯t fit in very well. ¡°He left on his own?¡± Yuliana pondered about it before asking, ¡°Did Mr. Sablich call him?¡± ¡°Yes, but he didn¡¯t answer.¡± Then, Yuliana reached her hand out and said, ¡°Give me my phone.¡± Christopher handed her the phone at that. Yuliana immediately unlocked it and called Jacob. After a short time of waiting, the call was answered by Jacob. ¡°Jake, where are you?¡± Yuliana could already guess what had happened. Jacob had secretly returned to Yrinas because he was worried about his mother. ¡°Yuliana,¡± Jacob said, his voice tinged with tears. Yuliana¡¯s eyes stung with tears when she heard his voice. ¡°Did you go home?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jacob choked out. ¡°Where¡¯s my mom? Did she abandon me?¡± It was not surprising that Jacob would think so. After all, Sabrina had asked him to transfer to Juxshire suddenly. She had been nagging him about many things, and her phone was turned off for several days. Jacob thought it was because Sabrina wasn¡¯t feeling well, but he realized she wasn¡¯t home when he arrived. On top of that, the suitcase she usually used, which was kept in the wardrobe, had disappeared. ¡°No, Aunt Sabrina will never abandon you.¡± Yuliana was concerned about Jacob being alone. She lifted the nket and asked, ¡°Jake, you¡¯re home, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just arrived.¡± He had rented a rideshare to Yrinas. The driver drove fast when he saw that the boy was in a hurry. He didn¡¯t waste much time on the way. ¡°Then wait for me at home. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Jacob quickly answered, ¡°You don¡¯t have toe, Yuliana. It¡¯s sote now, and it¡¯ll take you hours to come from Juxshire. I can handle being alone at home¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ Where on earth has Mom gone to?¡± Yuliana fell silent Yes Where is Sabrina?¡± she wondered. It only took 40 minutes for them to reach Sabrina¡¯s house from the hotel The whole building was brightly lit when they arrived Yuliana opened the door and went in Jacob was sitting on the couch in the living room, staring at Damian¡¯s memorial que. He was still wearing the uniform of Juxshire Middle School, but he was too thin. The uniform hung loosely over him. ¡°Jake,¡± Yuliana called out to him. Jacob turned toward her His eyes fell on Yuliana¡¯s face first, and then he nced at Christopher behind her It took a while before he slowly stood up Yuliana¡¯ he shouted All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. If Yuliana hadn¡¯t told him over the phone that she was in Yrinas, Jacob wouldn¡¯t have imagined she would rush over so quickly While Yuliana was on the way, Jacob had thought about many things. Yuliana would nevere to Yrinas for no reason. He couldn¡¯t get in touch with Sabrina too, and the house was empty Yuliana walked up to him and asked gently, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask for leave from your teacher or tell me you¡¯ll being back?¡± Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Chapter 433 It Was All Right Jacob parted his lips, appearing poised to exin, but when he gazed into Yuliana¡¯s eyes, he held his tongue and remained silent. He lowered his eyes and looked at the ground. Yuliana couldn¡¯t help but draw a parallel between Jacob¡¯s reticent expression and Sabrina¡¯s. In fact, Jacob not only resembled Sabrina in looks but also in character. ¡°Jake, I didn¡¯t mean to me you. But if you leave the school like this, your teachers and I will be worried about your safety,¡± said Yuliana softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuliana,¡± Jacob uttered. ¡°My concern for my mother has me feeling uneasy, and I feel compelled to return and check on her.¡± He refrained from asking the teacher for leave as he knew it was unlikely to be granted, given the risks. involved in allowing a middle school student to travel from Yrinas back to Juxshire at night. Besides, he chose not to disclose this to Yuliana so as not to trouble her with worries about his safety. Before his transfer to Juxshire, Sabrina had advised him to cultivate independence during his studies there. He was urged to depend on himself as much as possible, not just in his academic pursuits but also in his daily life, and avoid leaning too heavily on others for everything. Sabrina also said that she couldn¡¯t spend her whole life with him. At that time, he had simply presumed that Sabrina¡¯s remark was a response to his need to adjust to living in the school hostel upon his arrival in Juxshire. As he reflected on this, it dawned on him that Sabrina had likely harbored a predetermined n all along. Jacob clenched his fists, raised his head, and looked at Yuliana. He pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Yuliana, do you know where my mom is?¡± Yuliana found herself at a loss for words, unsure of how to answer Jacob. There was silence in the living room. Christopher looked at the two and said, ¡°Your mother is missing.¡± Hearing this, the two turned to look at him. Yuliana red at him and called out, ¡°Christopher!¡± Meanwhile, Jacob¡¯s reaction was mixed with disbelief, panic, and confusion. Christopher remained unperturbed by Yuliana¡¯s scowl and calmly addressed her. ¡°He¡¯s no longer a child. He¡¯s a teenager now. As his mother¡¯s closest confidant, he has every right to know,¡± he stated matter-of-factly. He then shifted his gaze to Jacob, whoseplexion had turned an ashen hue, and delivered the grave news. ¡°Your mother has been missing for nearly three days now. Your sister has already notified the police, but we¡¯ve yet to receive any concrete updates. I¡¯m afraid you shouldn¡¯t hold out too much hope, as the odds are not in her favor,¡± he said in a somber tone. Upon hearing the news, Jacob¡¯s slight frame trembled, his legs turning weak as he copsed onto the couch. ¡°It can¡¯t be! It¡¯s impossible!¡± Jacob muttered in disbelief, shaking his head vigorously. His eyes had turned red in an instant, and his hands clung tightly to the edge of the couch in a desperate attempt to anchor himself. Suddenly, a glimmer of hope shed across Jacob¡¯s face as he turned to Yuliana with a desperate plea in his eyes. ¡°Yuliana, what he said isn¡¯t true, is it? My mom can¡¯t just go missing out of nowhere. She must have just abandoned me and left, right?¡± he implored, his voice trembling with a mix of emotions. ¡°Jake.¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice trailed off as she looked at Jacob, realizing that the harsh reality was too much for him to bear. Christopher was right. After all, Jacob was Sabrina¡¯s only living family member in the world, and it was important for him to understand the gravity of the situation. Yuliana took a few steps forward and knelt in front of Jacob, gently cing her hand on top of his trembling hand ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jacob, but Aunt Sabrina really is missing,¡± she whispered softly, trying her best tofort him in this moment of despair. As soon as she finished her sentence, Jacob burst into tears Jacob quickly wiped away his tears with the back of his hand, and his body tensed up as he struggled to control the overwhelming flood of emotions threatening to consume him. It seemed as though he was using every ounce of his strength to hold back the pain and grief that threatened to break him downpletely Yuliana wanted tofort him, but she didn¡¯t know how. When Damian had an ident, Jacob was only eight or nine years old. Sabrina and Jacob had been each other¡¯s support system ever since. They traveled around the world together and eventually returned to Yrinas. Sabrina was everything to Jacob, his anchor and his sense of security. The thought of losing her was almost unbearable. The uncertainty of Sabrina¡¯s whereabouts and her life or death had a profound impact on Jacob, who was only 14 or 15 years old. His whole world was turned upside down as the person he relied on for security and love was suddenly gone Jacob¡¯s depressed sobbing sounded in the living room. Yuliana rose to her feet, tugging at Christopher¡¯s arm, leading him towards the door outside the room where Jacob sat. She felt that Jacob needed some time to be alone and allow his emotions to flow freely. As soon as they stepped outside, Yuliana released her grip on Christopher and took a couple of steps to the side, making it clear that she didn¡¯t want to stand next to him. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you angry?¡± Yuliana made her way over to a bench against the wall and sat down. She was not mad at what Christopher had said to Jacob, She even thought it was better that Christopher had straightforwardly stated the truth, something she would have struggled to do. She had no idea how to approach the topic with Jacob. Yuliana wasn¡¯t in the mood to engage in conversation with Christopher. Instead, she looked up at the night sky and listened to the sound of Jacob¡¯s weeping emanating from the room. Surprisingly, the anxiety that had been gnawing at her for days dissipated at this moment. About ten minutester, Jacob emerged from the room, his emotions seemingly more controlled. He nced at Christopher standing at the door and then looked at Yuliana and called out to her, ¡°Yuliana.¡± Yuliana stood up, looked at him, and didn¡¯t take the initiative to speak. Jacob said, ¡°Can I talk to you?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The two went upstairs. Yuliana led Jacob to Sabrina¡¯s room, then she walked to the wardrobe and took out the letter she had tucked away in her pocket. She handed it to Jacob and said, ¡°Jake, this is what Aunt Sabrina left for you.¡± Jacob was stunned for a moment, then he took the letter and quickly unfolded it. Sabrina¡¯s letter to Jacob didn¡¯t provide too many details. She simply urged him to take care of himself, study hard, and grow up to be a good person. She also instructed him on the necessary matters at home. After all, Jacob needed to do all these things by himself in the future. After reading the letter, Jacob burst into tears again. As a child, Jacob didn¡¯t like to cry. He believed that boys who cry appear weak and cowardly. Histe father, Damian, had always taught him to be strong and brave, as he was the second man in the family and needed to protect Sabrina and Yuliana. Therefore, when Damian passed away, he held back his tears. Because he knew that now that his father was gone, he was the only man at home. But now he couldn¡¯t be brave anymore, and there seemed to be no need to be brave. Jacob doubled over and wept uncontrobly. He had heard downstairs from the man and Yuliana that his mother was missing, and he still clung to a trace of hope, but as soon as he saw the letter, it shattered and vanishedpletely. Yuliana was moved by his tears and couldn¡¯t help but step forward to embrace him, joining him in his tears, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jake. You still have me. It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± she whispered. It was not only tofort Jacob but also for herself. The next morning, Yuliana finally received a call from Neville to go to the Lusterg Police Station to identify the body. Christopher drove his car, with Yuliana and her younger brother sitting in the back. On their way there, they remained silent. The previous night. Jacob had asked Yuliana numerous questions Yuliana had been transparent and honest in her responses She had revealed the truth about Damian¡¯s death and Sabrina¡¯s disappearance. Having heard Yuliana¡¯s exnations, Jacob appeared to be moreposed and silently made his way back to his room When Jacob woke up in the morning, his eyes were red and bloodshot, evidence that he had stayed up all night. However, the experience also seemed to have matured him overnight. Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Take Care Of Them When they arrived at Lusterg Police Station, Neville was also there. Neville was a little stunned when he saw Jacob, but he soon guessed his identity from Jacob¡¯s appearance. He sighed faintly and asked Yuliana, ¡°Is he Sabrina¡¯s son?¡± Yuliana nodded. ¡°Well, he went to high school in Juxshire, I didn¡¯t tell him about Mrs. Livingstone before this. He came backst night.¡± Neville nodded and didn¡¯t say anything more. He just looked at Jacob with pity. Jacob was so young, and both of his parents were gone. Neville had only learned of the family makeup the previous afternoon. He discovered that Damian was Yuliana¡¯s father and Sabrina¡¯s husband When Yuliana first reported the case, she provided limited information. At that time, the investigators were only looking into the disappearance of an average woman, so they didn¡¯t delve into certain details. It was only after the Lusterg Police Station confirmed Sabrina¡¯s identity the previous afternoon that they began investigating the reason for her murder. It was during this investigation that they discovered Sabrina¡¯s husband was Damian. While his father may havemitted wrongs, Jacob, his son, was innocent. Neville said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll escort you inside.¡± Yuliana and the others followed Neville into the morgue, and with his assistance, they swiftlypleted the necessary procedures. Afterward, Lusterg Police Station escorted them to the Forensic Medical Identification Center¡¯s morgue. As they reached the door, Yuliana came to a halt and nced back at Jacob, trailing silently behind her. ¡°Jake, you wait outside. I wille out soon,¡± said Yuliana. Jacob frowned and said, ¡°I want to go in with you.¡± ¡°No!¡± said Yuliana in a harsh tone that left no room for discussion. After a pause, she softened her tone. ¡°Listen, please wait outside. I¡¯ll go in.¡± It was not confirmed whether the body was Sabrina. Yesterday, Yuliana used her mobile phone to search the inte for news about the body found in the back mountain of Xemrich Vige. Even though the police had blocked the news, there were still many rumors about the murder circting, iming that the killer¡¯s methods were exceptionally brutal. Jacob was still young, so Yuliana wouldn¡¯t allow him to follow her. Jacob was silent for a while before he nodded in agreement. The staff at the Lusterg Police Station opened the door and allowed Yuliana and Christopher to enter. They pulled out the body from the refrigerator and removed the white cloth covering it, stepping aside to give Yuliana and Christopher space to examine the body. Yuliana looked up, and her face instantly drained of color. Her legs went weak, and she nearly copsed, but Christopher held her up. She didn¡¯t dare to look at the body again, turning away as her chest heaved with violent emotion. Yuliana¡¯s fingers clenched tightly onto Christopher¡¯s arm, digging her nails into his flesh with the force of her grip. Christopher kept hisposure as he nced at the woman lying in the refrigerator. Despite being reconstructed, the stitching marks on Sabrina¡¯s body gave him an idea of the brutal condition she had been in before being pieced back together. He withdrew his sight and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Yuliana suddenly called out. She turned around with a pale face and said, ¡°I want to take another look.¡± The staff in the forensic center stopped and removed the white cloth again. Yuliana forced herself to endure her difort and stared at the woman lying there, tears blurring her vision. She had never thought that a kind person like Sabrina would be treated so cruelly. ¡°How could they do this to her?¡± Yuliana thought, consumed with anger and hatred. She had never felt such intense hatred before. Aftering out of the morgue, the staff at Lusterg Police Station took Yuliana and Jacob to make detailed records. Joaquin, captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit of Lusterg Police Station, was the person in charge of Sabrina¡¯s case. He asked Yuliana a lot of questions, including about her father, Damian. But Yuliana didn¡¯t trust him, so she didn¡¯t disclose too much information. Moreover, Yuliana was emotionally and physically drained aftering out of the morgue. Joaquin didn¡¯t keep them waiting for long as he swiftly took down their statements. He advised them to head back for some rest, promising to reach out in case of any further need for cooperation in the investigation. As for Sabrina¡¯s body, it could not be taken back by her family for the time being. After finishing the notes, Neville was still there. He dropped Yuliana and the others off at the gate of the Lusterg Police Station and spoke to them before leaving. This case is now under the jurisdiction of the Lusterg Police Station, and my station is no longer involved unless they need our assistance. If you remember anything else, you can contact Joaquin directly. He¡¯s my junior but more capable than me and has handled many big cases over the years. You can trust him.¡± Yuliana said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Thank you, Neville.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve your thanks,¡± Neville said, unable to bear the gratitude. ¡°Just go back and have some rest.¡± He looked at Christopher, who was still calm, hesitated for a while, and said, ¡°Take good care of them.¡± He had encountered this young man on several asions, but they had never had a direct conversation. Most of the time, he stood quietly behind Yuliana, but whenever Yuliana needed him, he woulde to her aid without hesitation. Christopher nodded and led Yuliana to the parking lot. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Jacob followed. It was past lunchtime. The car soon drove out of the Lusterg Police Station. Christopher stole a nce at Yuliana through the rearview mirror. Yuliana remained silent, staring nkly out the window. Herplexion had improved somewhat since leaving the morgue, but her thoughts remained a mystery to him. Despite her apparentposure, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was going through her mind. Jacob was also quiet. Unexpectedly, he was also very calm. Jacob didn¡¯t ask if the body was Sabrina when they came out of the morgue. But Christopher was sure that Jacob didn¡¯t ask because he already knew the answer. ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to eat first?¡± Christopher¡¯s voice broke the silence in the car. The siblings snapped out of their daze, and both looked ahead, lost in thought. After a moment, they turned their heads to the person next to them in unison. Yuliana asked, ¡°Jake, what do you feel like eating?¡± Yuliana had lost her appetite and wasn¡¯t hungry, but Jacob was still growing and needed to eat on a regr schedule. With Sabrina gone, Yuliana felt responsible for taking care of Jacob. Jacob looked out of the window nkly. Suddenly, he saw a familiar shop and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Stop the car!* Christopher parked his car on the roadside. As soon as the car stopped, Jacob opened the door and rushed out of the car. ¡°Jake!¡± Yuliana panicked and immediately followed Jacob. She shouted, ¡°Where are you going, Jake?¡± Jacob ran more than 100 yards before stopping in his path. Yuliana panted and chased after Jacob. Thetter had stopped in front of a barbecue joint. Yuliana asked, ¡°Do you want to eat grilled meat?¡± Jacob nodded at Yuliana and said softly, ¡°I oftene to this restaurant with my mom.¡± In fact, Sabrina rarely took him out to eat. She believed it was unhygienic to eat outside and thought it was too expensive. However, he hade to this ce with his ssmates once before and mentioned to Sabrina in passing that the grilled meat was delicious. After that, Sabrina started taking him here almost once a month. ¡°Yuliana, will I never see my mom again?¡± asked Jacob. Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Chapter 435 She Is On A Long Trip ¡°Yuliana, will I never see Mom again?¡± His voice was very calm, as though he was simply stating the facts indifferently. However, Yuliana felt increasingly terrible when she heard his words. ¡°No, it won¡¯t happen.¡± Yuliana reached out and embraced Jacob¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Jake, do you remember what you said to me when Dad passed away?¡± Jacob recalled for a while and nodded. Back then, he saw that Yuliana was extremely sad because of Damian¡¯s death, so he wanted to comfort her. He said that the death of a person was not the end for his soul. It was just the end of someone¡¯s journey as a human being. Damian would exist in another life form, and those who were still alive would also transform into that life form one day. The universe was vast, and he was sure that they would meet Damian again one. day. This was what Jacob saw in a book when he was studying abroad. When Damian passed away, it was still eptable for him, although he was sad. After all, before Damian passed away, he had been alone with Sabrina for several years abroad. Therefore, he had already adapted to life without Damian. It was different with Sabrina. Jacob had never left Sabrina¡¯s side since he was born. ¡°Can I ever see you again? When we meet again, can Mom recognize me as her son?¡± Jacob wondered. After parking his car, Christopher went into the barbecue joint with Yuliana and her brother. Today was not a weekend, plus it was just an afternoon. Hence, there were only a few tables in the barbecue joint with some customers seated. Jacob straightaway chose a seat by the window and sat down, followed by Yuliana and Christopher. The waiter brought the menu for them to order their meals themselves. Yuliana pushed the menu in front of Jacob and said, ¡°Jake, you should order. You must know which dish is delicious since you havee here before.¡± Hearing what Yuliana said, the waiter stared at Jacob and sized him up and down before saying with a smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t you oftene with your mother before?¡± Jacob¡¯s actions froze. He nced at the waiter and nodded, humming gently in acknowledgment. ¡°No wonder you look so familiar.¡± The waiter smiled kindly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your mothere with you today?¡± asked the waiter. The reason why the waiter had a deep impression of the mother and son was that both of them exuded an extraordinary aura, and their appearances were outstanding. The waiter remembered them after several visits. Besides, their restaurant was long-established, so they would subconsciously pay attention to regr customers who had been visiting them for a long time. When Yuliana heard the waiter¡¯s words, she looked at Jacob nervously. However, she didn¡¯t expect Jacob would react so calmly. ¡°My mom is on a long trip.¡± ¡°I see. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Just wait until your mother is back, and you cane together next time,¡± the waiter said. Jacob smiled faintly and said, ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, Jacob picked up the pencil beside him and looked down at the menu in front of him. However, he couldn¡¯t control his grip on his fingers, and his vision became blurry little by little. He checked the menu, relying on his memory. Soon, Jacob checked his orders and gave the menu to Yuliana. He said in a heavy nasal voice, ¡°I ordered some already. Yuliana, you guys can take a look at what you would like to eat.¡± Jacob kept his head down. Yuliana couldn¡¯t see his expression, but she could tell his emotions just by his voice. Yuliana didn¡¯t expose him and answered lightly, ¡°Okay.¡± She nced at the dishes Jacob selected. Most of them were vegetarian. However, Jacob didn¡¯t like vegetarian meals. Sabrina liked them. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Those dishes that Jacob ordered were all Sabrina¡¯s favorites. Yuliana¡¯s nose was a little stuffy. She slowly breathed out and ordered a few more dishes. She then handed the menu to Christopher. Christopher nced at it and didn¡¯t order anything more. Instead, he handed the menu to the waiter directly. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The waiter left with the menu. Since there were only a few customers at noon, they were served very quickly. Jacob was grilling the meat clumsily with a pair of grill tongs. Perhaps when he was here to enjoy the grilled meat before, he was simply busy eating while Sabrina was in charge of the grilling. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Yuliana took the grill tongs from his hand. Jacob stared at Yuliana nkly while she was grilling the meat. It took them nearly two hours to finish the grilled meat. It was already past four o¡¯clock when they got home. Jacob sat quietly on the sofa for a while. He looked at Yuliana, who had been apanying him the whole time, and said, ¡°Yuliana, I want to go back to my room and have a rest.¡± Yuliana was also lost in her thoughts. She was momentarily stunned when she heard this. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Jacob stood up and went upstairs to his room. After having smoked a cigarette outside, Christopher came in. He saw Yuliana sitting on the sofa in the living room alone, staring unblinkingly in a certain direction. He looked in that direction and found out that she was looking at Damian¡¯s memorial que. Yuliana was staring absent-mindedly. She didn¡¯t even notice when Christopher came in. She only tilted her head reflexively and nced until the sofa beside her was sunken in. However, her pupils were not very focused, as if her gaze just slid across his face. Christopher frowned slightly and looked a little displeased. Seeing that Yuliana was about to turn her face around, he reached out and held her chin. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yuliana finally regained her senses because of the slight pain in her jaw, and her gaze finally focused. She furrowed her brows and pulled Christopher¡¯s hand away, asking rhetorically, ¡°How much longer are you nning to follow me around? Aunt Sabrina is dead. You can go back and report to your boss.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Christopher stared at her for two seconds. ¡°Since those people can hurt Aunt Sabrina, do you think you and Jacob are still safe?¡± Yuliana pursed her lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s my business whether I¡¯m safe or not. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°None of my business?¡± Christopher repeated. ¡°Then whose business is this?¡± He paused for a while. ¡°Ana, I know what you want to do. I can help you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help!¡± Yuliana showed no appreciation and said indifferently, ¡°Just go. This is my family¡¯s matter. It has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me to help you?¡± Christopher was observing her reaction. ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t trust me, or you don¡¯t want to drag me into this mess?¡± Yuliana just slightly moved her eyebrows but didn¡¯t answer him. Christopher¡¯s mouth twitched as he smiled. The expression on his face softened a little, but he was very serious ¡°Ana, you should think carefully about it. If you really want to avenge Aunt Sabrina, don¡¯t refuse me Your know that I am capable of a lot more than you¡± Then, he suddenly changed the topic and said, ¡°Go upstairs and have a good sleep. I¡¯m downstairs Call me if you need anything¡± Yuliana indeed didn¡¯t have much energy to deal with hirm here. She hadn¡¯t had a good rest these days After seeing Sabrina¡¯s body today, she immediately proceeded to give her statement for a few hours. Her mind was also full of Sabrina and Jacob. Yuliana only gave herself a break after Jacob went upstairs to take a rest However, when she looked at Damian¡¯s memorial que, she thought of a lot of things. Just like what Christopher said, even if Sabrina was dead, those people might not let her and Jacob go Therefore, she couldn¡¯t just sit there and wait for something to happen. Yuliana went upstairs to Sabrina¡¯s room. She freshened up quickly andy on Sabrina¡¯s bed. She thought it would be difficult for her to fall asleep, but she quickly lost consciousness once she closed her eyes. She slept deeply and for a long time. She didn¡¯t wake up until she heard a knock on the door the next morning. Looking out of the window, she saw it was already very bright outside. She picked up her phone and checked the time. It was almost nine o¡¯clock. Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Chapter 436 You Do Not Trust Us Surprisingly, she slept for about 15 or 16 hours. Yuliana went to open the door. Jacob stood outside, neatly dressed. ¡°Yuliana, I want to go back to school today and ask the teacher for a leave beforeing back.¡± Yuliana pondered for a moment and said in a negotiating tone, ¡°Jake, we don¡¯t know how long it will take to solve Aunt Sabrina¡¯s matter. You go back to school first, okay? You can ask for leave after the Lusterg Police Station allows us to retrieve Aunt Sabrina¡¯s body.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Jacob frowned at Yuliana and then lowered his eyes. ¡°Yuliana, I don¡¯t want to leave Mom here alone.¡± Yuliana¡¯s heart softened. ¡°Okay, then. I will call Mr. Sablich to apply for a leave for you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Jacob said. ¡°I want to go back to school to pick up some textbooks and materials. I¡¯ll study at home to avoid falling behind too much. I can ask Mr. Sablich for leave by myself.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Yuliana couldn¡¯t leave because she was worried that Lusterg Police Station would contact her again. In Yrinas, except for those rtives of the Livingstone family, she had no other acquaintances. As for Christopher, she didn¡¯t want to get involved with him anymore. Therefore, Yuliana asked Chandler for help. She asked Chandler to contact a friend to send Jacob back to school. Chandler only knew that Sabrina was killed after having received a call from Lusterg Police Station yesterday afternoon. He was called by the police to ask him something about the murder. He originally wanted to call Yuliana to ask about her situation, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that things were not that simple. He was afraid that he would be involved, so he simply pretended not to know about what had happened. After receiving a call from Yuliana in the morning, there was no way to avoid her anymore. Therefore, he decided toe over and put up an act. After all, not only did he owe Yuliana a lot of money, but he also was short of money now. Chandler had to count on her too. Yuliana escorted Jacob to the car and watched the car drive away. ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t worry. That is my friend for many years. He will send Jake to school and send him back safely again,¡± Chandler said tofort her. Yuliana¡¯s expression was indifferent. She only thanked Chandler politely after a while. Chandler let out a sigh. ¡°Poor Jake. He is only a teenager and both his parents are gone. Fortunately, he has you as his sister. Otherwise, he really won¡¯t know how to survive in the future.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Yuliana didn¡¯t respond and turned around to enter the house. Chandler paused momentarily and followed her. He observed Yuliana¡¯s expression from the corner of his eyes and pretended to be concerned about her. ¡°By the way. Yuliana, did Aunt Sabrina offend someone? Otherwise, how could she have met an untimely end? And¡­ jeez.¡± Yuliana still didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t disy much emotion on her face. It was unknown if she had heard Chandler¡¯s words. Chandler was still a little scared. He had long heard about the discovery of the female corpse around the mountain behind Xemrich Vige. Rumors were that the female corpse was in pieces and died miserably. ording to the analysis of professionals online, it was very simr to a serial killer¡¯s modus operandi. Chandler was indeed quite frightened. He was afraid that Sabrina¡¯s family messed with the wrong people and were targeted for revenge. If he got too close to them, he would end up like Sabrina too. ¡°Yuliana¡­¡± ¡°Chandler.¡± Before Chandler could speak again, Yuliana interrupted him. ¡°Thanks for the help today, Chandler. I should thank you properly. However, I still have a lot of problems to deal with because of how things turned out with Aunt Sabrina. I¡¯m sorry that i can¡¯t entertain you well. How about you go ahead with your work first, and after I deal with Aunt Sabrina¡¯s matter, I will make time to catch up with you then¡± Chandler was not foolish enough to be ignorant about what Yuliana actually meant Chandler said awkwardly, ¡°All right, then. If you need any help, just call me.¡± Yuliana said her thanks again. After sending off Chandler, Yuliana wanted to call Hailey and ask about Rowan. ¡°Roe is fine. It¡¯s just that he would keep asking for you when it¡¯s time for him to sleep at night. However, it¡¯s much better than when he was studying at kindergarten, Hailey said ¡°Yuliana, don¡¯t worry. I will be watching Roe. You take care of Jake¡¯s mother first. After everything is well taken care of, I¡¯ll bring Roe there.¡± Rowan had Hailey, and thepany had Craig to take care of Therefore, Yuliana had fewer worries. She could stay in Yrinas at ease and deal with Sabrina¡¯s affairs first. Jacob asked Ss for leave and went back to Yrinas in the afternoon. In the next few days, Joaquin from Lusterg Police Station came to their home again and took several statements from Yuliana and Jacob. As Jacob was still very young, after several times of questioning, he gave something away, which aroused Joaquin¡¯s suspicion. Joaquin called Yuliana to the side alone. ¡°Ms. Livingstone, I think you also long to catch the murderer of your stepmother as soon as possible.¡± Joaquin stared at Yuliana with his vignt eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t cooperate, not only will you not bring the killer to justice, but you and Jacob are also likely to be in danger.¡± Yuliana looked at him andughed naively. ¡°Can you make sure to catch the murderer and ensure my and my brother¡¯s safety after I tell you? Captain Lobelius, I don¡¯t mean to offend you. It¡¯s just that I know very well that there are a lot of things that can¡¯t be done as we wish.¡± After hearing her words, Joaquin was silent for two seconds. ¡°You don¡¯t believe us,¡± he said. ¡°Captain Lobelius, you are overthinking this. Neville said you are a good cop, and I believe in him and also you.¡± Yuliana curved her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I know about Aunt Sabrina. As for tracking down the murderer, we have to rely on you.¡± Joaquin stared at her intently for a while. He knew clearly by heart that Yuliana had to know something, but she refused to disclose it out of some kind of concern. These days, they had also carefully investigated all the information about Sabrina. No matter how they saw it, Sabrina should not be the target of the serial killer. However, it was Sabrina who was killed. Joaquin still refused to miss any chance. After thinking for a while, he asked firmly. ¡°Why did Sabrina go to Jeahron? As far as I know, she has no acquaintances in Jeahron, and she has no habit of traveling. I don¡¯t think she went to Jeahron for a trip.¡± Joaquin had already asked this question before when he took statements at Lusterg Police Station At that time, Yuliana was in a bad state and only replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Nevertheless, now it seemed that Yuliana probably knew the reason. Yuliana pursed her lower lips and was about to answer his question when another voice interrupted them. ¡°Ana.¡± Christopher was standing at the door and looking at Yuliana. Hearing that, Joaquin took a nce at Christopher. He saw Christopher at the police stationst time. However, he had nothing rted to Sabrina. He simply apanied Yuliana, so he didn¡¯t take any statements from him. Christopher walked over and ignored Joaquin. ¡°Go inside first. I¡¯ll talk to Captain Lobelius.¡± Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Sighing Yuliana did not know what Christopher and Joaquin were talking about. Soon, Joaquin left with his men. Before leaving, he told Yuliana that she could go to the Lusterg Police Station the following Wednesday to get the paperwork done to im Sabrina¡¯s body. There were three days to go before the following Wednesday. After confirming the date to im Sabrina¡¯s body, Yuliana started preparing the paperwork and contacted the funeral parlor. That Wednesday, Yuliana brought Sabrina back to the house for a night before sending it to the funeral parlor the next day. Before bringing Sabrina home, Yuliana had asked the mortician to apply makeup on Sabrina to cover up the scars on her body. Yuliana believed that Sabrina would want Jacob¡¯sst impression of her to be complete and beautiful. Finally, Yuliana buried Sabrina with Damian ording to Sabrina¡¯s wishes. After settling Sabrina¡¯s funeral, Yuliana went to the Lusterg Police Station to see Joaquin. The next day, she brought Jacob back to Juxshire. In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of September. Yuliana wanted Jacob to stay outside the school. She expressed her wish for him to live with them. Jacob refused, saying that it was more convenient to stay in school. He promised to go over and stay with Yuliana for a night every weekend. Yuliana rested at home for two days after returning. Soon, her life returned to normal again. The only difference now was that someone would always appear in her office after work every day. He stuck to her like velcro and would not leave her alone. He would bring Rowan along with him. With Rowan around, Yuliana had to restrain herself. She did not want to say anything to Christopher in front of Rowan. At this moment, Yuliana was engrossed in her work. Both adult and child were sitting on the couch, hatching a n. After a while, the little one jumped off the couch and trotted to Yuliana¡¯s desk. He climbed up the stool and looked at Yuliana pitifully. ¡°Mommy, when can you get off work? Roe is hungry. Let¡¯s go for dinner, okay?¡± Yuliana stopped her work and looked at Rowan. She then turned to look at Christopher sitting on the couch. Christopher put his elbow on the armrest of the couch and rested his head on his hand. He looked at her calmly. Yuliana withdrew her gaze and smiled at Rowan. ¡°Give Mommy another five minutes, okay?¡± Hearing this, Rowan cheered up immediately. ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡± He quickly jumped off the stool and ran to Christopher to im the credit. They were very close to each other. No one could hear what they were talking about. By the time they got out of thepany, it was dark. Christopher sent both of them home in his car. They heard voices in the living room as they entered the house. Yuliana paused for a while. Rowan had just changed his shoes and had already dashed into the house. ¡°Mr. Duncan, why are you here?¡± Ever since Rowan saw Wesley kiss Yuliana, he stopped calling thetter Daddy Wesley. Instead, he now addressed him as Mr. Duncan like before. Yuliana had changed her shoes and was about to get into the house. Christopher behind her suddenly pulled her around, and she bumped into his arms. Yuliana frowned and looked at him angrily. ¡°Let go of me.¡± Although they saw each other aimost every day during this period, Yuliana would ignore him and give him the cold shoulder. Christopher knew that Yuliana was in a bad mood after Sabrina¡¯s death, so he behaved himself and did not do anything to her. If it were not for Wesley, he could take his time to get into Yuliana¡¯s good books. Christopher refused to let go of Yuliana. Instead, his arm gripped her waist tightly. He pressed her against the closet at the entrance. He lowered his head and inched closer toward her. He then looked toward the living room and whispered, ¡°Wesley is here.¡± Yuliana was not bothered by Christopher¡¯s remark. She looked coldly at him. Her lips curled into a sarcastic smile. Christopher¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw Yuliana¡¯s smile. He recalled what happened that night and instinctively stared at her lips. Shortly after, he came back. to his senses and started kissing her. He paused for a while when he felt Yuliana¡¯s hand against his chest. She was trying to push him away. Christopher grabbed hold of her hand and pressed it on his chest. His mouth crushed her lips, sucking and biting them hungrily. Yuliana grew angrier when she felt pain and numbness in her lips. She raised her foot in an attempt to kick him. However, not only did she not manage to kick him, but her leg identally knocked down the ornament on the entrance counter. The object fell to the ground with a loud ng. Hearing the noise, the people in the living room looked in the direction of the door. Wesley¡¯s expression darkened slightly. He stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡± Hailey was about to get up and follow after him. After some hesitation, she stopped and shook her head, sighing. ¡°Granny Hailey, why are you sighing?¡± Rowan was eating some grapes from his hand. Hailey carried him to herp and said with a smile, ¡°Roe is too young. You won¡¯t understand even if Granny Hailey exins to you.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Rowan climbed onto the couch and said in Hailey¡¯s ear, ¡°Granny Hailey sighs because both Mr. Duncan and Mr. Coke like Mommy. Am I right?¡± Hailey was taken by surprise. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Rowan frowned as he bit into a grape. ¡°There are two boys in my ss who like the same girl. They both wanted to y with that girl and started fighting. Ms. Nettles would then sigh like how Granny Hailey is sighing now.¡± Rowan shook his head and sighed too. His imitation of Hailey was perfect. ¡°That¡¯s how things are.¡± Hailey was amused by Rowan and broke into a smile. ¡°What about Roe? Is there any girl you want to y with?¡± Rowan frowned and thought for a while. He shook his head and said woefully, ¡°No, but they all like to y with me.¡± Meanwhile, as soon as Wesley walked to the corner of the living room leading to the entrance, he stopped. His muscles twitched when he saw what was happening. At that moment, Yuliana had just wriggled her hand free from Christopher¡¯s grasp. She gave him a resounding p on the face. Christopher finally stopped grabbing her. He turned and saw Wesley standing at a distance. His lips then curled into a smile. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Memories of that night shed across Christopher¡¯s mind. Yuliana forced the words out through her gritted teeth. ¡°Get out!¡± Christopher retracted his gaze and used his hand to wipe the corners of Yuliana¡¯s mouth as if nothing had happened. He asked suggestively, ¡°Is my bite painful? I¡¯ll be gentler the next time.* Yuliana was trembling with anger. Christopher then ced his arm around Yuliana¡¯s shoulder as he turned to Wesley, grinning. ¡°Is Mr. Duncan leaving?¡± Shocked, Yuliana looked up and saw Wesley standing there with a restrained expression. She did not know how long he had been standing there. Yuliana¡¯s anger towards Christopher slowly dissipated as she calmed down. Finally, her face was expressionless. She asked, ¡°When did youe? Wesley replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for half an hour¡± Yuliana nodded slightly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you wereing? I could havee back earlier¡± Wesley was silent for a short while. ¡°I heard that something happened to Mrs Livingstone.¡± Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Push Your Luck Wesley was silent for a short while. ¡°I heard that something happened to Mrs. Livingstone.¡± When the nended, he learned the news of the ident in Yrinas and then came directly from the airport. That night, when he separated from Yuliana, he received a call from his superior and went to the border to pick up an important person. During that time, he waspletely isted from the outside world. When the ne arrived at Juxshire, the superior only then informed him of Sabrina¡¯s ident. On the way to the Champs Manor, he thought about calling Yuliana, but he did not dial her number even when he picked up his phone several times. A few minutester, Yuliana escaped from Christopher¡¯s control and sent Wesley out. Wesley looked at Yuliana silently for a while; his Adam¡¯s apple rolled. ¡°Yuliana, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yuliana was stunned. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say sorry to me.¡± She did not think Wesley had done anything wrong to her. Instead, she failed Wesley. ¡°It¡¯s me who should say sorry.¡± Yulianaughed at herself. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m actually quite a bad woman.¡± Those words were not only said to Wesley but also as a self-inspection. She did not know whether she had changed or whether something potential within her body had been triggered to be released. She really thought she was quite a bad person. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. If Wesley was not that nice or did not like her that much, and they interacted just for mutual benefit, then she could still maintain their rtionship with peace of mind. However, she was unable to give Wesley what he wanted. Wesley thought that he wanted Yuliana to be worse instead so that he might still have a chance to be with her. Both of them stayed silent for a while. Wesley said, ¡°Yuliana, Mrs. Livingstone is dead. I know it¡¯s a big shock to you, but I still want to advise you not to act rashly. Since they dare to do something to Mrs. Livingstone, they will definitely do the same to you.¡± Yuliana tilted her head and looked at Wesley seriously. It was the first time she had looked at him with that gaze. ¡°Wesley, I haven¡¯t asked you what exactly you do for a living.¡± Yuliana pursed her mouth. ¡°Three years ago, Christopher asked you to protect me. I thought you were working as some sort of bodyguard at that time. After a long time of getting in touch with you, it turned out it was not just that.¡± She even thought that Wesley had done some illegitimate business. However, no matter how good a friend was, a sense of boundaries could still exist, Therefore, when Wesley never mentioned it, she also never asked about it. She believed that Wesley was not doing anything that would hurt her. ¡°But during the few days in Lofbury, I had a new understanding of you again.¡± The seriousness in Yuliana¡¯s tone had increased. ¡°You know everything behind the death of my father and Aunt Sabrina clearly, don¡¯t you?¡± Wesley frowned and did not answer Yuliana¡¯s question. Yet, not answering was the best answer. Yuliana smiled, and her mind felt conflicted. She did not know whether she should feel d or angry. ¡°So, what exactly are my dad and Aunt Sabrina to you?¡± Yuliana gritted her teeth and could not help to question, ¡°In your eyes, do their lives not matter at all?¡± ¡°Yulianal¡± Wesley shouted in a solemn voice, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Yuliana took a deep breath and quickly adjusted her emotions. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± ¡°Yuliana, I promise you that neither your father nor Mrs. Livingstone will die in vain.¡± Wesley¡¯s tone was unusually serious. After Wesley left, Yuliana stood in the yard again for a long time. October wasing soon, and it was a little cold at night. She hugged her arms and looked up at the night sky. It was hard to see the stars at night in Juxshire. However, when she was very young, she seemed to hear a saying that people would turn into a star in the sky after death. She thought it was ridiculous at that time and did not take it seriously at all, but now she hoped. it was true instead. It would be great if both her father and Sabrina became stars. If she looked up, she could see them. Yuliana was thinking when her shoulder suddenly felt heavy. She lowered her head and looked, noticing that there was a coat put on her. ¡°Why are you standing in the yard alone?¡± Christopher¡¯s tone was nonchnt, but a trace of displeasure could be heard when she listened carefully. Just now, when Yuliana and Wesley were talking at the front yard door, Christopher was standing by the living room window, watching them. Although both of them did not make any intimate actions, as long as they stood together, Christopher would feel ufortable in his chest. This kind of difort became more obvious after that night. Yuliana nced at him indifferently and said nothing. She then moved her legs and headed indoors. Christopher was left ignored. He gritted his teeth and strode toward her, following behind. After having dinner, Christopher kept Rowanpany and yed with him. Yuliana went upstairs. She filled the bathtub full of water and wanted to take a bath. Perhaps the weather was getting cold, and her body always felt a little chilly. Just when she was soaking in the bathtub, an idea suddenly shed into her mind. She slowly slid down until her whole body was submerged in water in the bathtub. She held her breath. One second, two seconds, three seconds¡­ Twenty seconds, thirty seconds, forty seconds¡­ One minute¡­. She became dizzier and dizzier, and her limbs began to lose all their strength. Her consciousness also became blurred. It turned out that this was the feeling of death. With the swooshing sound of the water, Yuliana was dragged out of the bathtub. ¡°Are you mad!¡± Someone was roaring in anger in her ears. However, Yuliana was still in a dizzy state and did not hear his words clearly. She was just thinking in a daze, ¡°So, this is the feeling of death.¡± She breathed in greedily for fresh air, and the oxygen slowly flowed into her body. Her consciousness also returned clearly, and she lifted the hair stuck on her face. She opened her eyes and looked at Christopher with an angry face in front of her. They stared at each other. One was calm and the other was irritable. Suddenly, Yuliana reached out and pulled Christopher¡¯s clothes. They fell into the bathtub together. A muffled sound apanied the sound of water sshing. Yuliana¡¯s head hit Christopher¡¯s palm. Not waiting for Christopher to react, Yuliana wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with her head raised. After the incident ended, it was almost early in the morning. Yulianay down on the bed, lost in thought, while her fingers stroked the hand-embroidered pattern on the pillow. Christopher wrapped himself in a bath towel and dried his hair with a hair dryer beforeing out. He lifted the nket and got on the bed. He then gave Yuliana wet kisses on her shoulder. Yuliana frowned and turned around to avoid his kiss. She looked at him coldly and said in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°You should get out of here.¡± Christopher propped his elbow on Yuliana¡¯s pillow, which she used to sleep on, and supported his head. He lowered his gaze at her and said, ¡°Ana, what you are doing is throwing me away after getting the help you needed.¡± Yuliana replied in an indifferent voice, ¡°I can ask for someone else¡¯s help. It¡¯s not like I can only ask for yours.¡± Christopher¡¯s expression changed slightly. After looking at her for a while, hey down. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Yuliana¡¯s body was feeling weak, and she had no strength to argue with him. She lifted the nket and got up from the bed. She put on the strap of her nightgown and nned to go to the guest bedroom to have her rest. As soon as she took two steps, she was dragged back. She turned to Christopher coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck.¡± Christopher raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is it me, or is it you the one who¡¯s pushing your luck?¡± He pursed his thin lips and asked coldly. His eyes were tinted with coldness. ¡°Ana, what were you thinking when submerged in the bathtub?¡± Yuliana was stunned for a moment. ¡°Nothing.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!